NeoL

―You are here on tour with Maroon 5. You have been in the band for 10 to twelve years, what does it mean to you to play in Maroon 5?


PJ Morton ：It’s very special to me. It came to me at a point that I was looking for something new and it was so fresh. When I joined I never knew it would be one year, two years and now it’s twelve years. The guys became my family and now I have toured the world. So it’s really special and I am very grateful to be part of it.


―With your solo career, you are celebrating your tenth anniversary next year since your major debut. Do you think your solo career and maroon 5 resonate? Is there synergy? Or could they be completely different things?


PJ Morton ：Yes, it is completely different. It makes me appreciate the other. One is pop music and one is soul and R&B music but I love them all. I have been influenced but I like that they are separate now. It allows me to be inspired and sometimes take a break and give myself enough time to get inspired by something else. Even the roles I have in both I enjoy. On one I am leading pushing everything and on the other, I get to be in the background and play a team role. It keeps me inspired by being different.





―With the song, how did it come about? At what point were you with your life and what was the motivation behind this recent album?


PJ Morton ：Before ‘Watch the Sun’ I was just in a world that was moving so fast and I’ve done three albums in three years. We had the Grammys going and all these things happening so I was really busy. Maroon 5 was in South America and the pandemic started to happen so I went home for the first time in a long time. Initially, I started to work on more music on my laptop and my computer crashed so I took a step back. When I started to work on ‘Watch the Sun’, it was a place of “Alright I am breathing so let me see what I exactly want to say and if I don’t have anything to say I won’t say anything”. I had a lot to say and ultimately, I wanted to inspire people. Originally when I called it ‘Watch the Sun’ was because it seemed like a dark time. I feel like the sun sets and rises every single day no matter what so even though it was dark if we watch the sun the darkness won’t last forever. I was at a point where I was feeling down and I wanted to encourage myself and others with the thing I was using to encourage myself.


―The second song is called “Biggest Mistake”. Could this be related to when your computer crashed?


PJ Morton ：It’s not but that is a big mistake. (laughter)


ーThe whole trajectory of the album feels like a journey from a dark place to a brighter place. Was that the intention?


PJ Morton ：Yes, eventually. When I wrote all the songs I wanted to make sure it was a journey and I did want to end it with a “Better Benediction.” Growing up at church as a preacher’s kid, we always ended church with the benediction. It was almost like a blessing before you leave. I wanted it to end on that good note and take you through the things I’ve gone through. Trouble in a relationship, trouble in life, all these things and letting you know that it’s going to be better.

―We felt that the sounds were very organic and mindful. How was your sound making it different this time?


PJ Morton ：I am happy that this is coming through because we went away and we were together, ‘In the Country’, in a peaceful place from everybody and everything. We got to take our time and be intentional about what we play. I knew where I wanted spaces to be. I focused on the music first before any lyrics, before I said any words I wanted to make sure the music spoke to me. I think the sound of it was very important to me. Of course my band, but the sounds of the keyboards and the synths, I wanted it to be synth heavy. All of those things were very intentional.


―Why did you decide to record at the studio “In the Country”? Stevie Wonder also used this studio previously.


PJ Morton ：Well, it was still in the middle of the pandemic and lockdown. So it was the first sign of open freedom. We even had to have masks on at that time so it was just me and my friends in an open space. Even though we were in lockdown, I knew that I needed to get away from everything to hear my thoughts. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made and I had so much space and time to hear what I wanted to say clearly.


―For this album, there are various guest musicians involved, like Stevie Wonder, Nas, and Jill Scott. How did you select them?


PJ Morton ：After I did the songs, I got them from different places. Stevie Wonder, El DeBarge, Alex Isley, and JoJo, I recorded them in LA, California. I went to Stevie Studio to record his. El DeBarge, Alex and Jojo I used another studio in LA. Wale did him separately in his home. Chronixx was in Jamaica and recorded his there, we had to do zoom. We had those challenges, it was that time but thankfully I was able to be in a room with Stevie. Nas did him on his own. The way I communicated it, everybody was able to understand what I was trying to capture. I wanted to be with everybody but the people that weren’t with me, really understood the vision.

―The song by Stevie Wonder and Nas, “Be Like Water” can describe how well the recording went.


PJ Morton ：Yes, it was pretty smooth. Initially, I wasn’t going to bother Stevie. I wasn’t going to ask him. I asked Nas first but he was busy working on his album, Magic, so he didn’t get to it. Stevie asked me to come to LA for his album, so after I did a song on his album, I just decided to ask him to be on mine. So Stevie ended recording first and I sent it back to Nas with Stevie on it. His team was saying that it was always his dream to work with Stevie and it was my dream for both of them. So it just worked out that way and it all came together. I don’t know if anybody imagined Nas and Stevie on the same song together. I feel honoured that I was able to bring those together.


―So it’s a testament to the strength of the song.


PJ Morton ：I think so, I think so.


―In the title track, “Watch the Sun”, Chronixx was recorded in Jamaica. It has a reggae vibe to it and it was quite interesting.


PJ Morton ：First, it wasn’t the title of the album. I had the song first. Chronixx and I met in 2017, when my album, ‘Gumbo’ was nominated for Grammy. We were big fans of each other and since then we’ve been trying to figure out ways to collaborate. I sent him the track very early on and all I had was just the hook on it. It didn’t have any verse or anything yet. We sat with it for a while and that was a good thing about ‘Watch The Sun’. I had time, I didn’t have to be in a rush. So, we sat with it and I wrote my verse and he wrote his verse after. We are big fans of each other so it was a natural organic collaboration.


―The “The Better Benediction” you mentioned before goes well with your origins with gospel and New Orleans groove. All of this has been put together and developed into this new form of music.


PJ Morton ：I don’t think ‘Watch the Sun’ was a new side of me. In the past, I’ve done four different reggae songs or versions. I’ve always felt a strong connection to reggae music and “The Better Benediction” is my route for sure. That’s why I grew up listening to gospel music like that at my dad’s church. I wanted it to feel organic like that. I wanted it to feel like where we were, ‘In the Country’, down south where we feel good. Organic instruments, just piano guitar and drums, you know. It felt like that. I wanted it to feel like home, I wanted it to feel warm and I think we accomplished that.


―After finishing this album, do you think you discovered something new? Whether it is about your routes, your inspiration or New Orleans.


PJ Morton ：Yea, I think that I was the most vulnerable on this album. I am a storyteller and a lot of times it’s a little of my story and a lot of other people’s stories. This time is a lot of my story. That was something new I brought to the table. I think that this was my strongest as a producer because I was able to bring together everything I learned through the years into one. All the things I like I was able to put together into an album. The gospel, the soul, the reggae all these different things, all the artists that influenced me and have been apart of the journey. El DeBarge and the DeBarge family and Stevie, Jill Scott and my friends who has success with JoJo and bringing her back here. Alex Isley and the legacy of the Isley brothers, her being a version of what that is. I think I brought all of this together. I think it speaks to me who I am more than any of my albums.

―You are nominated again for the Grammys.


PJ Morton ：Yes, three more nominations.


―What are your thoughts on winning so many Grammy Awards? How does it feel?


PJ Morton ：It’s amazing. It’s a dream come true. When I was a kid this was my dream that I would have nominations and win awards. For it to be a reality it’s just amazing. It makes me feel like I am doing what I am supposed to do. It confirms and affirms that for me. I feel blessed and it humbles me.


―Is there anything you look forward to Grammy? Is there anyone you would like to meet?


PJ Morton ：I’ve kind of already met everybody. The beautiful thing about the Grammys is that you get to see everybody in one place. All the stars and the musicians you look up to are in one place and it never gets old because it’s very rare. It’s one of those times when you will see Beyonce, Stevie and Niki Minaj, you see everybody and they are all there. That never gets old.





―What is the plan for 2023 for you?


PJ Morton ：We are looking to work on a documentary. That’s the big plan for 2023. I am working on a couple of music for films, two animated movies and some other things that I am excited about. I don’t think I am working on another album for 2023, but loads of other music. I’m still watching the sun.


―Any plans to perform here solo?


PJ Morton ：Yes, we will be doing tours. The plan was to get back to Asia three years ago. That was amazing, my first Asian tour solo. I can’t wait to get back. The fans were amazing and the appreciation is so great so I can’t wait. We don’t have it booked but it’s the plan.


―Any message for the Japanese listeners?


PJ Morton ：I want them to know that I love them and can’t wait to get back to Japan to do my own thing. On this “Watch the Such” tour we did over sixty shows in Europe, Australia, and America, and we did do Indonesia. I can’t wait to bring it here. I know we are going to have an amazing time.

photography Yosuke Torii（https://www.instagram.com/hurry/）
text Takahisa Matsunaga