Interview: Matthew Morrison

7 June 2011

A week away from his first full live show, Matthew Morrison took the time to chat to us about his influences, his debut album and what to expect from his live shows.

-Are you looking forward to the London show next week?

Oh my god, like no other! I'm really excited about it.

-What can fans expect from it in terms of the set-list then?

There’s going to definitely be some songs from Glee, definitely songs from my album. There might be some interesting duets that might take place. My show has kind of an old school flavour, like an old school song and dance man. Very moody, very sexy kind of vibe.

-Are you expecting a bit of a crossover fan base for it?

I have no idea, to be honest. It’ll be the first concert that I’m doing, so I don’t know what the fan base is going to be, to be honest.

-You had to cancel tour dates this week because of some dates with New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys. Do you plan to reschedule those dates?

Absolutely.

-You got your start on Broadway and in musical theatre. Do you think that will help you with the live show?

I’ve been on stage my entire life, that’s where I’m most comfortable. I’m more comfortable on stage than I am in my real life. I’m very confident that my show’s going to be great, I’m excited about it.

-Do you have any musical background, in terms of playing instruments? Did you have any background really before the album?

Yeah, I performed a couple of things but never like a full-on show. I play a lot of instruments on stage.

-Ah, okay. Who are your influences musically?

It’s very eclectic. I would actually say Elton John, I would say Don Ho. I listen to everything. I listen to classical, I listen to a lot of Bob Marley. It’s kind of all over the map.

-What prompted the idea to actually do this debut album?

It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, but I think Glee has afforded me the opportunity to make the album that I wanted to make, and do it in the right way.

-Are you grateful for the opportunity that’s given you?

Oh, absolutely. Glee’s been great for everyone that’s been a part of it.

-How have you found the initial reception to the album, now that it’s finally out?

Pretty good. I was expecting…I don’t know what I was expecting. I was very happy with it. It was really the first time I was involved in the song-writing process. A lot of it was kinda new to me. As happy as I am with this first album, I’m looking forward to the next one, and the one after that, to continue the journey.

-How was that whole writing process for the album?

I have such new found, deep respect for the song writing process. It’s a beautiful thing. You’re creating something out of nothing and the amount of work that goes into it is just amazing. I was kinda unaware of how much effort it took and how expressive it can be. It was very therapeutic, in a way.

-Did you have a lot of control over the track-listing of the album? Was it basically just your decision?

It was completely my decision. The record label was just so generous with me.

-Are you finding it ok balancing this with your other projects?

To be honest, no. I have a little too much going on right now.

-How do you plan on trying to balance them for the rest of the year? Are you having to take time off from certain things?

Well, Glee has to go when Glee goes. We start back mid-August, so I’m really trying to get as much touring and promoting the album into this small window that I have.

-Did you find this different to contributing to the various Glee soundtracks?

Yeah, because Glee is mostly covering songs. This is definitely a different experience, because it’s a lot more personal.

-Is it something you prefer then, doing your own work rather than covers?

Yeah, I think so. Even when I do a Broadway show, I always want to do a new Broadway show, something that hasn’t been done before.

-Have you got any plans on that front coming up?

Not coming up, because there’s too much going on. As soon as Glee’s done that’s going to be one of the first things I do, either a Broadway show or a West End show.

-I mentioned it earlier, regarding the tour with New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys. Did that just sort of come up at the last minute?

It was, I had my whole tour planned out, and I’d be playing to 2 to 3,000 seats a night. This was the opportunity to play to 15 or 20,000 a seats a night in these huge arenas, a chance to gain a much broader audience.

-Do you think your music will cross over to fans of those bands?

I think so. When I think of those kind of fans, I think of women between the ages of 20 to 40, and I think that’s right in my demographic.

-Do you hope to expand that, or are you just grateful for what you’ve got?

I’m always grateful for what I’ve got, but I do. People ask me ‘What do you classify your music as’, and mine’s very easy listening, a soothing voice. I just hope people enjoy it.

-How would you convince people to open their mind and actually give you a chance?

I would just say listen to it. I understand it, though. I understand that someone you think of as a character, it’s hard to get your head around it.

-What can we expect from you for the rest of the year, besides touring?

Well, touring, then I start back up in Glee. Then I have a movie that’s in the works as well.

Female First - Alistair McGeorge