“Morning State blew me away really, they surprised the hell out of me. I thought their album was great, but seeing them live just kind of solidified everything.”
-DJ L

"Despite hints of early '90s pop-punk, Morning State's sound is fresher and less urgent than its influences."
-Paste Magazine

BIO

In the past, Morning State has been described as Athens, Georgia meets Radiohead circa The Bends. The band has always held a reputation for its explosive live show. Its starkly simple, openly admitted main purpose is to “sound good live”—and, spending much of its existence on the road, it’s not unreasonable to say it’s achieved this. Morning State has been blowing audiences away for a couple years now, including SXSW and shows with Rosehill Drive, Earl Greyhound, Lovedrug, Two Gallants, Colour Revolt, and many more.

Morning State has stuttered when declaring a hometown in the few years it’s been together. The band’s early life was split between Athens, GA and Atlanta. Things got started in 2004 when frontman Russ Ledford took a batch of songs he’d written and recorded in his Athens apartment and pieced together a band to perform them live. With two members in Athens, and two in Atlanta, Morning State spent much of its beginning commuting several hours each way to practice. Since, they’ve settled in Atlanta, joining bands like Deerhunter, Snowden, and Manchester Orchestra in the burgeoning east Atlanta area. Still, the band spends a lot of its time in music-rich Athens, soaking up the inspiration that provoked those first few songs that launched the band.

The music is succinctly described as melodic, alive, and dynamic. Each member contributes a unique element and pattern, layering hooks and melodies on top of one another within the confines of rock music. The result is a new, unique brand of melodic, math-rock. Morning State mixes complex patterns with brilliant lyrics. Further, they will rock your fucking socks off.

In late 2006, Morning State released the Retreat!!! EP. The EP received sterling reviews from local and national press outlets. Allstar knob-twister Ben Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Cee Lo, DangerDoom) mixed the single “Spectacular”, which after almost a year is still seeing loads of radio play. Like many of its Athens cohorts, Morning State has remained pretty true to the DIY ethic and puts in the hard labor itself. Constant touring will always continue.