There are many bands out there who refer to themselves as family, but in the case of British country rockers Morganway, there’s an even deeper sense of meaning behind it all. The group was started by twin brothers Kieran and Callum Morgan – the former splitting guitar duties with his wife, Morganway’s lead singer SJ.
Their unique twist on modern Americana has seen them build a loyal following since the release of their debut self-titled album in 2019, followed by last year’s second full-length Back to Zero and festival performances at Glastonbury and The Long Road.
Last year, the sextet embarked on their first American tour and the next 18 months will be spent promoting their newly finished third record.
“We have such a mix of influences, from Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty to Haim and The 1975,” says SJ, when asked about the sonic variety at play. “This line-up has been together for six years, so we’re a family literally and metaphorically!”
If there’s one guitar she loves more than any other, it’s her PRS SE Silver Sky in Dragon Fruit finish, describing the John Mayer signature model as a reliable workhorse for the road that’s also very easy to play. “Kieran is the pedal aficionado in the band, but the one I couldn’t live without is my Way Huge Blue Hippo chorus,” she continues.
“It’s what you hear on everything I played on our newest album. Through my Blackstar Artist 15, it brings such a retro vibe to my single-coil tones, working nicely against the other guitars. Sometimes it all sounds so good, I forget to start singing!”
Typically found on stage right, Kieran tends to stick with humbucker models like his PRS S2 Vela Satin – lovingly nicknamed ‘The Badger’ – which then get fed into an array of pedals including his Magnetic Effects White Atom fuzz and Eventide H9 before ending up in his Fender ’68 Custom Princeton Reverb.
As many guitar partnerships have proved in the past, two contrasting sounds can add a great amount of depth if they compliment each other in the right way. It’s something Morganway are using to their advantage.
“I’m excited to see where our journey goes,” adds SJ. “That’s what can be maddening but awesome about this industry – anything can be around the corner. You just have to keep the faith and enjoy the ride.”
