‘Catch of the Day’ – Maren Morris – “80’s Mercedes” [VIDEO]

Today we turn our focus to an artist who has seemingly come out of nowhere in the past six months, from an artist whose first three albums received zero attention from main stream country radio, to having a top-5 single and an album that debuted at the top of the Billboard Country Albums chart.

Maren Morris is the true definition of "over-night success, 10-years in the making". The Dallas-born singer got her start playing around her home town while still in high school, performing in any bar or club that would let her through the door. Her varied influences, which included Clint Black, Sheryl Crow and Chaka Kahn, led her to refer to herself as a "gangster June Carter". In 2010, with the hopes of strengthening her songwriting, Morris moved to Nashville, but had already released her first two albums, 2005's Walk On, on the VERY independent Mozzi Blozzi label and 2007's Maren, released on the Smith Entertainment label. Both albums met with some local response, but failed to receive attention outside of Texas.

After he Nashville relocation, Morris met up-and-coming songwriters like Kacey Musgraves, Lucie Silvas and the Brothers Osborne, forming a young songwriters "community" in Nashville, each learning from the others while developing their own unique styles. During this time, Morris has songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Kelly Clarkson and the Brothers Osborne, while releasing a third album, 2011's Live Wire, returning to the Mozzi Blozzi label. While this album, like the other two, failed to receive radio air play or consumer attention, it did put Morris on the radar of Columbia Records Nashville, who would sign Morris in 2015.

Her first project for her new label would be a 5-song, self-titled EP. The project featured Morris' first single, which at first received no attention from country radio. But, "My Church" received immediate airplay on satellite radio, while slowly, terrestrial radio would begin to warm to Morris' style, eventually peaking at #3 on the Billboard Country chart.

On the strength of the single, Columbia would give the go-ahead for the release of Morris' album Hero, which debuted at #1 on June 3rd.  The second single from Hero is in our spotlight today. Maren Morris and "80's Mercedes" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.