Emerging from a long, gloomy year, singer-songwriter Katey Morley is about to make the new year glow, with the release of her eagerly anticipated EP “Hearts & Heads & Thoughts & Deeds”. This five song gem opens with a euphonious and bombastic Folktronica tune, ambles through Country Noir to end on a haunting piano ballad that you won’t soon forget.

The first single, “The Guy Who Breaks Things” is a dark and twangy account of a well-intentioned mess who accidentally topples everything in his wake was released to all digital platforms on July 13, 2020.

The second single “Carolina Home” was custom written for the feature film “Carolina Low”, a gritty, 5-star, depression-era western starring Katey’s brother-in-law Sean Bridgers (of Get Shorty, Deadwood, Room, Rectify). Released with the launch of the film to Amazon Prime, it has been garnering listeners from all over the world, attracted by it’s dusty, Bluegrass style harmonies and scratchy, driving beat.

The third single, “Little Man” released on Jan 19th, comes at the perfect time for anyone struggling with parenting during the pandemic. Inspired by a family friend’s recovering teenage son, it is a gentle but rocking Country Noir tune about a child spinning out of control, trying to navigate boredom and ever-present vices.

“Hearts & Heads & Thoughts & Deeds” is Katey’s 4th solo effort, and she’s poised to capture hearts around the globe with her perfect delivery and thoughtful songwriting, but she is taking a leap of faith with it: you won’t find this EP on many of the major streaming services, most notably, Spotify. The Canadian singer-songwriter is taking a stance against Big Stream: “My wish for 2021 is the healing of the music industry, and I believe it starts with releasing music only to services that support and pay musicians fairly. I can no longer gripe about being exploited, and continue to give my music to them.” She also believes that consumers are starting to understand how streaming negatively impacts music creators, and they too have begun to demand a fair alternative to support their favourite independent artists.

The album is available on Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon, Tidal, Soundcloud, YouTube, Pandora and Shazam (because, you know, we need to be able to Shazam! that great song when it comes on in the supermarket)!

As usual, the Toronto-based musician took her time with this release– it’s been three years since her last record. Katey’s previous album “Now & Then,” a double EP that took nearly 13 years to complete, was featured on CUIT, ERIN Radio and CBC Radio regularly. Her third single “Good Little Girls” was chosen by Gill Deacon as CBC’s song of the week in March 2018. It also won an honourable mention in the Women’s Freedom Song Contest in 2019.

Unequivocally Canadian, she is sorry she is so slow at releasing music, and promises to try to go faster next time! She has already written many new songs, and is is already working towards her next EP, slowly but surely.

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A self-taught composer and multi-instrumentalist, Katey plays dulcimer, autoharp, keys and percussion, but it is her voice that captivates listeners and that has earned her loyal following. Soft and vulnerable for a moment, and then suddenly unleashed, it is a powerfully dynamic instrument, drawing comparisons to the likes of Brandi Carlyle, Linda Ronstadt and Kate Bush.

Katey began singing, playing and composing at a very young age. As a teen, she studied for 3 years with acclaimed vocal teacher Elaine Overholt (Shawn Mendes, Francisco Yates, Queen Latifah and many more). Soon after, she left Jazz studies at York University to front the band Gypsy Soul (Resort/Universal Records), toured North America with Minneapolis folk-rockers Bobby Llama, and returned home to record her first solo album, “Phor”.

Over the last decade and a half, she has been producing and recording original songs, while supporting herself as a world-touring club DJ, session singer and designer. With Duncan Coutts (Our Lady Peace) and producer Scott Currie (Emily Haines), she recorded the award winning “Noah” (Great American Song Contest), capturing the attention of the legendary Garth Hudson of The Band, who travelled to Toronto to perform organ and accordion on four of Katey’s original songs.

“Morley’s voice is soft and confessional but with a gritted-teeth steel that tells you not to underestimate her“- Listen With Monger

“The timelessness of Morley’s songwriting… transcending the roots genre by adding in elements of jazz and pop” – Spill Magazine

“Katey reminds you of all the things you forgot…pure of heart, pure of art.” –Zack Werner, (Producer, Songwriter, Canadian Idol Judge)