Kendra Morris // The Eisenberg Review Interview
Photo by Rosie Cohe
With Next, her fourth full-length album of original material, Kendra Morris invites listeners into a hand-drawn world where imperfections are part of the beauty. Written from scratch at her Brooklyn desk and shaped with her band and producer Leroi Conroy, the record trades widescreen sweep for 8mm intimacy, weaving her rhythm guitar, Casio loops, and soulful vocals into something layered with heart.
Framed as a “concept album in reverse,” Next unfolds like a vintage board game, its tiles painted in corals, creams, and lilacs. Characters drift in and out: Bill at the door, her dogs Jerry and Roger padding across the floor, a heartfelt letter to her daughter Opal in “Dear Buddy.” New York’s musical DNA runs throughout, from doo-wop and boom-bap to lo-fi reggae, but it is Morris’ voice, fragile and commanding, raw and radiant, that holds the map together.
In our conversation, we dig deep into the storytelling and world building of Next and the personal core that drives its songs forward.