There can be no doubting the increasing buzz around the music of this upcoming artist. Ever since her album RECKLESS was released back in 2021, Morgan Wade has been growing her reputation with a strong touring ethic and an ability to capture the imagination of an audience who like authentic song writing and her open honesty in performance.
Tonight Whelan’s is packed with admiring fans and, on the last date of a short European tour, Wade is joined on guitar by Clint Wells, a Nashville based musician and producer who plays in her regular touring band. The stripped down nature of the performance is a perfect setting to gauge the talents of this artist; nowhere to hide in such an intimate venue; just two stools and three guitars placed centre stage, and an expectant crowd that dwell upon and sing every line of Wade’s songs.
The set is confined to twelve songs over a seventy minute performance focused heavily on the RECKLESS album, with nine songs taken from that very successful release; it was re-released in 2022 by Sony and featured a further six tracks not on the original Thirty Tigers release. Her vocal tone has great character and personality with an edge that reminds me at times of Amy Ray from the Indigo Girls. Wade certainly strikes an image of the single-minded rebel, someone who will not suffer fools and who has a clear idea as to where she is heading.
Her songs are mainly focused around relationships, usually at the point of breaking, or else viewed through the rear view mirror of reflection and lessons learned. Wade also sings about such issues as addiction and recovery, with an honesty that has brought her many accolades for her open approach. Her song, The Night, reflects on the topic of wellness with the lines “I won't shut my mouth, is it a rule down in the south, that you can't talk about your mental health.” She further explores the issue on the sister song The Night (Part Two), with the words “ I'm at war with myself, Battered and bruised from my mental health.” Such honesty in the face of ongoing temptation can only establish Wade as a strong role model for others of her generation who are facing up to inner challenges and decisions regarding life choices and the peer groups that they call friends.
Songs like Run, Last Cigarette, Matches and Metaphors, Mend and Take Me Away are all received with open arms by the audience and the atmosphere is one of communal celebration with the music. It is on the more reflective numbers, such as Don’t Cry and Met You where Wade soars and shows the talent that will continue to lift her above many of the other emerging singer songwriters who are building careers in what can be a very unforgiving industry. There is a new album due later this year but the only reference to this is the inclusion of new single Psychopath in the set. Wade also includes an older song Crossing State Lines which is very engaging. It first appeared on the 2018 release Morgan Wade and the Stepbrothers.
Wade strikes me as somewhat shy in the face of her admiring fans and her between song stories tend to focus around touring anecdotes and the banter with Clint Wells. There is no encore tonight which leaves many disappointed fans hoping that Wade might appear at the merch table where t-shirts are selling in healthy quantities. Despite the low key ending, tonight proves that we are in the presence of a real talent who will continue to forge her own path and build upon the instincts that have gotten her this far on her personal journey.
Support act Kat Hasty played a short opening set and was well received by the audience. Her vocals were a little light in the mix and increasing crowd noise did her no favours, but she endured with songs like Where The Wildflowers Lay and Burn It Down hitting the mark with those who came to listen.
Review and photo by Paul McGee