Morgan Wade earned the attention of fans when she introduced herself to the country world in 2021 with her debut single, "Wilder Days." Since the release of her debut album, Reckless, Wade has become one of country music's fastest-rising stars, even earning an Academy of Country Music nomination for New Female Artist of the Year alongside Hailey Whitters, Priscilla Block, Megan Moroney and Caitlyn Smith. (The award went to Whitters.)
Wade is currently gearing up for the release of her next album, Psychopath, out Aug. 25.
"I feel like I had put a lot of pressure on myself because this is the follow-up to Reckless, and Reckless did so well. I was trying to write these songs, and I was like, 'This is not authentic.' And I was rushing the process. So I took my time, and that's when I started to discover these songs that I knew would be on the record," Wade told Apple Music 1's Zane Lowe. "I mean, it's kind of nice to finish that and sit back and look at, for me, it's basically a journal of where I've been for the last two years of my life. And to be able to look back at that and know that I've made it here and made it through all the sh-t that I went through."
Here are six things to know about Morgan Wade.
She Was Raised in Appalachia
Wade grew up in Floyd, Virginia, which is situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The town is a bit of a musical hub, with events such as The Floyd Country Store's Friday Night Jamboree and FloydStock, so Wade undoubtedly grew up as a music fan. According to a biography of her penned by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Wade enjoyed music and often wrote songs but didn't take the leap to perform until later in life. At age 19, she performed in public for the first time after going through a breakup during her freshman year of college.
"I just got it in my head that I could form a band," she told Rolling Stone of her motivation. "It would either piss him off or get him back, either one."
Soon after, Wade started down a musical path, assembling a band using Craiglist. Her band became called The Stepbrothers, and it was with them that she made her independent debut album, Puppets with My Heart, in 2018.
Shortly after officially releasing her music to the world, Wade had a life-changing moment when performing at FloydFest in her hometown. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit were also performing the event, and a copy of her album ended up in the hands of the band's guitarist Sadler Vaden. The two then began working together, along with Paul Ebersold — and her major-label debut album, Reckless, was born.
She's Been Open About Her Sobriety
When Wade began on her path in the music industry, she encountered a few challenges, including alcohol abuse. Wade says she developed a drinking problem not long after she started her band due to the pressures and environment of the road.
"It's difficult sometimes, when you're ready to go onstage and you wouldn't mind a little liquid courage," she told Rolling Stone. "You got a lot of downtime after you set up a new soundcheck, everyone's sitting around, and there's a lot of cool bars [in town] and stuff like that."
Wade eventually gave up alcohol for good, and she celebrated six years of sobriety in June. Her song "The Night," which she re-released last year, details her struggles with alcohol dependence and mental health.
She's Collaborated with Several Other Artists
Although Wade has yet to record and release a duet of her own with another artist, she has collaborated with other singers in country music. In August 2022, Kip Moore invited Wade to star in the music video for his song "If I Was Your Lover." The clip features steamy scenes between Wade and the veteran country singer, and it led some fans to wonder if the two are dating (this doesn't seem to be true). The video also left fans wanting a version of the song with Wade's vocals featured within it, as the original version only featured Moore. Soon after the release of the video, Moore granted fans' wishes and released a version of the song featuring Wade.
Wade also performed with a few of her fellow female artists — Ingrid Andress, Lainey Wilson, Madeline Edwards — at the CMT Music Awards in April.
She Has Several Tattoos
The country singer-songwriter is covered in ink. She told Rolling Stone that she became "pretty addicted" to getting tattoos after getting her first one at 19. (Her first tattoo was of her siblings' initials.)
"I was sitting in my apartment. One of my friends from college, she was there. She was just like, 'I think you would like tattoos,'" Wade told Rolling Stone. "I don't know why she said that to me, and I was like, 'I think you're right.' Literally drove to the tattoo parlor to get a tattoo. I had like 90 dollars in my bank account."
She Has Some Famous Fans
Wade is friends with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards, who discovered Wade's music during a road trip from Utah to Colorado.
"I stalked @morganwademusic on IG after listening to her music while driving solo from Utah to Colorado while making #housewivesofthenorthpole & today we met up in person for the 1st time. The most unlikely of friendships some may think but kinship knows no boundaries," Richards wrote on Instagram in 2022.
She Has New Music on the Way
It's been more than two years since Wade released her major-label debut album, and she will continue to reveal her artistry to fans with her sophomore project, Psychopath, available on Aug. 25.
"Regardless of what people say about Psychopath, I'm proud because I feel like it showcases where I'm at with my sophomore album," she says of the upcoming project. "I have no choice but to be authentic. And I have to feel what I feel. And right now, I'm really feeling the music."
