Morgan Evans‘ sophomore Steel Town album came out last month. Released almost eight years after his freshman Things That We Drink To, a record that includes the hit singles “Kiss Somebody” and “Day Drunk”, Evans has gone through plenty in the lengthy gap between albums. But for Evans, everything led him to Steel Town, the 11-track record he was born to make.
“It’s the last three years of my life,” Evans tells Everything Nash. “And on a record, that’s unusual to have that amount of time to make an album. So there are a lot of songs written during that time. But these ones were chosen, ’cause I felt like they all do their own thing. They all tell a story together that feels kind of real to me. And also in a way that I feel like I would want to perform live and share, for the rest of my career. So I’m really proud of it.”
Of course, Evans went through a highly publicized divorce in 2022, which inspired his stunning “Over for You” single. But that isn’t the only change Evans made between Things That We Drink To and Steel Town.
“I think that was the result of just the time period, and the kind of record deal I was in, and the time period of music,” Evans reflects. “It was that period where there was an album and singles and radio singles. And then COVID hit, and TikTok blew up, and it became about one song at a time.”
Evans continued releasing music, including his 2023 Life Upside Down EP. But he admits it was a hard season for him, in more ways than one.
“It was definitely creatively frustrating, as somebody that writes and creates a lot of music, to not be able to put a lot out,” he acknowledges. “And so, as much as I enjoyed a lot of that time, I think creatively, and writing-wise, it felt a little stifling.”
The Story Behind Morgan Evans and Laci Kaye Booth’s Two Broken Hearts Duet
Evans recently released “Two Broken Hearts,” a duet with his current girlfriend, Laci Kaye Booth. Evans penned the song with Fraser Churchill, which is a telling look at Evans’ ability to move forward after his divorce. The song says, “Two broken hearts find their way to each other / Feeling their way through the dark / Two broken hearts healing under the covers / To keep them from falling apart / Sometimes, where it ends is where love starts again / But we both know that ain’t where we are / Just two broken hearts.”
“I haven’t heard that song before,” Evans explains. “As a songwriter, that might be one of the ones I’m most proud of. I’ve had it for a long time, and I’ve always loved it, but I wasn’t sure how it would come to life.”
Evans reveals that he recorded “Two Broken Hearts” a few different ways, before landing on the current version, which he says came about almost by accident.
“This version came about just playing it around the living room,” Evans recalls. “And then Lace just started singing along. That’s not an unusual thing to happen. But I think with this song, it was really evident the difference between a song that two people sing together and then a song. When two people sing it, it becomes this whole other thing. And once I heard that second verse into the second chorus, and we did that together, the song just couldn’t be any other way again.”
Understandably private about his personal life now, Evans is glad that “Two Broken Hearts” is out, even if he keeps much of their romance to himself.
“This song just feels like a really special piece of art to share,” Evans says. “I think she’s like one of the best singers in the world, too. So it was like, once I heard her voice on it, there’s no way anyone else could sing on it. I’m just really proud of it, and it’s fun to do together as well.”
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What Morgan Evans Says About All Of the Songs on ‘Steel Town’
“Two Broken Hearts” is just one of the many personal songs on Steel Town. The record reflects his love of his native Australia, his deep love of country music, and more.
“There’s definitely a balance that I try to hit – and this is just personal taste — I feel like being in Nashville this long, there’s a million great songwriters. What’s the one thing that you can bring, and it’s your own story. And so to find the meeting point of your own story, and then still find whatever it is – poetry or art, or just a way that you can communicate it that people can experience, generally as well as subjectively, is definitely what I was hoping to get on this.”
Find Steel Town and all of Evans’s music and upcoming shows at MorganEvansMusic.com.