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Oct 05, 2023 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Yaara Valley

Indie singer/songwriter Julian Morris began his career playing in Portland-based indie outfits like Little Star and Post-Move, but he has since spun off into a solo career under the moniker Layperson with his 2019 debut album, The Divide. Next month, Morris is set to return with his sophomore album, Massive Leaning, which he wrote and recorded largely from home over the past four years. During this time, he was navigating the end of a long-term relationship, and the album examines the despair and loneliness of this period, tempered with moments of hopefulness, growth, and warmth.

Last month, Morris shared the album’s lead single, “Black Pool,” and today he’s back with another new track, “I Want To,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“I Want To” layers on the sunny charm, driving forward with propulsive rhythms and bright instrumental tones. The chugging rhythm section and golden-hued guitar lines imbue the track with an ardent, openhearted sheen while Morris delivers an impressively catchy chorus, showing off a careful balance between easygoing melodies and insistent tempos. Similarly, playful instrumental touches like a dancing clarinet line bolster the track’s buoyant tone, as do the sweet and sincere lyrics: “Baby, I want to / I want that feeling / The feeling that drives all the reasons / Baby I want to.”

Morris says of the track, “I have a black and white photo of Ram Dass with this huge smile that I keep in my house. His look is so loving and unconditional. I was looking at it when I started strumming the beginnings of this song. I wanted to write something unabashedly hungry and optimistic. Something in the vein of George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” where divinity is like a lover or a close friend. Someone you know, and someone you can sing to. It’s not a lyrically complicated song, it’s really buoyant and fresh.

I had the idea for the clarinet part in the chorus sort of dancing around my head. I asked my friend Tyler Neidermayer to record it, he composes beautiful music with clarinet and modular synths in New York. He added this bass clarinet part that really brought that hungry optimism to life. It’s like the clarinet answers the call of the vocals, “yes, I am here, I hear you.” The song was mixed by Vin Christopher who has spearheaded a lot of incredible recording projects in Portland. He also plays bass in Oh Rose, a personal PNW favorite. I wanted this track to really sparkle, and Vin made that happen, particularly with the layered vocals at the end.”

Check out the song below. Massive Leaning is out November 10th via Lung Records and Bud Tapes.