Lachlan X. Morris Stray Dog

Newcastle Psych-Rock Artist Lachlan X. Morris Presents New Single Stray Dog

Newcastle psych-rocker Lachlan X. Morris is pleased to present his new single Stray Dog, the second single from his forthcoming album Premeditations

Listen to Lachlan X. Morris' new single Stray Dog here.

Opening with energetic drums, Stray Dog fuses a classic rock instrumentation with psychedelic synth lines to create an immersive rock banger. His understated vocals float across the arrangement of the track, before ending with an encompassing and intriguing instrumental outro.

Stray Dog masterfully showcases Morris' classic rock tendencies, stirred with youthful energy and modern recording techniques. On the track Morris says "Stray Dog is about specific times when I've been so overwhelmed in situations and felt the sudden need to get the f*** out!"

The self-confessed "psychedelic dad-rock artists" draws from old school songwriting and pop formations, harbouring a bold throwback to 70's pop music, all with a sprinkling of psychedelia and doomsday themes.

Stray Dog follows recently released single Turpentine. The two singles are the perfect taste test of Morris' forthcoming album Premeditations. Support for Morris' album is clear, as the artists reached out to his community with a Pozible campaign, and proudly reached his target for crowdfunding his first run of Premeditations on vinyl.

Although the name might not sound familiar, Lachlan X. Morris is no stranger to the music scene. Morris started skipping around the local circuit with his high school band The Guppies, who were finalists in triple j's prestigious Unearthed High in 2011. The Guppies toured with the likes of Birds of Tokyo, The Rubens, and played at Groovin The Moo, Fat As Butter and Bigsound 2012.

As we welcome Lachlan X. Morris back the circle, Stray Dog is the perfect introduction behind the lines of this psychedelic rock fusion.

Lachlan X. Morris – 'Stray Dog' [Single]
Out now | Listen on Spotify here.

Interview with Lachlan X. Morris

Question: How would you describe your music?

Lachlan X. Morris: Nostalgic. Like watching a 70's Occult movie that has really bad special FX but you are totally mesmerised and have no idea where it's going to go...

Question: What is psychedelic dad-rock?

Lachlan X. Morris: It's the music equivalent of the 'cool' dad who wears sandals, bought you your first phaser pedal, prefers it if you call him 'dude' and definitely believes in conspiracy theories. For me, it's like the perfect collaboration of everything I love about classic pop or rock but with some stranger sonic tangents!


Question: What inspired 'Stray Dog'?

Lachlan X. Morris: I really wanted to try and write a psychedelic Motown song. With that classic four to the floor rhythmic push. Think Four Tops 'I'll Be There'. So that's where the initial beat and dramatic chorus chords/melody came from. The actual lyrics are essentially coming from times when I've felt so stuck in a place and need a release. The chopping changing between 5/4 and 7/4 I think add to that claustrophobic energy.


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Lachlan X. Morris: We have started getting a bit riffy lately, so any of the new songs with fast, fuzzy unison melody lines. 'Premeditations' (the title track of the new record) has a wild outro of that nature. 'Stray Dog' also has the mother of all rhythmic changes towards the end of the song that always gives me whiplash when we play it live.


Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend your show, who would it be?

Lachlan X. Morris: Anybody who is excited by the prospect of witnessing a live LXM show! If they are engaged and can get something out of our performance then it will mean the world to me. But also, I am convinced that Ethan Hawke and Michael Shannon would dig it.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Lachlan X. Morris: I truly enjoy both but recording music holds a special place for me. I find it really fulfilling to spend weeks at a time steamrolling through a bunch of ideas and seeing them get to a place where they shock or amaze me. Working on music with my friends is one of the greatest joys in my life at the moment.

Question: What motivates you most when writing music? It's really hard to know. Sometimes it is specific things like wanting to set myself a creative challenge, but most of the time, it kind of creeps up and seems to be a cluster of tiny fragments of memories that I don't remember having. Yes, I know that sounds strange.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Lachlan X. Morris: In true dad-rock style, I never really stop listening to Wilco or Paul McCartney solo albums. I'm also going through a Stereolab phase! Been massively into the new Tropical F*ckstorm record too.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Lachlan X. Morris: I don't think I planned to get into music this heavily. I think like most passions, you are doing it every spare second you have that it slowly takes over your life in the best way possible! But along the way, there have been plenty of inspirational people who make me want to continue to test my limits. Stephen King and Jeff Tweedy come to mind.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Lachlan X. Morris: I have this fantasy of working with Glenn Richards (Augie March) on one of my next albums. It's going to be very settled in the folk-rock styles that he's best known for. I think it would be very creatively eye-opening and a hell of a time.


Interview by Brooke Hunter