morrigan: press

see the full interview from Mo's appearance at the Current Boutique Fashion Show!

Morrigan Debuts 'Unbearably Sweet'

By Maria Villafana
washingtonpost.com/MP3 Producer

Morrigan Condo - singer, songwriter, pianist, karaoke aficionada - releases her debut album, "Unbearably Sweet," at Jammin' Java Nov. 21, with onstage help from guitarist-producer Brad Allen and Ubervox compatriots Joanne Juskus and Michelle Swan.

An effervescent 29-year-old so enthusiastic -- well, about everything -- it's catching, even through a brief phone interview.

Morrigan releases debut album, "Unbearably Sweet," at Jammin' Java Nov. 21
Morrigan (she goes by the one name) has a breezy personality that is audible in her music. If you've forgotten what it's like to truly be in love with life, a Morrigan fix might be the ticket to a fresh start.

She spent the last few months with producer Brad Allen at his Greenworld Studios in McLean, Va., putting on disc her "little babies," songs she describes as "acoustic folk rock for soft ears and bruised souls." With careful thought she chose Jammin' Java, "one of the best listening rooms in northern Virginia," to officially present her offsprings to the world. New York City cabaret performer Melanie Neergard will host this coming out party; Lianna, a recent transplant from North Carolina, opens the show. Joanne Juskus, Michelle Swan and Kevin Avery will back up Morrigan on special segments throughout the night -- all of which will be recorded for a future CD release.

To sneak a listen of what's coming on Nov. 21, download the album's title track "Unbearably Sweet" or "My City," a hometown girl's thoughts about her Washington, D.C.

DC's sweetest prodigy

2 CD reviews, a concert review, and as if that weren't enough, an interview

By Zak Metz

It’s refreshing to meet someone talented who also embodies the qualities of modesty and humility. The mix results is one cool chick with a personality that is "unbearably sweet” indeed. Some of her songs are somber and sad and may remind you of times and relationships you’d rather forget. Others will breathe life into your soul and renew your love for the simple things in life, for slowing down and enjoying the ride. Her music, the songs she calls her children, is her purest expression.

Morrigan may just be a case study in survival. Things began quickly. Her talented voice and unparalleled stage presence had won her opportunities since she was a child. Indeed, Morrigan seems to have been doused in talent by some higher power.

But in a Job-like twist, her ability to perform was taken away by damaged vocal cords just before she completed high school, this after having performed since age eight, having won endless awards at every competitive level, and getting every part she auditioned for. She was her voice, and her voice was gone.

Robbed of her identity, she was driven into depression and a self-destructive lifestyle that further threatened her chances of singing again. The damage that had already been diagnosed as irreversible. Overcoming alcohol and drugs was a lengthy process, but her reward was the gradual, but startling recovery of her singing ability.

Five years had passed. Her voice becoming more and more usable, she sought a second opinion about using it full time. The verdict was that if she was careful, she could sing again--although it was unlikely she’d ever recover the sound she once so proudly presented at every opportunity. Morrigan set out with religious zeal to prove the doctors wrong.

Her first break came in the form of a popular music revue at a Richmond theme park where performed over 500 shows in a single season. Her self-confidence restored, she picked up her dusty guitar and started writing again, often testing the new material at open mic nights throughout the DC area.

She was reaching escape velocity. The momentum built as she took to the technical side of performance, sharpening her skills from all angles with voice lessons, learning to play bass, and refining her guitar skills. After a year of serious writing, she had four solid songs to lay down for her April ’98 EP, Learners Permit.

To describe it as just folk would be to categorize what goes so far beyond a genre classification. She calls it, "acoustic folk rock for soft ears and bruised souls.”

A somber, vulnerable Morrigan appears on Learners Permit, the pain of depression clearly not yet far in the past. She had studied poetry during those difficult years and now she could express it with her most natural skill. Between the catchy tunes and her stunningly clear and defined voice, Learners Permit showcases Morrigan’s brand of emotional, poetic folk in a top-quality recording.

Learners Permit opens with "This is Where,” a sad account of the sting left behind where love used to be and the process of learning to be alone again. "And it’s pain that sits on the passenger side of her car/And twists the dial on the radio when that one song comes on/And cools her skin when the air kisses the tracks on her face/She closes her lips over the words that she wanted to say.”

Her songs can unbury sore memories, but her sultry, siren voice comforts, her ability to go on inspires, even as another relationship is falling apart in "Did I Wake You.” You can feel her pain so vividly that it brings tears to your eyes, but sometimes knowing you’re not the only one who’s felt such pain makes it all a little more bearable.

Things turn upbeat with "No More.” Here we see her cool self-confidence showing through: "I don’t care how many times you offer me that ring/Your ball-and-chain is not my thing, so goodbye.” The happier feel is a wonderful chance for Morrigan to prove that, not only is her voice in great shape, but that she knows how to control it, and does so with a tad of abandon.

By late ’01, her voice completely healed, she headed into the studio to record her debut album, Unbearably Sweet. The straightforward folk guitar with little backup of Learners Permit has evolved from acoustic-folk to more radio-friendly, stuck-in-your-head-for-days folk-rock along the lines of Melissa Ferrick and Erin McKeown. It’s not that she’s abandoned the solo acoustic performance, it’s proof that she can present her songs in various formats with different personnel and regardless, they always shine.

The lyrics have evolved also. They’re still brilliant pieces of poetry, but a new personality shines through the mature lyrics, the joyfulness that infuses someone who has returned from the depths, made stronger for the bother.

Not to say that it’s all peaches ‘n cream. In "This Girl,” Morrigan again tackles post-breakup sadness: "This girl knows you all too well/Don’t you have anything left to spare/For this poor child who’s lost in despair over you.”

The ponderous "My City” expresses her bond with the DC area where she’s grown up and still lives. She’s in love with life, but realistic about it. "My city loves me—I lie in my cradle/I love each and every road,” but follows with, "I complain like everyone else/I know it’s not perfect/But this is my center of the universe,” eliciting a smile of understanding.

Morrigan has a great sense of humor—just give "Wulf Sez” a listen. This kid-friendly ditty is a fun exploration of "Wulf”’s mind as he sneakily creeps up on some "lucky feet:” "Caught sight of some big, tall ears and tails that look like cotton/Don’t think they’ve noticed me yet sneakin’ up behind them.” Don’t worry, they get away: "Guess I was wrong about them lucky feet/Must’ve been the breezes talkin’.”

Although she writes on and plays guitar, and clearly her strongest asset is her voice, she takes a break from both and astonishes us with "Waiting,” an original piano piece that’s creative and passionate. She enjoys playing piano for herself but isn’t comfortable playing in public, hard to believe about someone who is so calm and collected, I daresay relaxed, in front of an audience.

The closing track, "Flood,” is the highlight of album. It’s a denial of fate’s control, independence from her failed vocal cords: "Too many days spent still and wasted/Not comfortable in any chair/Curled up on the kitchen floor/Sticky with despair,” then climaxing with her declaration, "Oo but the wind is sweet/And I finally shed my wet relief/And we’ve got each other’s souls to keep/And it won’t be so dark—tonight.”

Distortion was at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Virginia on March 18 to see Morrigan perform with an assembled band headlining an Ubervox ("strong voice”) showcase, a group she’s been a core member of since last summer. The self-described "Ubervixen” are female musicians "of all shapes, shades, ages and genres,” helping each other develop their music careers as a collective.



The show opened with a pair of short sets by Anne Wolfe and Flo Anito. Their "cameo” performances were each comprised of a guitar and a piano piece. Although the recitals were brief, both were very talented and helped to set a fun mood for the evening.

Kim Buchanan then took to the stage for a longer set. Her strong performance belied that she had just driven directly from North Carolina. Her motherly personality was warm and inviting as she told little stories between soulful songs.

She broke up the pace with a hilarious tune, the lyrics little more than a reading of her kids’ school dress code forced to confront its own silliness: "Undergarments are not to be visible unless you’re a cheerleader.” Ok, it’s not all directly extracted, but enough of it is to seem more than a bit draconian.

Buchanan’s CD, Illusions, is available now on Not Your Mama*s Folk Records and has made quite a splash with critics and her huge following of fans up and down the East Coast. Her songs go from soothing and meditative to humorous to psychedelic. She often includes covers of "White Rabbit,” and the Beatles’ "While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” songs she believes help her listeners understand where she’s coming from, to put her "into context.”



After a short intermission, Morrigan took to the stage. She was joined by Rich Bozek on drums, John Athayde on guitar, Dan Zimmerman on bass, with Kevin Avery providing backing vocals.

Before the show, Morrigan talked about how she enjoyed bringing groups of performers together for a single show to see what sort of chemistry results, to hear her songs performed in a new way.

The group definitely had a vibe. Everyone on stage was not only talented, but clearly have a blast performing for the enthusiastic audience. And what a great venue; part coffee shop, part restaurant, with a 180-capacity concert area, Jammin’ Java presents shows seven nights a week. The warm lighting, top-notch sound system, and soft acoustics, and even softer chairs made for a most enjoyable show.

Morrigan’s voice was powerful and moving, and was amplified just right. She belted out all the favorites with authority and conviction, and teased her fans with a couple new ones from her "upcoming” album.

A bit of banter and some shout-outs from the audience kept the mood light and casual. Morrigan looked as confident as if she were performing for a group of friends. It’s contagious; she makes you feel like a friend who she’s glad to see as she express herself the best way she can.

Even during the sound check, Morrigan couldn’t hide her deeply sweet personality, as every request to the board was quickly tailed by a "if you don’t mind” and "thank you so much.” She’s genuine, and that comes across in her voice. She has nothing to hide; she’s free to express herself unreservedly through song.

Morrigan hangs the reality of her life on the line for all to see. Her courage in overcoming obstacles is inspirational. Sometimes it’s very easy to see who will be successful at whatever they put their hands to. This is one of those times. She is already a success in many ways, and the adversity she’s overcome has made her that much stronger.

Outstandingly talented, stunningly beautiful, and a great personality—there’s really no question that Morrigan has a brilliant career ahead of her. The surprising thing is that she hasn’t already been signed. Look out above!

Distortion caught up with Morrigan for a candid interview after the Jammin’ Java show.

D.: 1. Your first solo performance was at age eight and you went on to perform through high school. Does musical talent run the family?

M.: It does, but in small doses. My sister has a voice very similar to mine, but is untrained and was never into it like I was. She was in an a capella group I formed in college, though, and the blend of our voices is really amazing. My parents are in the New Dominion Chorale based out of Alexandria, VA and directed by Tom Beveridge. My Dad has a beautiful baritone voice but the only way to get him to sing into a mic onstage is at karaoke. My Mom has a very pretty alto and plays piano. Many of my cousins on Dad's side of the family were into music as a hobby when they were younger, but tended to grow out of it. I have one cousin about five years younger than me who plays guitar in a rock band; he gets closer to what I do than the rest of them.

I'm lucky; I got a larger-than-usual helping of talent, plus the drive to do something with it, too.

1.5. Had that young success defined you too much?

Actually, I've always known I wanted to be a singer, and I'd never been completely satisfied singing other people's music, so I think being a performing songwriter was written into my psyche before I knew I was any good at it. I didn't really get a grasp on the fact that I was more talented than the average bear until maybe the end of my sophomore year of high school, about a year before the voice went. Up to that point, it was just sheer desire. But that last year was an important one - that was the time when you start deciding what you're going to do after high school.

College was a given in my family although I was ambivalent - I only applied to one school and got lucky. James Madison University - JMU - has the best music program of any state school in Virginia, and I can't imagine all of those music and singing awards on my application went unnoticed by the admissions staff. Everyone expected me to fall into line and be a voice major. Of course, that didn't happen, although I did eventually get within about 4 credits of a music minor. I loved it there, though. I stayed for a long time.

1.75. Unfortunately, there was a time when talent and drive weren't enough. Your body said no, and you were forced to listen. How far had you climbed and how frustrating was the fall?

Until the damage to my vocal cords, just before my senior year of high school, there just wasn't anything I couldn't do. I was cocky and with good reason - I got every part I auditioned for, I came in first in every competition, and I was consistently chosen to represent my school. And I never had to work for any of it; I didn't even take voice lessons. But singing was my whole life; there wasn't anything else. So when I lost my voice it was as though my very identity had been stolen from me. It was a really dark period of my life. I grew incredibly depressed, I started drinking, smoking, doing drugs - all kinds of things I never would have gotten into before because they're so bad for your voice. Things I got into that stayed with me - acting and poetry writing, and I wound up getting a degree in the latter. However, it wasn't until I started singing again that the depression began to loosen its hold on me, and it was years after that before I could kick the alcoholism, smoking, and drug use. I definitely think it was good for me - I had to work incredibly hard to get my voice back and I'll never take it for granted again.

But all humor aside, this is one thing I really haven't dealt with on a deeper psychological level. I know my voice and my emotional well-being are rather inextricably linked. Losing my voice ruined me, getting it back saved me. But I don't think about it much.

1.875. How did your voice and career revive, eventually resulting in Learners Permit?

At the depth of my depression, my jealousy of other singers was all-consuming. I was working at Paramount's Kings Dominion, a theme park near Richmond, Va., as an actor, and listening to the singers warm up every day was killing me. I cried myself to sleep almost every night. I couldn't watch their shows.

A friend, having heard me piddle around on my guitar a bit, mentioned that my voice seemed healthy to him and why didn't I get a second opinion about the condition of my vocals cords? The second opinion was as long as I was careful was no reason I shouldn't be singing, although I was warned that my voice would probably sound different than it had before that I shouldn't expect the same sound I'd once had.

But I was elated, anything was better than nothing, so I spent the next few months brushing up on my technique and rebuilding my range, and then auditioned for JMU's music program and was accepted as a voice student in the Spring of 1995. It was two years more of thankless work retraining of my voice, and then I managed to land a job at Kings Dominion as a lead singer for the 1997 season.

Once that happened, I knew I had enough to keep going. It was at that point that I started writing in earnest - not the on again, off again thing I had going on when I was younger. After a year or so, I had four songs I thought were good enough to put on a demo, and Learners Permit was born. The title, as you can imagine, has enormous personal significance.

1.9375. Why had you taken on the name of the Celtic goddess of battle, strife, and fertility?

Uh, yeah, a lot of people wonder about that. Long story short, I'd picked up the nickname Morgan Le Fey from some friends in high school (King Arthur's sister and the mother of his only son, also a powerful priestess and/or witch, depending which legend you read) and I went by Morgan for a while. In my studies at JMU, I came across the goddess Morrigan, also the washer at the ford, the crow, the three-faced one. I was inspired by the symbolism and raw power she represented, and I loved the way the word looked on the page and the sound of the syllables (pronounced like the state, "Oregon"), and so I just started going by that instead of "Morgan." And a stage name was born.

2. You're listed first on Ubervox's core member list, the group that sponsored this concert. How has that group and others helped you develop?

That I'm first on that list is pure coincidence! I'm not the newest core member, but I'm one of the newer kids, definitely; I've only been a working Ubervixen since last summer. My first exposure to UBERVOX was through fellow Ubervixen Joanne Juskus. She and I had the same producer, Brad Allen, for our CD's, and she introduced me to Verlette Simon , the UBERVOX founder, who booked me as a cameo for the March show of last year (so it's really neat to be headlining the March show at the same venue a year later). I liked the ladies so much I started showing up for shows and volunteering to help out and being so gosh darn cute and helpful they just had to ask me to join (well, that's how I see it, anyway...). It was a big confidence booster for me, and I really love the work, running sound, stage managing, and even the grunt parts, which for me right now include updating a list of press contacts for the VA/MD/DC areas. The members are wonderful people and we are as supportive of one another as we can be. Michelle Swan, especially, has been a wonderful mentor for me both musically and personally, and I am honored to call her a friend.

A full list of members and information can be found at the UBERVOX website.

2.5. Now that the CD’s out, how valuable are those resources as you strive to expand your audience geographically?

Well the CD certainly is out, but it will be a few more years before any effect on my career will really be felt. It's cumulative, and at the independent level, it takes a lot just to get yourself enough traction to keep going. Once I sell 10,000 units, I'll be able to say that I have something going on.

Ubervox is just a jumping-off point; it really is mainly a networking organization, a way to meet other female performers and learn from them. It enables me to help support those performers, too. That's why I got involved; I wanted to give back to the music community.

As far as expanding a music career goes, that's more just a matter of making a series of calculated risks and educated guesses and being as prepared as possible so you take advantage of opportunities that come your way. So has Ubervox educated me? Definitely, and it continues to do so--I learn as much as I can from every performer I see. Especially the ones I'm jealous of because they motivate me to keep getting better!

2.625. Your credits on Unbearably Sweet go beyond vocals. You also perform significant parts on rhythm guitar, lead guitar, 12-string guitar, and here's the crux, piano. Which talent do you enjoy developing most?

Well, I don't play 12-string on the CD, and I only play lead guitar on one song and it ain't much; I wouldn't presume to list lead guitar among my abilities. I do play percussion on a couple of tunes though, in addition to the stuff you've mentioned. I had eight years of piano lessons as a kid, and then as a voice major at JMU was forced to take the KPE and AKS exams, which were good for me because they forced me to brush up on the mechanics; chord progressions, sight-reading, scales, things I'd neglected. Playing piano in public is scary for me, always has been since I was a kid, (even though I'm sure I'm a better piano player than guitarist), but I love to sit at a piano and just play for myself. Someone threw a hand drum at me when I was camping with some friends a few years back so I got hooked on that for a while. I usually write on guitar, though not always. My favorite instrument, however, is definitely the built-in one; I can't even begin to describe the incredible feeling I get from singing.

2.75. Until things get rolling to the point where music can be a full-time gig, is it tough to find enough hours in the day to make music when the rent's gotta get paid?

Boy, is it ever. And more and more, that's the norm for musicians, having to have daytime jobs. The cost of living in modern society is just insanely, ridiculously high, so waiting tables really doesn't cut it any more. I have a day job working 25-30 hours a week - more if the money's tight - and I squeeze in the music stuff where I can, usually in the evenings. My days are very, very long.

2.875. What's the three-year plan? Where are you hoping to be?

By next year I hope to be touring outside the immediate area, and to generate enough of a buzz to warrant a booking agent and promotions manager. The year after that, I'd like to be touring the entire Southeast region with substantial college radio play and to have sold 2,000 - 5,000 units. From there, hopefully, I'll be picked up by a small label and be on my way to a second full-length CD. We'll see.

2.9375. Where can we see you in the near future?

I play different types of gigs; I like to do lots of different things. The show you saw at Jammin' Java with the full band - those only happen a couple of times a year, although that will be increasing steadily as time goes on.

The most frequent type of show is a coffeehouse gig where I play an intimate couple of hours for a small listening crowd, usually 10 - 30 people. My next gig like that is at St. Elmo's in Alexandria at the beginning of May, after that I'll be at Caribou Coffee in Rockville.

I have a bar gig coming up April 10th at the Ragtime in Arlington. Bar gigs are a lot rowdier and less intense than the coffeehouse shows. I play more covers, stay away from the ballads, and generally just goof off and have a good time.

I'm also returning the Tunes and Tastes Festival Coffeehouse stage in Winchester, Va. this year. This was just tons of fun last year - although really, really hot; luckily I performed in the shade - and I'm excited to go back. It's a benefit for the Free Medical Clinic of the Northern Shenandoah Valley--all profits go to them. And I just love playing outside.