Maren Morris is back on the road and turning personal pain into powerful music.
On Monday, August 25, the Grammy-winning singer and songwriter performed an intimate set at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York. The one-night show was part of the exclusive Soho Sessions series, typically held in New York City, and benefited Music Will, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting music education in U.S. public schools.
Speaking to People before the performance, Morris, 35, explained why this cause is close to her heart.
“I have always worked with giving back to music education, especially in public schools, because there is not a ton of funding,” she said. “I know personally—our choir and theater in high school never had proper costumes or instruments that were even of this century. It is a good way to give back, and it is a very intimate setting, which we do not really get to do much anymore. It feels like I am at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.”
The 250-capacity show offered a rare, stripped-back performance for the country-pop artist, whose Dreamsicle Tour is currently sweeping across the country. That tour is in support of her critically acclaimed new album, Dreamsicle, which she wrote in the aftermath of her divorce from fellow singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd and her decision to step back from the country music establishment.
“It is a very intimate record, very vulnerable—not the easiest to make,” Morris said. “The fact that people are receiving it this well and healing from my healing is really special. A ton of new fans have discovered me through this record, and the OG fans from ten years ago are still here, so it is a really cool mix.”
The album is deeply personal, featuring lyrics that reflect on heartbreak, growth, and even sexual identity. Songs like “Cry in the Car” and “This Is How a Woman Leaves” tackle the emotional fallout of her divorce, while “Push Me Over” explores themes of queer identity. The title track, “Dreamsicle,” stands out for its emotional resonance.
“That lyric—‘I overthink a moment right down to the minute / Will I ever enjoy anything while I am standing in it?’—really hits,” she said. “It centered the whole record in my brain and encapsulated not just the album, but my life over the past few years. Personal changes, professional shifts, and finally coming out on the other side.”
Despite fan questions about the absence of songs from her previous album Humble Quest on the current tour setlist, Morris said it came down to time.
“I love Humble Quest, but I wanted to be able to play the entire new record,” she explained. “By the end of it, I was like, ‘This is going to be a two-hour show, and I do not have the stamina of Taylor Swift!’ But someday we will bring it back.”
The Talkhouse show also featured a powerful opening set from British artist Yola, who debuted her new song “Amazing.” The performance marked a return to the “rock meets soul” sound she is known for. Yola later joined Morris on stage for a show-stopping duet of “My Church,” the breakthrough hit that catapulted Morris to stardom.
Morris’s set also included fan favorites like “80s Mercedes” and “The Bones,” as well as a moving cover of John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery.”
Before introducing “Too Good,” a twangy track from Dreamsicle, Morris addressed the heartbreak that inspired it.
“It is a gift, I have learned—not just a tragedy,” she told the crowd. “I never really wanted to write about those things, but I am so glad I did because I learned what I actually love writing about—just being very unfiltered.”
The song, she said, came from dating experiences post-divorce.
“I met some total bums who could not even pay the tab,” she laughed. “I told my cowriters, ‘I want it to feel like Delta Dawn plus an Irish drinking song.’ And this is what we made.”
The audience, which included celebrities like Howard Stern, Jason Biggs, Don Lemon, and Bobby Flay, soaked up every moment. Actor Jason Biggs even took the stage to introduce Morris before her set.
Soho Sessions, founded by Greg Williamson and Nicole Rechter, has become a sought-after experience in New York nightlife, having hosted artists like Paul Simon, Gary Clark Jr., and Kate Hudson. The series has raised more than $60 million for various charitable causes.
“We love bringing the show out to the Hamptons,” Rechter said before the performance. “We are excited to have Maren Morris, and to be working with Music Will again. It is always a powerful and intimate evening—that is what the Soho Sessions are all about.”
Music Will is the largest nonprofit music program in the U.S. public school system. It has served more than 1.8 million students across 6,000 schools and donated more than 1,000 musical instruments and equipment nationwide.
As Morris continues on the road with Dreamsicle, her message is clear: heartbreak may be in the rearview, but healing and honesty are in the driver’s seat.
