Morgan Kibby

Morgan Kibby

Morgan performing with M83
Background information
Birth name Morgan Kibby
Born May 3, 1984
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Electronic, synthpop, dream pop, ambient
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Piano, keyboard, vocals
Years active 1997–present
Labels Downey
Associated acts The Romanovs, M83,
White Sea
Website ilovem83.com

Morgan Grace Kibby (born May 3, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. She has fronted The Romanovs, collaborated and toured with M83. In recent years she has developed a solo project called White Sea, releasing and EP The Frontier and an album In Cold Blood (2014).[1]

Biography

Early Life

Born in Barrow, Alaska to Charles and Lauri,[2] Kibby grew up in San Francisco where besides vocal training she studied piano and cello in her teens.[3] She also performed as part of the chorus of the San Francisco Opera.[4]

Main article: The Romanovs (band)

In 2003, Kibby released an EP entitled Beggar's Alchemy, doing vocals, cello, and piano. Soon after the release she began performing with the musicians that would form The Romanovs, including Dan Rosa and Paul Wiancko.

In 2005, the band released the ...And the Moon Was Hungry... album. For a short time the group were just known as "Morgan" and soon after evolved into "Morgan and the Hidden Hands".[5] In 2007, the band started to re-mix and re-master their first release. New percussion, cello, violin, piano and vocals were added to former tracks as well as two new studio recordings titled "Fever Pitch" and "Mr. Okada". This was the first release with the band operating under their new name: The Romanovs.[6] In 2007, they won a Toronto Independent Music Awards for Best USA Band, but the same year the band when on hiatus as Kibby joined M83.

M83

Main article: M83 (band)

Kibby provided keys and arrangements for M83 on their fifth full-length release, Saturdays = Youth, and co-wrote the songs "Kim & Jessie", "Up!", "Too Late" and "Skin of the Night".[7] Subsequently, she completed a tour with the band throughout Australia, Europe and the United States during 2008. She continued to tour with M83 in 2009 as they opened for The Kings of Leon in the U.K., The Killers on their U.S. arena concert tour and for some dates of Depeche Mode Tour of the Universe. In 2011, Kibby contributed to M83's sixth full-length album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming; providing vocals, keyboards, and arrangements. She co-wrote the songs "Intro," "Midnight City," and "Reunion".[8] On collaborating with Anthony Gonzalez she stated that "I take a lot of inspiration from watching him work and working with him".[9]

White Sea

Kibby has embarked on a solo project since touring with M83, called White Sea, which is a translation of her surname.[10] Her first track, a remix of Solid Gold's "Synchronize", first appeared on her MySpace. A second track titled "Overdrawn" was released to her MySpace in March, revealing a new musical direction for Kibby. On September 30, a new track, "Mountaineer", became available for free download on the RCRD LBL website. An EP, This Frontier, was released on October 5, 2010, which she later described as 'a little scattered. Lots of disco references for the guitars. Still all layered with big, thick, '70s and '80s synths'.[9] Since the release of This Frontier, Kibby focused on remixing tracks for other artists and developing her style. The self-produced In Cold Blood, Kibby's first full-length album, was released in May 2014 via Crush Music and Songs Publishing,[11] and features songs co-written with Greg Kurstin and Mark Ronson.[4] She described it as a break-up record where she "had to express myself through my music. It was the only way to purge myself of this extreme grief and loss".[1] The album was toured as support to The Naked and Famous.[10]

Discography

Albums

EPs

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lipshutz, Jason (June 3, 2014). "Why White Sea Is More Than An M83 Side Project". Billboard.com. Nielsen.
  2. ↑ Colville, Alex (April 30, 2011). "Interview with Morgan Kibby (M83/White Sea)". Ilictronix.
  3. ↑ Micallef, Ken (November 24, 2014). "Morgan Kibby's White Sea". emusician.com. Electronic Musician.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mapes, Jillian (May 21, 2014). "Secrets of the White Sea: How M83’s Morgan Kibby Made Pop’s Newest Break-Up Classic". flavorwire.com.
  5. ↑ Listing for the ...And the Moon was Hungry... album by the Romanovs on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2015).
  6. ↑ Listing of the re-release of ...And The Moon Was Hungry... album by the Romanovs on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2015).
  7. ↑ Listing for the Saturdays=Youth album by M83 on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2015).
  8. ↑ Listing for the Hurry Up, We're Dreaming album by M83 on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2014).
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Studarus, Laura (June 6, 2013). "Exclusive song premiere and Interview: White Sea and Susanne SundfØr". Interviewmagazine.com.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Scrudato, Ken. "M83's Morgan Kibby Becomes White Sea". bbook.com. Black Book. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  11. ↑ Darley, Andrew (June 16, 2014). "White Sea: An Interview With Morgan Kibby". polarimagazine.com. Polari Magazine.

External links