George Morris was a name in the Detroit music scene when others were just beginning learning their G major from C minor chords. Straight out of high school, he saw early success with his band The Satin Peaches. Though stardom was just out of his grasp, Morris kept reaching.

His new album is a result of that perseverance. It’s moody, dark, and worldly, though he still manages to layer in twisted pop beats. The Gypsy Chorus is already reasserting Morris as an artist worth rediscovering. 

How has your music changed since your Satin Peaches Days?        

I don’t know, I’m not sure its that much different, its just presented a little differently. Since I’m doing it all myself, recording it all myself, as opposed to having a band. The band I’m using is a lot different than the Peaches were.

It’s still the same influences. I haven’t changed my way of going about it. This stuff seems more like the demos I’d make for peaches stuff before it was dropped into the band and changed. So this is like. The Beatles, Velvet Underground is big. Radiohead, all those really made me want to write music and get better at writing music. The White Stripes too, back when they were in Detroit. That was huge.  In, like, 2002, 2003. Seeing a band from here do that well made it feel possible that we could do it.

Who are the Gypsy Chorus?

Zach Pliska who plays with Fur, Aaron Nelson who was the bass player in Peaches and Helena Kirby who is actually his girlfriend.  She played with Flash Clash for a bit.

I still write everything, but it’s only been about six or seven months with the band. I think eventually it will be more collaborative stuff with the band.

What are some of the opportunities and hardships of being a performer in Detroit?


"I think there’s more talented bands here than anywhere else," George Morris says. "Whenever one band is successful, then the entire area can be successful." (Joe Gall Photography)

George Morris: There are a million places to play, and that’s good. Its not like that every where else. I think there’s more talented bands here than anywhere else. And that’s a good thing, but it’s also tough to be one that’s noticed, just because there is so much. Whenever one band is successful, then the entire area can be successful. But where is all the money going? It's going into the bars.

What Detroit bands are you listening to?

Hand Grenades, Radio Burns I like a lot, there’s a new band I saw at Fall Out Festival…CHARACTERISTICS.  I don’t know much about them but I really liked their set. I’d really like to see more of them. It was one of those things where I was walking around and I saw them playing and half way through a song I realized they were really good. But that’s the only time I’ve seen them.

What musician were you in a past life?

In a past life . . .  I always use to get the Marc Bolan comparison which, um, when it started I hadn’t really listened to too much T-Rex or anything like that and then I kept reading about him and listening to it and fell in love with all of it. So I’m comfortable with that. It seems comfortable.

What are you working on now?

I took a break from touring to recharge, so playing a new show will be good. You need a little break from playing every once in a while. I’m going to work on the record for the next couple of months. I think an EP should be out in the next few months, but probably very limited. I still have to figure out how I’m gong to do the full length, whether I want to do it myself or look for somebody else to put it out.

We’ve done a few little Midwest tours, but nothing big yet. We don’t have an album out as a band. I’m working on the second one right now, which should be out next year. It’s much more chill. The new one is much more upbeat.