About Alan
Wordsmith, Poet, Songwriter & Performer
Originally from the UK, Alan is a writer, poet, songwriter, performer and occasional actor — a troubadour who could be found in any one of a number of European locations, having lived and worked in France, Sweden, Germany, Athens, and Spain. There came a point in his life, shortly before the turn of the century, when he determined to live entirely from his art or starve (inspired by the central character in Knut Hamsun's groundbreaking 1890 novel, “Hunger”). Since then, thanks to the encouraging sponsorship of others, he has survived and created much, having written numerous articles, published a 200-poem book, performed many concerts, worked with many musicians and created 4 CD albums between 2010 and 2016.
Although Alan’s music has been described by one reviewer as a mixture of “English folk-rock, alt. country and progressive folk”, it is so much more than that. Whether it is a slow ballad to tear out your heart or a more upbeat piece to shake up your mind or a ‘song of conscience’ on a controversial social issue, its aim is always lyrical communication. One musician listener said: “Your music always makes me want to sing and cry!”
Creating profound, thought-provoking poems and lyrics with fine-lined melodies — coupled with an empathy for the privileges and perils of human passion — Alan creates messages of love and conscience: music from the heart for the soul. You can hear samples of music from two of his previous albums at https://soundcloud.com/alan-morrison.
During the past few years, as a multi-disciplinary artist, Alan has been involved in a number of creative projects. In 2006, he released a 12-track pilot CD album, entitled “A Trace of Sky”, which was recorded in France and distributed to selected people and on a word-of-mouth basis. Through this, he was testing the relationship he believes that all art should have between the creator and those who receive it.
In 2010, he released the CD album, “Ride my Heart”, recorded in Stockholm, Sweden by Grammy-nominated producer, Lasse Englund. For international distribution, this received a good response. “Hard not to like... powerful songs with good lyrics and a warm voice”, said IKON Magazine. “Alan Morrison creates smart, beautiful love lyrics that live beyond the ‘oh baby’”, said Kristianstads Newspaper.
In the last half of 2010 and throughout most of 2011, Alan spent much time in Sweden —some of it in an old stable on a horse-farm in the countryside near Ystad in the south of the country— quietly writing songs and poems, preparing himself for his next project.
In the first half of 2012, Alan was organising performance projects in France, where he was acting in the theatrical production of a professional touring English theatre company in the south of the country, as well as writing and performing the incidental music for the stage in the same production.
In June 2012, he began recording his next CD, “The End of the Song”, again in Stockholm. Containing sixteen top-class musicians playing twenty-one instruments (including a string section, cor anglais and French horn), this CD was launched in March 2014.
In March 2015, Alan designed and published an eBook containing more than 200 poems, entitled “Vagrant on the Hinterland of Time: Poems, Songs & Sonnets”.
In the Summer of 2016, Alan recorded another CD album in the renowned Kingside Studios, near Gnesta, outside Stockholm, in Sweden, entitled “The Key” The producer is Otto Wellton and the orchestral arranger (Alan's "George Martin") is Stockholm Concert Orchestra director, Johan Ahlin. This was a 14-track album with 24 musicians playing nearly 32 instruments (including the Stockholm Orchestra) and backing vocals. This was released in the Autumn of 2016 in Stockholm, with a release concert at Södra Teatern in Stockholm on Wednesday October 12th.
Alongside of his work as poet, songwriter and performer, Alan also writes many articles and poems which can be read on his blog, The Naked Troubadour. Currently, Alan is also continuing to work on a didactic novel, entitled “Reluctant Angels”.
The above mentioned albums "The Key", "Ride my Heart" and "The End of the Song"; as well as Alan's eBook "Vagrant on the Hinterland of Time: Poems, Songs & Sonnets", can be purchased through this website.
© Copyright, 2021, Alan Morrison
