Ever the magpie, Dunedin musician, writer and film-maker Bill Morris is drawn to tales of many kinds, some of which can be found on his new album Hinterland, writes Shane Gilchrist.
Bill Morris describes himself as a wanderer. Little wonder then that most of the songs on his sophomore solo album, Hinterland, have been inspired by his travels, both near and far.
The recently released independent effort germinated in the dusty spaces between California and Texas, which Morris traversed in 2013 when he spent two months sharing a van with, among others, Dunedin-based American multi-instrumentalist John Egenes.
There to film a documentary on New Zealand musician Donna Dean, Morris was introduced to Egenes' iPod playlists, much of which comprised ''raw, hard-edged country music from the States''.
Thus, it's hardly surprising Hinterland is full of country music flavours; the swell of pedal steel, the twang of electric guitar, and the shimmer and clank of mandolin and banjo augment Morris' acoustic guitar playing.
''I asked John to produce the record,'' Morris explained earlier this week as he prepared for a concert at Dunedin venue Taste Merchants on Saturday night to celebrate the album's release. He'll be joined by Hinterland Band members Egenes, John Dodd and Steve Hudson, with help from Tahu Mackenzie.
''He obviously comes from an Americana, country music tradition, so I chose the songs on the album in the knowledge they would appeal to his sensibilities. In that respect, it was always going to end up something of a country record.
''When it came to the production side of it, I was really happy to let John take it in a natural direction, although I don't consider myself a country musician, as such. I'm just interested in trying to write better songs.
''Genres don't really come into it for me,'' says Morris, who was a finalist for APRA's 2015 Best Country Song award (for Hinterland).
Recorded last year at the University of Otago's Albany St studios, where it was engineered by Danny Buchanan, Hinterland utilises the skills of Egenes (who also plays guitar on the album), bass player John Dodd, pedal steel exponent Red McKelvie and drummer Steve Hudson.
The album builds on the strong story-telling of Morris' 2012 debut, Mud, the songwriter, singer, guitarist and pianist stringing together a selection of tracks that provide a cohesive, larger theme.
''To me, the album is about driving along New Zealand highways at night and the stories that crackle into existence,'' Morris explains.
''That's really what it is, a journey through a certain New Zealand landscape. There is a lot of travelling in my songs.''
There is also a dash of Australian dirt within Hinterland. Indeed, at least two tracks, Dusty Corners and Ruby in the Dust, specifically reference people and places across the Ditch.
Australian songwriting giant Paul Kelly comes into the conversation, Morris confirming he's a big fan.
''I've always been really influenced by Australia and Australian songwriters ... I just love that story-telling heritage.
''I have spent a fair bit of time in Australia. I went there when I first left school and I used to listen to a lot of Midnight Oil when I was sitting in buses, driving for 24 hours.''
Notably, the cover of Hinterland features a morepork. Painted by Dunedin artist Pauline Bellamy, the owl is a reference to the last song on the album, Remnants of Ruminants, an environmentally inclined road trip in which Morris sings, ''the morepork in the milking shed's the last of its kind''. It's an allusion of bearing witness.
''I like the idea of the morepork being the observer to everything that's going on. And it's captured so beautifully by Pauline.
''I asked her to do a painting for me for the album. So she did, but she got inspired by the whole theme and that became an exhibition in its own right. When I saw the paintings, I thought I could have chosen any of them; they were all so beautiful.
''Remnants of Ruminants is one I'm really proud of because it was a song I didn't have a clear idea about. It grew and grew in the studio; it's one of the more `organic' ones on the album.
''When I looked at the track listing I realised that one is the only song in first person. In contrast, the others are very narrative-driven; me playing a character.''
Magpie of many talents
Always on the hunt for examples of strong lyricism, Morris is not unlike many songwriters: he listens.
''When I find someone I really like, I do thrash them. But I get probably more inspiration out of things like rap music, even electronic music.''
Ever the magpie, Morris is drawn to tales of many kinds. And he likes to tell those stories in various mediums.
A film-maker who has worked for Natural History New Zealand, Morris is currently teaching the discipline at Aoraki Polytechnic. He has also recently completed a freelance film project on the Chatham Islands and is putting the final touches to his documentary on Donna Dean, which he hopes will air on Sky next year.
He is also a freelance writer who has contributed long-form feature articles to a range of publications, including New Zealand Geographic.
''I think it all blends in,'' Morris says. ''Obviously, story-telling is a big part of what I do. I'm driven to write stories: sometimes it's an article; sometimes it's a film; sometimes it's a song.
''There are certainly skills that complement all those disciplines. Brevity is one, as is a sense of movement. That extends to both film-making and songwriting. I've been lucky enough to hone those skills in one discipline and transfer them to another.
''I'm trying to focus more on writing. I'm really passionate about science and in a different life I would have been a scientist, if I had a slightly more organised personality.
''I like to drink up all that information and then try to craft it into a cohesive and enjoyable piece to read.''
All of this suggests Morris inhabits a world in which the off switch is sometimes hard to find.
''I tend to juggle various streams and get overwhelmed at times,'' he confirms.
''It probably holds my music back a bit in that I can spread myself a bit thin. I probably need someone to help me with the organisational aspects of music.''
Back to his music. What then are his plans for Hinterland?
''I'm treating it as a rolling album launch. I plan to do a tour around the country early next year but I'm not sure who I'll play with. I don't have any long-term projects, but I have another album's worth of songs ready to record.
''I pick up a guitar or sit at the piano every day. I don't have a routine or practice as such. If the inspiration hits, I'll grab whatever is handy and, if I'm lucky, a song will come out. I'm not like some songwriters who might lock themselves away for days.
''I couldn't do that. My mind races around too much. I think I might have attention deficit disorder.''
