Yahoo Lifestyle Maren Morris Reveals New Details About Her Upcoming 'Fun Summer' Album 'Dreamsicle' (Exclusive)
Maren Morris is in a new era of her life — and her forthcoming album, Dreamsicle, reflects it.
The "Carry Me Through" crooner, 34, opened up about the inspiration for her latest release, out Friday, May 9, while chatting exclusively with Parade about all things music ahead of her White Claw Sessions concert later this month. She also touched on how the process of recording this album has been different from her previous work.
"It was a lot of stops and starts with this record being made because it's probably the most producers, in terms of numbers, that I've ever had," Morris begins. "I typically just work with one person, but because this was covering many phases over years, I just had to go with, 'What are the songs at the end of the day that fit the best together?' And it didn't matter to me that there were several names on the project because every song mattered to what I was going through."
As her life changed, so did her sound. Morris says she "kind of stepped away from country music" when it came to the genre's mainstream channels and was also going through a divorce from ex-husband Ryan Hurd in late 2023, so she was "just picking up the pieces and becoming this new version of me that's untethered and free."
The Grammy Award winner goes on to tell Parade that although Dreamsicle covers "all those really big decisions" she's made, it's not what she would "categorize as a divorce album or heavy piece of work."
"I think it's covering a lot of nuance of emotion, but it's a fun summer record to me, ultimately, because that's the season of life I'm in," she says. "It's like, out of the winter, new blooms, but just wanting to take it easy and give yourself a break because it's just hard to be a human in all aspects. And I wanted to lean into the things that made me laugh again. And that's kind of where the album ended."
Fans may be able to hear some of Morris' new tracks live for the first time when she kicks off festival season ahead of Coachella with her White Claw Sessions performance on April 10. The multi-city concert series will also introduce Next Wave Artists, a brand-new initiative that spotlights rising musicians.
Morris tells Parade that there are many reasons her partnership with the beverage company was a "no-brainer" for her, but supporting emerging artists is at the forefront of that list.
"It's important to me because I've [always] had someone supporting me," Morris, whose first tour was with Keith Urban in 2016, explains. "It's just a kindness in this industry that can sometimes feel really isolating. So I love being able to discover new music myself, discover artists that make me excited and then bring them on the road. Being able to collaborate in a space such as this at the show is going to be really fun. So it's always in my interest to pay it forward because so many have done so for me."
Morris' White Claw Sessions performance is set for Thursday, April 10. Visit whiteclaw.com/music to RSVP for free, first-come, first-serve access to White Claw Sessions.
Dreamsicle is out on Friday, May 9.
