Americana Music Magazine – Bluegrass, Roots, Folk, Blues, and Old-Time
Morgan Tucker is an Australian alternative country singer-songwriter with true “country” bona fides, as he comes from a small town in New South Wales, called Dorrigo. He counts as his key musical influences outlaw country pioneers like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, along with modern-day torch bearers Sturgill Simpson and Charley Crockett.
After sampling a wide range of music styles, by his mid-twenties Morgan ultimately arrived “at home” in the alternative country realm. “Up to then I put my toe in few different types of music,” he recalls, “ranging from hardcore and punk to hip-hop…as you do as a teenager…”
Morgan fronted the Sydney alt-country/rock band Billygoat & the Mongrels from 2005 to 2013. Known for their raucous high energy shows they earned a loyal following through Sydney’s inner west, playing regularly at top live music venues and festivals. The group released two albums and an EP, and their song “My old Friends” was featured on the TV show 600 Bottles of Wine. During his time with the band, Morgan began to hone his writing chops.
In 2013, Morgan moved back to Dorrigo and has continued to write and perform, playing solo with bands across NSW’s mid north, north coast and northern tablelands. Towards the end of 2022, he released his debut solo album For Better or Worse.
“It’s a collection of songs written over the last ten years, since I moved away from Sydney and back up home to the mountains at Dorrigo,” Morgan says. “I’m very good at starting songs but not very good at finishing them. So, to get these eleven songs there’s probably another hundred that never got finished.” The album came about when Morgan made a connection with Australian country music legend, Bill Chambers. “Then when I had the deadline in my head, that’s when four or five of the songs got written, in the few months leading up to the album.”
To find out more, visit here. Listen to the interview here.
By Dan Walsh