James Vincent McMorrow

Biography

James Vincent McMorrow (born 14 February 1983) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. As of 2026, he has released seven studio albums, three EPs, and numerous singles.

Career

James Vincent McMorrow was born in Dublin, Ireland. His debut album, Early in the Morning×Early in the Morning26 February 2010 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1If I Had a Boat4:082Hear the Noise That Moves So Soft and Low4:023Sparrow & The Wolf3:434Breaking Hearts4:525We Don't Eat4:566This Old Dark Machine4:177Follow You Down to the Red Oak Tree3:298Down the Burning Ropes5:029From the Woods!!4:0010And If My Heart Should Somehow Stop4:3611Early in the Morning, I'll Come Calling2:3912We Are Ghosts3:35, was released in Ireland in February 2010 and in the United States and the rest of Europe in 2011, to widespread acclaim. He made his UK television debut on BBC Two's Later... with Jools Holland on 27 May 2011.
In 2014, he released his second album, Post Tropical×Post Tropical13 January 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Cavalier4:432The Lakes4:073Red Dust4:014Gold3:005All Points3:436Look Out3:267Repeating4:388Post Tropical4:339Glacier4:0910Outside, Digging4:31. It was recorded in 2013 in the small desert town of Tornillo, 89 kilometres (55 mi) south of El Paso, Texas. The studio is located on a pecan farm, and McMorrow found the location "the most surreal place to work" and one that helped add to the tone of the album and inspire his creativity. He said "I think it's kind of engrained in the record, more than any pinpointed thing. I can hear the hot bedded air in this part. You can hear the birds in the pianos."
In 2016, McMorrow announced his third studio album and released "Rising Water", its lead single. We Move was produced by McMorrow, Nineteen85, Frank Dukes, and Two Inch Punch. Released on 2 September 2016, it marks a shift in McMorrow's style towards more R&B-tinged sounds. His cover of the Chris Isaak song "Wicked Game×Wicked Game9 March 2016 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Wicked Game (Live at St Canice Cathedral, Kilkenny)4:31" was used in the first official full-length trailer for the sixth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones. In April 2016, he was featured on the promotional single "I'm in Love" from Kygo's debut album, Cloud Nine.
In May 2017, McMorrow released his fourth album, True Care×True Care26 May 2017 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1December 29143:562True Care3:543National3:334Thank You4:395Interlude No. 11:526Constellations3:167Holding On3:188Bears3:429Pink Salt Lake2:4410Interlude No. 21:4911Bend Your Knees5:0612Change of Heart2:4413Glad It's Raining3:1314Don't Wait Forever2:1015Outro1:56, which peaked at number 22 on the Irish Albums Chart. Tony Clayton-Lea from The Irish Times said, "An artist such as James Vincent McMorrow is commercially successful only on a certain level, so announcing a new album – arriving less than 10 months after his third, the tactically planned We Move – isn't the most financially astute of decisions. There is, however, method in his unorthodox approach. The songs here, on the other hand, are sometimes flawed, occasionally faltering, but always within the grasp of the listener. By being "reactive to the world" he lives in, McMorrow has learned a crucial tortoise/hare lesson: instinct beats intellect every time."
McMorrow's 2021 album, titled Grapefruit Season×Grapefruit Season17 September 2021 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Paradise3:402Gone3:233Planes in the Sky3:594Tru Love3:175Waiting3:346Poison to You3:537We Don't Kiss Under Umbrellas Like We Used To3:588A House and a River3:389Hollywood & Vine5:2010Cliché3:2811Headlights5:0912I Should Go2:2413Grapefruit3:4614Part of Me3:47, was produced alongside Paul Epworth, Kenny Beats, Lil Silva, and Patrick Wimberly. He followed it a year later with his sixth record,The Less I Knew.
In 2024, McMorrow issued Wide Open, Horses.