Matt Morris Praises Kristen Stewart and Lady Gaga at PopEater HQ

By Ashley Iasimone Posted Aug 5th 2010 05:30PM

It's been a year of momentum for Matt Morris. In January, his debut album, 'When Everything Breaks Open,' was released on Tennman Records. That same month, he was a featured performer -- singing a memorable rendition of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' alongside Justin Timberlake -- on the 'Hope for Haiti' telethon. In June, he joined Ingrid Michaelson on the road, and his latest project involved shooting his first music video, 'Live Forever.' Along the way, he's seen plenty of new faces in attendance at his shows; at one of his sets in March, he even spotted 'Twilight' star Kristen Stewart.

"She was there for my last song, 'Live Forever,' which is an appropriate song for someone in a vampire movie," Morris told PopEater when he recently visited our New York office.

The Denver, Colo.-based singer-songwriter, whose name you may recognize from his childhood days on the 'Mickey Mouse Club' in the early '90s, said that he likes the 'Twilight' series, though his cinema-going experience for 'Eclipse' was a bit alarming.

"We went early on, right after the movie came out, and so we were there for, what is it, Team Jacob and Team Edward? They were in the audience. I don't know if you've experienced that before but, you know, Jacob walks out on screen, right, and like the front six rows erupt and scream," Morris said, laughing. "And then you hear people on the other side go, 'No, Edward!' A teenaged girl mob scene."

Such a story begged the question of whose team Morris was on, but he forewent taking either of the usual sides to defend the acting chops of the film's female lead.

"I think the one person who I walked away sort of most excited about was Kristen Stewart," he revealed. "I always thought she was really wonderful and has this sort of consistent little flighty thing she does. She had some moments in the movie where I thought she delivered such a ... she'd hold the gaze. It was like, this is why she's a movie star. This is why she's brilliant, because I cannot stop looking at her."

After the 'Twilight' talk, Morris treated the staff to an intimate, acoustic performance of 'When Everything Breaks Open' tracks 'Live Forever,' ''Money,' 'Bloodline,' 'The Un-American' and 'Eternity.' While he played these songs solo on his guitar, he's also been picking up a bit of rhythm as of late by taking up bass.

"I kind of had that limitation, the limitation of the instrument and how I played it, to work with while I was writing. But now, as a part of a rhythm section, I feel like I want to do uptempo songs," Morris revealed of his future songwriting prospects. "You can be finger-picking ballads for days. But how do you get something that makes you want to groove? That's a part of me."

During his time on tour with Michaelson, Morris even found himself gravitating toward all-dance radio stations for a week straight, but there is one particular pop star that's been an unexpected inspiration to him: Lady Gaga.

"Straight up dance music, hardcore pop, hardcore dance-pop. I think she's so smart," Morris raved. "And I think her music and her approach and what she's doing in terms of pop culture iconography is so brilliant. On so many multiple levels, her music is inspiring me. She's got me listening to dance music a lot."

There's no doubt that Morris, a talented composer and vocalist, would be able to write an impressive upbeat tune. But does he have the moves to go along with it? "Can I dance?" Morris scoffed. "Girl, I was a Mouseketeer."

Watch Matt Morris' 'Live Forever' Video

Tags: Kristen Stewart, Lady Gaga, Matt Morris

Comments

(6)

Thursday 05 August

By Tiffany

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I have never heard of this guy. Wow, and that took up a headline?

By Bob

I thought this was going to be about the guy who used to pitch for the Cardinals.

By katy m.

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I love matt morris!! live forever and bloodline are my fav songs!!

By Nani

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The song by Matt Morris would be a good song for Breaking Dawn, the scene(s)wedding scene or on Isle Esme. just a thought. Yup! Twilight fan. true and true. No doubt.

By flor

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this man is high. No one can watch Krsiten Stewart. She's not a movie star she's just the it girl right now because of Twicrap and she can't open a movie for sh*t. Even with Dakota Fanning by her side, The Runaways only made 3 millions, I mean, she got 2millions just for starring and the movie bombed. After Twilight no one will remember her because she doesn't make movies for that kind of audience and adults don't like her becuase of Twilight.

You took the words right outta my mouth.When he says "I always thought she was really wonderful and has this sort of consistent little flighty thing she does. She had some moments in the movie where I thought she delivered such a ... she'd hold the gaze. It was like, this is why she's a movie star. This is why she's brilliant, because I cannot stop looking at her."

I thought; Do you mean that 'thing' she does when she bites on her lip and stares awkwardly down at the floor? If that's 'movie star material', Damn I'll win an Oscar someday!

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