Neal Morgan | |
---|---|
Born | March 7, 1979 |
Instrument(s) | drums |
Years active | 2006–present |
Neal Morgan (born March 7, 1979) is an American drummer, arranger of drums and percussion, and singer-songwriter. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Morgan is best known as the drummer for Joanna Newsom [6] and Bill Callahan.
Morgan began drumming for Joanna Newsom in 2006 for the touring cycle in support of her second album Ys. In a 2007 interview, Newsom said of Morgan "I am in awe of him...he elevates literally every musical project he touches." [7] He arranged drums and percussion for the live performance of that material as well as arranging for songs from her debut release, The Milk-Eyed Mender. Morgan contributed singing as well as performing his drum and percussion arrangements on Newsom's 2007 EP Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band. [8] Morgan arranged and performed the drums and percussion on Newsom's third record, the triple album Have One On Me, released in 2010, [9] and accompanied Newsom in live performance for the tour cycle for that record, [10] [11] often opening shows with solo sets of drumming and singing. [12]
He arranged and performed drums and percussion for the songs Sapokanikan, Goose Eggs, and Waltz of the 101st Lightborne from Newsom's 2015 LP Divers. [13] [14]
Morgan began drumming for Bill Callahan in 2009 at the tail end of Callahan's touring for his second self-titled album Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle. Morgan and Callahan performed as a duo for a tour of the Southern United States in late 2009 and a second tour of Spain, France and Portugal in 2010. Morgan arranged drums and percussion on Callahan's third self-titled record, Apocalypse, released in 2011, and along with guitarist Matt Kinsey accompanied Callahan for the tour cycle in support of that album. [15] [16] He was featured in the 2012 Hanly Banks documentary Apocalypse, which followed a 2011 Bill Callahan tour in the United States. [17]
Morgan arranged and performed drums and percussion with Robin Pecknold and Morgan Henderson on the soundtrack for the documentary Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin & The Farm Wives in 2012. [18]
He arranged and performed and was the recording engineer for drums and percussion for Roy Harper's Man Or Myth, a September 23, 2013 release on Bella Union. [19]
Morgan has self-released two solo records composed of only his own drumming and singing, To The Breathing World, 2009 and In The Yard, 2011. [20] [21] Both were distributed by Drag City. [22] [23] In The Yard featured Philip Guston's painting Evidence, 1970 on the cover. Morgan has lectured on the painter Philip Guston since 2012. [24] He gave four lectures on the west coast of the United States on the occasion of Guston's 100th birthday in June, 2013. [25]
On October 22, 2013, Morgan performed the song Corduroy from Pearl Jam's album Vitalogy with Robin Pecknold and Daniel Rossen on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, as a part of that show's "Pearl Jam Week". [26]
Morgan arranged and performed drums and percussion for composer Brocker Way's score of The Battered Bastards of Baseball, a Netflix Original Documentary released July 11, 2014. [27]
Along with Robin Pecknold and Morgan Henderson, he arranged and performed drums for the score of A Nice Day For A Walk To The End, a film by Sean Pecknold and Matt Daniels, released July 2014. [28]
Morgan and Robin Pecknold scored the Off-Broadway play Wyoming, which was written by Brian Watkins and directed by Danya Taymor. The play was presented at NYC's Theater For The New City from January 15–31, 2015. [29] [30]
On May 18, 2016, while answering fan questions on his Instagram account, Pecknold announced that his band Fleet Foxes was working on new material with Morgan as the drummer. [31]
Local H is an American rock band originally formed by guitarist and vocalist Scott Lucas, bassist Matt Garcia, drummer Joe Daniels, and lead guitarist John Sparkman in Zion, Illinois in 1990. The members all met in high school in 1987 and founded Local H three years later. They are known for their unorthodox two-piece setup.
Joanna Newsom is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Northern California, Newsom was classically trained on the harp in her youth, and began her musical career as a keyboardist in the San Francisco–based indie band the Pleased.
Nicholas D'Virgilio, often referred to as NDV, is an American drummer, singer and guitarist, best known as a member of the progressive rock band Spock's Beard. He was also one of two drummers chosen to replace Phil Collins in Genesis on the Calling All Stations album. He has also done session work with many artists including Tears for Fears and Mystery, and is an official member of Big Big Train.
Anathallo was a band originally from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and then based in Chicago, Illinois. The band started practicing in the fall of 2000 and played their first show soon afterward. Their name is derived from a Greek word meaning "to renew, refresh or bloom again."
Stormcock is the fifth studio album by English folk/rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in May 1971 by Harvest Records and is widely considered his best record.
Ys is the second studio album by American musician Joanna Newsom. It was released by Drag City on November 14, 2006. The album was produced by Newsom and Van Dyke Parks, recorded by Steve Albini, mixed by Jim O'Rourke, with accompanying orchestral arrangements by Van Dyke Parks. It features guest vocals from Bill Callahan and Emily Newsom. The vocals and harp were recorded at The Village Recording Studio in Los Angeles in December 2005, with the orchestration being recorded between May and June 2006 at the Entourage Studios in Los Angeles.
Golden Shoulders is a band from Nevada City, California. Formed in 2001 by songwriter Adam Kline, the group operates with a rotating lineup and has featured significant contributions from such notables as Joanna Newsom, Todd Roper and Greg Brown, Rich Good, Dan Elkan, Josh Klinghoffer, Rusty Miller (Jackpot), Jonathan Hischke, Rob Kieswetter, Hunter Burgan (AFI), songwriter Brett Shady, drummer Neal Morgan, and more. A complete, current list of contributors can be found here.
Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band is an EP by Joanna Newsom, first released on April 9, 2007, via Drag City.
Fleet Foxes is an American indie folk band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. The band consists of Robin Pecknold, Skyler Skjelset, Casey Wescott, Christian Wargo, and Morgan Henderson.
Fleet Foxes is the debut studio album by American folk band Fleet Foxes, released on June 3, 2008 by Bella Union. The album debuted at number eleven on the US & UK Albums Chart, where it eventually peaked at number one. The album garnered wide praise from critics, many of whom named it one of the best albums of the 2000s and one of the greatest debut albums of all time.
Sun Giant is the second extended play (EP) by American indie folk band Fleet Foxes, released on April 8, 2008, on Bella Union and Sub Pop. While the EP was released prior to their debut album, Fleet Foxes, Sun Giant was recorded after the LP. Sun Giant was originally intended to be a tour only release, but demand from fans led to its official release. Fleet Foxes had stated that Sun Giant was pressed so that they had something to sell on tour, and clarified that the music was not indicative of their ambitions. Despite this, the EP met with wide critical acclaim; it was named the #1 album of the year by Pitchfork in conjunction with their debut LP.
Robin Noel Pecknold is an American singer-songwriter, who serves as the principal songwriter and vocalist for indie folk band Fleet Foxes, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. He is known for his distinct baritenor voice and introspective lyrics.
Have One on Me is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom, released on February 23, 2010 via Drag City as the official follow-up to the harpist's highly acclaimed second studio release, 2006's Ys. It is a triple album produced by herself and mixed by long-time collaborators Jim O'Rourke and Noah Georgeson, with the accompanying arrangements by Ryan Francesconi. Have One on Me continues Newsom's use of cryptic, pastoral lyrics, with a further progression of elements of her sound such as the orchestral accompaniment and the arrangements – with the inclusion of diverse instruments like the tambura, the harpsichord and the kaval. The production also flirts with genres such as jazz and blues in some of the tracks, while adding drums and the electric guitar in others. The album is also her first since The Milk-Eyed Mender to include songs played on the piano instead of the harp. Because of health problems, Newsom's voice was damaged during the sessions consequently affecting the overall recording process and forcing the harpist to change her singing style.
Helplessness Blues is the second studio album by American indie folk band Fleet Foxes, released on May 3, 2011 on Sub Pop and Bella Union. Helplessness Blues received universal acclaim from critics, going on to be nominated for Best Folk Album for the 54th Grammy Awards. The release peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200, the band's highest position on the chart to date. To support the album, the Fleet Foxes embarked on a worldwide Helplessness Blues Tour.
Big Talk is an American rock band, formed by The Killers' drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr, and longtime friend Taylor Milne in 2011. As of 2015, John Spiker, John Konesky and Brooks Wackerman are also members of the band. The band have released an eponymous debut album Big Talk (2011), with follow-up Straight In No Kissin' released in 2015.
Divers is the fourth studio album by American musician Joanna Newsom, released on October 23, 2015 via Drag City.
Crack-Up is the third studio album by American band Fleet Foxes, released on June 16, 2017, by Nonesuch Records.
First Collection 2006–2009 is a Fleet Foxes compilation, released on 9 November 2018 to mark the tenth anniversary of their debut album. It is a special limited-edition collection.
Shore is the fourth studio album by American band Fleet Foxes, released on September 22, 2020, by Anti- Records.