Biography
Red River Dialect, the Cornwall-based ensemble recognized for its earthy and literate folk-rock, originated in a 2010 solo venture started by Welsh singer/songwriter David Morris. Over the years that followed, his poetic acoustic pieces received gradual enrichment from a nimble five-piece lineup across releases that included the 2012 album awellupontheway and the 2018 pastoral Broken Stay Open Sky. The latter appeared on the American indie label Paradise of Bachelors, which broadened Red River Dialect’s distinctive appeal among listeners in the United States. Their fifth album, Abundance Welcoming Ghosts, surfaced the following year.
Morris drew upon the striking coastal terrain around his hometown of Falmouth when he independently released his pastoral, mostly acoustic debut White Diamonds in 2010. Two years later the first full-band effort arrived with the well-received awellupontheway, which earned comparisons to the Waterboys, the Dirty Three, Fairport Convention, and Nick Cave while attracting influential supporters such as M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger and Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance, both of whom subsequently championed the group. Red River Dialect’s acoustic-oriented third album, the critically acclaimed 2015 release Tender Gold & Gentle Blue, returned to the more bucolic character of Morris’s debut and reflected the influence of his father’s death. While touring the U.K. as opener for American singer/songwriter Joan Shelley, Morris began developing the contemplative songs that would form the next collection. Broken Stay Open Sky, issued in January 2018, also served as the band’s first official release on the U.S. label Paradise of Bachelors, which had previously assisted with distribution of their prior LP. In the ensuing months the musicians continued to cohere around Morris’s thoughtful narratives, capturing a spirited batch of songs over four days in August in Southwest Wales, just weeks before their leader departed for a nine-month Buddhist meditation retreat in Nova Scotia. Abundance Welcoming Ghosts incorporated guest vocals from former tourmate Joan Shelley as well as guitar contributions from Tara Jane O’Neil and reached the public in September 2019, several months after Morris returned to the U.K.
Morris drew upon the striking coastal terrain around his hometown of Falmouth when he independently released his pastoral, mostly acoustic debut White Diamonds in 2010. Two years later the first full-band effort arrived with the well-received awellupontheway, which earned comparisons to the Waterboys, the Dirty Three, Fairport Convention, and Nick Cave while attracting influential supporters such as M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger and Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance, both of whom subsequently championed the group. Red River Dialect’s acoustic-oriented third album, the critically acclaimed 2015 release Tender Gold & Gentle Blue, returned to the more bucolic character of Morris’s debut and reflected the influence of his father’s death. While touring the U.K. as opener for American singer/songwriter Joan Shelley, Morris began developing the contemplative songs that would form the next collection. Broken Stay Open Sky, issued in January 2018, also served as the band’s first official release on the U.S. label Paradise of Bachelors, which had previously assisted with distribution of their prior LP. In the ensuing months the musicians continued to cohere around Morris’s thoughtful narratives, capturing a spirited batch of songs over four days in August in Southwest Wales, just weeks before their leader departed for a nine-month Buddhist meditation retreat in Nova Scotia. Abundance Welcoming Ghosts incorporated guest vocals from former tourmate Joan Shelley as well as guitar contributions from Tara Jane O’Neil and reached the public in September 2019, several months after Morris returned to the U.K.
Albums
Singles
