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Long-running Americana rocker and former Dead Confederate leader T. Hardy Morris (who also did time in the supergroup Diamond Rugs alongside members of Deer Tick, Black Lips, Los Lobos, and more) is releasing his fifth solo album, Artificial Tears, on Friday (8/8) via New West imprint Normaltown Records, and you can hear the whole thing a day early. The full album stream premieres in this post — listen below.
Artificial Tears is the follow up to 2021’s The Digital Age of Rome, and it’s full of twangy heartland rock. It was produced and mixed by My Morning Jacket’s Carl Broemel, and for more about the album, Morris took us track-by-track through each of its songs. Read his commentary below.
Morris also has some US tour dates coming up this month, and you can see those below.
T. HARDY MORRIS – ARTIFICIAL TEARS TRACK-BY-TRACK BREAKDOWN
As a whole, Artificial Tears wound up feeling a lot more like a casual recording session than “making an album.” Once we found our stride on Carl’s four-track it just came so easy and it opened up the ability to record old songs and compelled me to write some new songs as well — the material kind of formed itself and wasn’t what we planned — which is a good thing in my mind…
“Write It In The Sky”
The hopefulness (and possibly the naiveté) of youth. We embark on a life of making the world a better place or at least protecting the good in it and avoiding the bad. Eventually you realize that it is easier said than done and the deck stacked against us casts a bigger shadow than we thought. That doesn’t mean we give up, it just becomes more of a personal journey than the epic we perhaps envisioned.
“I Guess”
On writing and the creative process. Sometimes we go through spells where it feels fruitless or uninspired but you realize as an artist, the best way to get out of the feeling of being uninspired or not compelled to create is to create.
“Juvenile Years”
A song somewhat specific to Athens, Ga. And the live / local music scene as I came up in it. It was often a whirlwind of intense bonds over music and what one another was creating. Some of the relationships survive & carry on and some have passed like a strange song, but all were and are meaningful to who I am now.
“Breakneck Speed”
A bit on the possible perils in the music business. I’ve known and admired many songwriters / artists who got consumed by the entertainment business side of things. They aren’t always compatible – art vs. entertainment is a theme explored throughout the album.
“Don’t Kill Your Time (To Shine)”
In a similar sense, a song that considers that rub between art & entertainment. It certainly doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to produce your best work.. & especially when you’re young, naive, ambitious & eager. I love discovering young artists and especially hearing what they’re creating as they’re discovering themselves. That’s the best music to me.
“Sweet Success”
A bit tongue in cheek, but I’ve often seen artists who find popularity looking back longingly to their more DIY roots and nostalgic for simpler times before all of the “success.”
“Low Hopes”
Less about music specifically and more about life (in the USA) in general. Trying to keep focus on an ethos that can carry you through any and all situations and stay focused on what matters. Let go of the lower impulses that seem to drive our consumer driven culture and watch yourself.
“Poets In The Mist”
Also about our modern consumer driven culture and where it’s leading us (not good). Modernity and how it’s constantly offering us things that we don’t want nor need – whether we realize it or not.
“Knowing Me”
How we all slip up personally and let ourselves down. Let down people we care about. Have to be mindful, move on and always strive to do better. The more simple you keep things, the less of a chance you’ll screw up.
“Shadows Of Doubt”
Back to the art vs entertainment consideration, perhaps it could be considered self-doubt that keeps artists from looking for the spotlight?… or maybe it’s just a different sense of creative spirit. Like many things, creativity runs along a spectrum and requires different input and output from different artists.
“Fight Forever”
As a songwriter, doing just that is what makes one a songwriter – even though I have made many albums and done this for a long time, there really hasn’t been a ton of forethought and intention to doing it. Since I was 14 years old I have basically had a guitar in my hand writing music, if not every day, at least multiple times a week. Much like a poet is constantly writing or a visual artist is constantly sketching or painting. It’s not something you set out to do – it’s just something you do; innately.
“Trouble Will”
This was a demo but felt fitting as the last song and is as simple as it comes across. Just saying that love, if you let it, will see you through the highs and lows life sends you.The album is more hopeful and tongue in cheek than it seems (hence the title). But what is art other than exploiting an idea for feeling?
T. HARDY MORRIS: 2025 TOUR DATES
Aug 24 Sun Soft Junk Nashville, TN, United States
Aug 26 Tue The Burl Lexington, KY, United States
Aug 27 Wed HI-FI Indianapolis, IN, United States
Aug 28 Thu Vivarium Milwaukee, WI, United States
Aug 29 Fri The Ark Ann Arbor, MI, United States
English (US) · 