Charleston poet and musician Christian Morant will celebrate the release of his new album with a free event at the Charleston Pour House, Dec. 2 (which also happens to be his birthday). Expect performances from Morant, the musicians that he collaborated with on the new album and a performance by 2024 winner of the Charleston City Paper Music Award for Electronic Act of the Year, Grandaddi Caddi.
“I started writing these songs in 2016, I didn’t know it was going to turn into an album,” Morant told the City Paper.
And over the last two years, Morant has been working with Summerville–based director Jackson Bailes to make those songs into a Youtube studio series in collaboration with other Charleston musicians.
Morant released the first single from the series, “Mermaid Green,” in summer 2024. After that experience, he decided to turn the project into a full-length album.
Over the years, Morant’s musical style developed in tandem with his journey as a poet. On the album, listeners hear the emphasis Morant places on vulnerable storytelling in his lyricism.
“I actually wanted less from the instrumentation so people could focus on the lyrics. That was intentional. … You have nothing but the lyrics, really, to listen to, and a groove to move you along.”
From studio to album
Morant’s focus on authenticity also shines in the stylistic choices he made for the album. Most notably, his album is recorded live.
“Usually [when recording an album], you track one thing or a few things at a time, like vocals and drums separately. But with a live album, everybody’s in the studio all at once, so you have to be on your P’s and Q’s. There were several times we redid it all. … It was a tiring process, but it was really fulfilling.”
Embracing this aspect of the album allowed Morant to shed his desire for perfection in favor of something more approachable and personal, highlighting the music and the joy of sonic artistry in the process.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “I definitely want to achieve a sound that reaches the masses one day … [but] that was another thing with the album I learned through the process. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to find [perfection]. Strip away that, and we are all just jamming and having a good time. You can feel it.”
The live album approach also paved the way for Morant to put a spotlight on the talent of other Charleston-based artists, such as North Charleston’s Michael Duff, who plays guitar on most of the songs, and the Mount Pleasant–based vocalist Emily Curtis.
“It was just a fun album to create. … [The collaborations] were a little tricky, because each time I’m adapting to new people and getting what they can give, and hopefully it’s something beautiful.”
Balancing light and dark
Anyone who knows Morant sees his bright, lively personality shining through on tracks like “Splash” and “Yellow Lotus.” On other tracks, though, he explores deep personal struggles — intimate reflections of how his work as a poet and musician has changed him.
“It was a grueling journey of growth. … There’s a lot of accountability [and] vulnerability … I think what changed is when I was able to grow out of that darkness. Some of the happier songs on the album didn’t come until later.”
His music toes the line between hardship and love, especially in songs like the album’s opener, “The Greatest Showman,” which Morant wrote as an homage to his late grandparents. In other songs, he explores the many stages of being in a romantic relationship and his innermost thoughts and feelings.
“We’re not alone in this world. … If I’m having these struggles, I have a duty as an artist,” Morant said of his motivation to give voice to his emotions.
“If you speak to a lot of musicians, they don’t just do music as a job. It’s their life. It’s their life force. It’s because I have something in me that wants to get out,” Morant said. “You write because it helps you cathartically.”
Find Morant’s album on Spotify and Apple Music on Dec. 2. The Charleston Pour House hosts the album release event Dec. 2, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free, donations encouraged. christianmorant.com
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