Morgan Kibby
Morgan Kibby | |
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Morgan performing with M83 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Morgan Grace Kibby |
Also known as | White Sea |
Born |
Barrow, Alaska | May 3, 1984
Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | |
Instruments |
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Years active | 1997–present |
Labels | Downey, Obscura |
Associated acts |
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Website |
whiteseamusic |
Morgan Grace Kibby (performing under the name White Sea) (born May 3, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. She has fronted The Romanovs and has collaborated and toured with M83. In recent years she has developed a solo project called White Sea, releasing an EP The Frontier and an album In Cold Blood (2014).[1] After the release of In Cold Blood, she has been regularly creating and releasing singles (e.g. Never A Woman (2015), Arcadia (2016)) under a new maxim- to release music without using EPs or Albums.[2] She also composed the score of Eva Husson's movie, Bang Gang in 2016.[3]
Biography
Early life
Born in Barrow, Alaska to Charles and Lauri,[4] Kibby grew up in San Francisco where besides vocal training she studied piano and cello in her teens.[5] She also performed as part of the chorus of the San Francisco Opera.[6]
In 2003, Kibby released an EP entitled Beggar's Alchemy, doing vocals, cello, and piano. Soon after the release she began performing with the musicians that would form The Romanovs, including Dan Rosa and Paul Wiancko.
In 2005, the band released the ...And the Moon Was Hungry... album. For a short time the group were just known as "Morgan" and soon after evolved into "Morgan and the Hidden Hands".[7] In 2007, the band started to re-mix and re-master their first release. New percussion, cello, violin, piano and vocals were added to former tracks as well as two new studio recordings titled "Fever Pitch" and "Mr. Okada". This was the first release with the band operating under their new name: The Romanovs.[8] In 2007, they won a Toronto Independent Music Awards for Best USA Band, but the same year the band when on hiatus while Kibby joined M83.
M83
Kibby provided keys and arrangements for M83 on their fifth full-length release, Saturdays = Youth, and co-wrote the songs "Kim & Jessie", "Up!", "Too Late" and "Skin of the Night".[9] Subsequently, she completed a tour with the band throughout Australia, Europe and the United States during 2008. She continued to tour with M83 in 2009 as they opened for The Kings of Leon in the U.K., The Killers on their U.S. arena concert tour and for some dates of Depeche Mode Tour of the Universe. In 2011, Kibby contributed to M83's sixth full-length album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming; providing vocals, keyboards, and arrangements. She co-wrote the songs "Intro," "Midnight City," and "Reunion".[10] On collaborating with Anthony Gonzalez she stated that "I take a lot of inspiration from watching him work and working with him".[11] In December 2015 it was revealed that Kibby was no longer part of M83.[12]
White Sea
Kibby has embarked on a solo project since touring with M83, called White Sea, which is a translation of her name.[13] Her first track, a remix of Solid Gold's "Synchronize", first appeared on her MySpace. A second track titled "Overdrawn" was released to her MySpace in March, revealing a new musical direction for Kibby. On September 30, a new track, "Mountaineer", became available for free download on the RCRD LBL website. An EP, This Frontier, was released on October 5, 2010, which she later described as 'a little scattered. Lots of disco references for the guitars. Still all layered with big, thick, '70s and '80s synths'.[11] Since the release of This Frontier, Kibby focused on remixing tracks for other artists and developing her style. The self-produced In Cold Blood, Kibby's first full-length album, was released in May 2014 via Crush Music and Songs Publishing,[14] and features songs co-written with Greg Kurstin and Mark Ronson.[6] She described it as a break-up record where she "had to express myself through my music. It was the only way to purge myself of this extreme grief and loss".[1] The album was toured as support to The Naked and Famous.[13]
After In Cold Blood she has released a series of singles under a new maxim to share music freely with her fans, without the need for EPs or albums. Upon the release of the fourth of these singles, Arcadia (2016), she announced she will be releasing these singles with accompanying video components, starting with Arcadia.[2] She also composed the soundtrack for Eva Husson's Bang Gang in 2016 [3] and featured in Big Data's song, Business of Emotion (2015).[15]
Discography
Albums
- ...And the Moon Was Hungry... (2007) as The Romanovs
- Saturdays = Youth (2008) as M83
- Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011) as M83
- In Cold Blood (2014) as White Sea
EPs
- Beggar's Alchemy (2003)
- ...And the Moon Was Hungry... (2004/2005) as The Romanovs
- This Frontier (2010) as White Sea
Singles
- Stay Young, Get Stoned (2015)
- Never A Woman (2015)
- Gangster No. 1 (2015)
- Arcadia (2016)
- Bloodline (2016)
- Secret (2016)
- Ellipses (2016)
- Yesterday (2016)
References
- 1 2 Lipshutz, Jason (June 3, 2014). "Why White Sea Is More Than An M83 Side Project". Billboard.com. Nielsen.
- 1 2 White Sea (2016-03-17), White Sea - Arcadia, retrieved 2016-03-23 Note- look at video description.
- 1 2 "Morgan Kibby (M83, White Sea) discusses her seductive score to LFF First-Feature Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story) - Metfilm". Metfilm. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
- ↑ Colville, Alex (April 30, 2011). "Interview with Morgan Kibby (M83/White Sea)". Ilictronix.
- ↑ Micallef, Ken (November 24, 2014). "Morgan Kibby's White Sea". emusician.com. Electronic Musician.
- 1 2 Mapes, Jillian (May 21, 2014). "Secrets of the White Sea: How M83's Morgan Kibby Made Pop's Newest Break-Up Classic". flavorwire.com.
- ↑ Listing for the ...And the Moon was Hungry... album by the Romanovs on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2015).
- ↑ Listing of the re-release of ...And The Moon Was Hungry... album by the Romanovs on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2015).
- ↑ Listing for the Saturdays=Youth album by M83 on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2015).
- ↑ Listing for the Hurry Up, We're Dreaming album by M83 on Discogs.com, (accessed February 13, 2014).
- 1 2 Studarus, Laura (June 6, 2013). "Exclusive song premiere and Interview: White Sea and Susanne SundfØr". Interviewmagazine.com.
- ↑ O'Donnell, Kevin (December 17, 2015). "Inside the making of M83's 'epic' new album". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. Retrieved 2016-04-16.
- 1 2 Scrudato, Ken. "M83's Morgan Kibby Becomes White Sea". bbook.com. Black Book. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ↑ Darley, Andrew (June 16, 2014). "White Sea: An Interview With Morgan Kibby". polarimagazine.com. Polari Magazine.
- ↑ Hear, Listen. "Big Data Releases New Single "The Business Of Emotion" feat. White Sea - Listen Hear". Listen Hear. Retrieved 2016-03-23.