\nKJAG: Michael, tell us about the origins of The Culprits. How did the band come together, and what inspired the name?
\nMorrow: The band was built as a vehicle for my songwriting. Seeing Ted Nugent or Toby Keith using
\njust their names, I originally just called the band Michael Morrow. But over time I felt it needed
\na band name to follow. Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Buddy Holly and The Crickets, etc. I
\nthought that was always more interesting than just an artist\u2019s name. Much like song lyrics,
\nCulprits, just came to me. It sounded right. Having an original idea in entertainment is very
\ndifficult. I\u2019ve had band names that I thought were unique, back in the day, only to search the
\nweb and find a dozen other bands running with the name. I had this one in mind around 2015
\nwhen Juliet March was my bass player but didn\u2019t start using it until the band lineup firmed up in
\n2016.
\nI have used many fine musicians over the years. Steve Haywood joined Michael Morrow & The
\nCulprits in 2019. He has been my right-hand man since then. He can boast that he has played
\nmore shows, recorded more songs and has had a longer stay in the band than anyone. Side
\nnote: what a great bass player! Because we play regionally, internationally and locally, it can be
\nhard on drummers so we do sometimes use fill ins, but we consider ourselves very lucky to
\nhave Seedie Wolfe on the drums. He understands the songs better than anyone!<\/p>\n
KJAG: You\u2019ve developed a unique sound blending different genres. How would you describe The Culprits’ musical style to someone hearing you for the first time?
\nMorrow: A child on the 70s, grew up in the 80s in my big listening years and adulting in the 90s really
\naffected me as a songwriter. People are surprised by the fact that I enjoy early 80s pop and
\n80s and 90s metal. That being said, my voice fits so well in more of a 70s vibe. Led Zeppelin,
\nKiss, Aerosmith are a big part of my style. I\u2019m not a blues player but influenced by blues-rock
\ninfluenced bands. Couple that with love of a good melodic song (that 80s influence) and I think
\nthat gets us a bit of where I am. I love guitars! They are possibly one of the sexiest things on
\nthe planet. That\u2019s why so many of us play them. They are front and center in the music, but I
\ndo like to paint with different size brushes and strokes so to speak.<\/p>\n
KJAG: What\u2019s the creative process like when writing and recording your music? Do you all contribute to the songwriting, or does one member typically take the lead?
\nMorrow: I write songs. Typically, it\u2019s a riff or something I find interesting on guitar. Rarely basic chord
\nprogressions, but maybe. I do keep notes on song ideas maybe scarce lyrics, but the music
\nneeds to happen first. Otherwise, it sounds very forced to me. I do write about 20% of my
\nsongs in Open E tuning. Which makes me think about songs differently. That has been a good
\ntool for me. I will then bring it to Steve and get his input. Sometimes he will get a co-write.
\nThen I\u2019ll typically bring it into rehearsal. Seedie has been really understanding the needs the
\nnew material we are working. Lyrically, it is rare that I have anyone add anything to something
\nI\u2019d be singing.<\/p>\n
KJAG: Can you share some stories from your early days performing live? What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
\nMorrow: Some get butterflies from performing. Maybe when I was 16 when I first performed at a talent
\nshow I did, but I relish the crowd. Bigger the better, it feeds the show. But when I was 20 or 21,
\nwe would perform and people would compliment us and I would be quick to tell them no, I
\nmessed this up and that up. I quickly learned that they never heard it and that was more self-
\nanalysis. I also believe when cell phones came out and people were video taping and sharing
\nyour shows, that you no longer had control of your performance. So, you better be good. You
\ncan\u2019t slouch. I work hard at making sure my vocals are not flat. I expect the same out of the
\nband. But I\u2019m also a guy who likes a live feel and shooting from the hip. I\u2019ve always enjoyed a
\ncertain looseness in performance. But let\u2019s hit those vocals!<\/p>\n
KJAG: Your sound has evolved over time. How do you feel about the band’s growth musically, and where do you see your sound heading in the future?
\nHard Rock Countryfied Blues (2013) and Bad Penny (2015) will be getting a ten-year vinyl
\nrelease this year coming up. The style of that has been my style. A little twang but rock.
\nRaucous ( 2017) was more of a hard rock album. I\u2019m With The Banned (2020) was a return to
\nmy style. Songs like Cherry Blossom and Rambler, off of that album, are 2 of our more well-
\nknown songs. Greater Than Gravity (2022), I think showed the most growth in songwriting. A<\/p>\n
lot of thought went into a song like Around The Sun, our most streamed song. Rise has a great
\ntime change signature in it but then a song like Seven Years Bad Love is that blues rock I\u2019m
\nknown for. As far as the future goes, I like to write what comes to me. It\u2019s like what Keith
\nRichards said, \u2018it\u2019s like this antenna in my head that these ideas come down into\u2019 The new
\nalbum we are working on seems to have some real good hooks to them<\/p>\n
New Music:<\/strong> On the Band’s Dynamics:<\/strong> KJAG: What has been the most rewarding part of being in a band like The Culprits? How do you support each other both creatively and personally? About Touring and Performing:<\/strong><\/p>\n KJAG: Touring can be intense. How do you all stay grounded while on the road? Any pre-show rituals or favorite venues you love to play at? KJAG: What\u2019s one of the most memorable live performances you\u2019ve had as a band? What made that moment stand out for you? Fan Interaction and Impact:<\/strong><\/p>\n KJAG: How important is fan engagement to you? Have you had any memorable fan interactions or experiences that you can share? What message do you hope listeners take away from your music, and how do you want to impact your audience both musically and personally?<\/p>\n Looking Ahead:<\/strong><\/p>\n What\u2019s next for The Culprits? Any exciting projects or tours on the horizon?<\/p>\n How do you see the future of The Culprits? Are there any new musical directions or collaborations you’re excited about exploring?<\/p>\n Personal Insights:<\/strong> KJAG: Do you have any advice for up-and-coming bands trying to navigate the music industry today? 1. further. In terms of new musical directions or collaborations, I\u2019ve toyed with expanding the KJAG: Michael, tell us about the origins of The Culprits. How did the band come together, and what inspired the name? Morrow: The band was built as a vehicle for my songwriting. Seeing Ted Nugent or Toby Keith using just their names, I originally just called the band Michael Morrow. But over time I felt […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-written"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38404"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40928,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38404\/revisions\/40928"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nKJAG: Your latest track\/album (mention the specific release) has been getting some great attention. What was the inspiration behind it, and how does it reflect where The Culprits are as a band right now?
\nAre there any standout tracks on this release that hold a special place for you? Why?
\nHow do you manage to balance maintaining your artistic vision while appealing to your audience\u2019s expectations with your music?
\nMorrow: Currently our latest single is our re-work of Def Leppard\u2019s \u2018Pour Some Sugar\u2019. We did a
\ncountryfied rock vibe on it. It really came out well. We released it in between albums as we
\nwrite for the new one.<\/p>\n
\nKJAG: The dynamics of a band can be crucial to its success. How does each member bring something unique to the table when you create and perform music?
\nMorrow: We will be releasing a new song in about 6 weeks which will feature Steve Haywood on
\nvocals. I do believe this song \u2018Good Boy\u2019 will be a big song for us. It\u2019s nice when we perform to
\nget a vocal break. Steve is an accomplished singer, but this would mean a cover song. So, I
\nwanted to have an original composition for him to be part of the show. Watch it become our
\nbiggest song!<\/p>\n
\nMorrow: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Do you play music for people to make them happy
\nthus making you happy or do you play to be happy and they feed off of your happiness? I
\nchoose the latter. I believe wholeheartedly that you must fulfill yourself, you must be true to
\nyourself and if that means trying something different, then great. Otherwise, you\u2019ll live
\nwondering and unfulfilled.<\/p>\n
\nMorrow: There is great respect amongst each other in the band. That and humor is key. \u2026and getting
\nbreakfast after the show.<\/p>\n
\nMorrow: The most rewarding part of Michael Morrow & The Culprits has been that we follow through
\nand support crazy ideas. We take chances on ideas. We are aware keenly of everyone\u2019s
\npersonal situation and work around that to reduce any pressure on decision making.<\/p>\n
\nMorrow: No real rituals, getting a soundcheck in time is always nice with time to change clothes. We are
\nvery grounded at our age.<\/p>\n
\nMichael, as the frontman, what inspires you personally outside of music? How does that influence the music you create with the band?<\/p>\n
\nMorrell: It\u2019s tough out there and I think a lot of us are trying to make our own road without record labels.
\nMorrow: It\u2019s a good thing because if you can dream it and dare so, you can follow it.<\/p>\n
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\n12. I\u2019m learning that maybe we don\u2019t need to get up early and hit the road\u2026but maybe we do. We
\nmiscalculate this at times. Get there early, find food when you can. Not all hotels are the same.
\nNot all crowds are the same. Generally, sound guys are real good dudes but understand
\nsometimes they are having a day. My favorite gigs were playing in front of 5,000 people in
\nSioux Falls with my extended family in attendance. A great crowd in a hall in Bilston, UK.
\nWatching my $3500 Black Gretsch \u2018Penelope\u2019 get blown over onto the concrete faced down at
\nan outdoor show in Windsor, CO\u2026only to find it didn\u2019t have a scratch (thankfully)
\n13. Fan engagement is everything! It\u2019s always a nice surprise meeting someone who has been
\nlistening to you and this being their first live show. Or it\u2019s their first time and they are digging
\nyour vibe. This past Summer we met a gal and her husband in the UK. She insisted that the
\nnext time we played her town that we stay at their house. Well, we\u2019re gonna find out in a few
\nmonths if we get ghosted, lol.
\n14. The songs are what matter to me most. They are why we perform so; my hope is that people
\nadd the songs to their streaming or buy the vinyl or CD. That in some way our music lives with
\nthem. If I didn\u2019t have my songwriting, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d perform any longer.
\n15. We are writing, recording and getting ready for our first pro video shoot in 3 years. It will be a
\nbig launch for our upcoming song \u2018Good Boy\u2019 As well, we have a second single that we\u2019ll
\nrelease a few months after that.
\n16. Write-Record-Perform is the Mantra of the band. That has not changed and if anything, we are
\ndoing more of that. My hope is to continue to expand our territory. To get out on the road<\/p>\n
\nband to either have a female singer or keyboard player in the band or both but from a touring
\nstandpoint that increases scheduling difficulty and to be honest part of our sound is that classic
\n3 pc sound.
\n17. I think being a man and understand that being firm with grace, being decisive and inclusive is
\nsomething to show and teach to those that hear and see it. Also, let\u2019s have fun and enjoy life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"