A few weeks ago, I caught up with Sean McKinney of Morning Tourist to discuss his brilliant project, his UK tour (including his Newcastle stop) and exciting future plans.

Our conversation began on a gorgeously autumnal Sunday morning with an update on that latest happenings in the world of Morning Tourist:

“I’ve just finished recording a single, which should hopefully be wrapped up by the end of the week. I’m not sure what this signals the beginning of. The last thing we did was release the LP The Endless Eve in 2023, and before that, we put out an EP that got printed on vinyl and found a home with a label. It was a big moment for the project, being able to present something to people that they could hold and listen to. I’m a huge fan of albums because I love the idea of a collection of work representing a cycle of life or mood.”

This sense of cohesion certainly shines through in Morning Tourist’s music which blends a personal tone with intricate songwriting. McKinney is proud of the personality within his music and is determined to keep it central as he moves forward with new projects under the new production guidance of Ben Andrews.

“A mate advised me against jumping into a new album too quickly, in case it overshadowed Endless Eve. I’ve been working on new material, but we had to switch producers, as my last one has become a farmer and is now occupied with turnips! It was a bit of a leap, as he helped shape the sound significantly, so parting ways was bittersweet.

However, working with Ben Andrews has been great and really exciting. I’ve brought in some of the touring band to record, which has added richness to the sound.”

Finding the balance between maintaining the DNA of the project and introducing new elements has been important to McKinney:

“It does make me nervous, as I want the music to feel like it’s from the same author, even with new producers and members. The new music we’ve recorded so far isn’t a huge departure, but it does have a slightly different tone, with new instruments in the mix.

I wrote a song on piano, which is a bit different from my previous work, though it’s still firmly within indie rock singer-songwriter territory.”

I really wanted to get to the heart of what drove McKinney to produce the music he does as Morning Tourist and it’s origins came from an interesting place.

“I always joke that my first influence was Bart Simpson. He’s rock ‘n’ roll without being a guitarist or anything like that. As I was growing up, he represented rebellion, and it made me think that rebellion was cool, which is at the heart of rock ‘n’ roll.

I first really got into music around 11 or 12. My brother’s mate had a Green Day album—I think it was Nimrod. From there, I got into groups like The Offspring. Those bands were crucial, as they taught me how to write songs using power chords and verse-chorus-verse structures, which helped me start as a songwriter.

I played bass in a couple of punk bands as a teenager, but as I was writing the songs, I started gravitating towards the guitar. That led me to more songwriter-oriented, acoustic music like Bright Eyes and Death Cab for Cutie.

I began moving away from punk rock and exploring other forms of music. I was definitely a product of the indie boom of the 2000s, with bands like The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys, but I also love Simon & Garfunkel, Michael Jackson, and James Brown—my parents’ influence.

I do get excited by the Cohens and Dylans of the world; I always gravitate towards the song.”

This is something which definitely runs through Morning Tourist’s work with a clear emphasis placed on the song which McKinney perfects before getting to the fun part of “dressing up the song”.

Morning Tourist are currently in the midst of UK Tour, which takes them to Newcastle (Tuesday 12th of November 2024) and also Carlisle. I wanted his take on touring and life as an independent DIY artist in 2024.

“I’m really excited about the tour. I’ll be visiting places I’ve never been, like Glasgow, and returning to spots like Manchester and Sheffield. I’ll be playing some new material live, which I’m looking forward to.

I love touring—exploring cities, meeting people at shows, everything about it is great. We played in the Netherlands recently, and each gig had a unique vibe, from bars to audiences of 300 people. It was exhilarating.”

“The music landscape is quite saturated, though I don’t think that’s entirely new. The democratisation has been good, but it’s harder than ever to get paid, and it’s become a contest of who can shout the loudest.

I understand there’s a game of self-marketing, but I won’t compromise my integrity. I wouldn’t even be on social media if I didn’t make music. I’m not a content creator; I make music, and there are certain things I simply won’t do. I want to maintain integrity and create something lasting.”

That commitment to integrity is evident when listening to Morning Tourist’s back catalogue, filled with distinct songs full of personality. That level of songwriting talent has seen him share the bill with the likes of Mel C and hit the heights of playing Glastonbury twice. I wanted to know how these experiences differed from regular gigs.

“I love festivals, and we’ve been lucky enough to play Glastonbury twice. This year, we played the Green Futures stage on Friday, which was brilliant, as people were full of energy. All my friends came, so it was amazing. The year before, we played Friday and Sunday, which was a dream moment.

We’ve also played Lake Fest and HowTheLightGetsIn in Wales, where we even met Billy Bragg. We did Left of the Dial in the Netherlands, which felt like a bootcamp for emerging musicians. There’s one big room where everyone hangs out together. I’d love to play End of the Road at some point if anyone from the festival is reading!”

Hopefully someone is! Morning Tourist is currently touring the UK and will be playing The Wandering Oak on Tuesday, 12th November with support from Newcastle via Nottingham soul pop artist Remy CB and the previously featured J.W Darwin. Find tickets here.