Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
On Aug. 25, the singer-songwriter headlined a special Soho Sessions concert in the Hamptons, with proceeds benefiting the Music Will charity.
Maren Morris Sees Fans ‘Healing from My Healing’ After Divorce on Tour: ‘It’s a Gift, Not Just a Tragedy’
Maren Morris is back on the road — and leaving heartbreak behind.
On Sunday, Aug. 25, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter performed a one-night-only set at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, N.Y. The intimate concert was part of the New York–based Soho Sessions series and doubled as a fundraiser for Music Will, a nonprofit that supports music education across the U.S.
“I’ve always been passionate about giving back to music education, especially in public schools where funding is so limited,” Morris, 35, told PEOPLE ahead of soundcheck at the 250-capacity venue. “Our high school choir and theater never had proper costumes or modern instruments. I know how much it means to teachers and kids when they finally get those resources.”
She added that the Talkhouse show offered a rare chance to connect with fans in a way that felt old-school: “It’s such an intimate setting, which we don’t get to do much anymore. It feels like I’m back at the Bluebird Café in Nashville.”
The star-studded crowd included Jason Biggs, Bobby Flay, Don Lemon, Christopher Meloni and Howard Stern. For Morris, the Hamptons stop was a brief detour from her Dreamsicle Tour, which will soon wrap in Cincinnati before heading overseas. The trek highlights her latest album, Dreamsicle — a vulnerable collection written in the wake of her divorce from fellow musician Ryan Hurd and her decision to step back from the Nashville country machine.
“The crowds have been amazing. It’s just gotten louder and louder every night,” she said. “There are so many new fans discovering me through this record, and then the OG fans from 10 years ago. It’s this really special mix.”
Morris says seeing audiences respond to the honesty of Dreamsicle has been healing in itself: “It’s such an intimate record — not the easiest to make. So the fact that people are receiving it this well and healing from my healing is really special. It shows me this is a gift, not just a tragedy.”
The album’s title track, which features reflective lyrics about trying to live in the present, has become a particular standout on tour. “It’s really struck a chord with people,” Morris noted.
“That lyric particularly hits us all. It’s definitely an understated song, but I think it centered the record in my brain and kind of encapsulated — well, my whole life, really,” Morris reflected of the title track. “The last few years have been tougher, with personal events and professional changes, but coming out the other side and being able to make the record I wanted to make, and say what I wanted to say without putting a film over it — that’s what Dreamsicle represents.”
The 12-song album doesn’t shy away from vulnerability, with tracks that explore her sexuality (“Push Me Over”) alongside raw reflections on divorce (“Cry in the Car,” “This Is How a Woman Leaves”).
“It’s not like a concept record; to me, there’s no delineation from my life,” Morris said. “It’s all a little too real, but I like s— like that because it makes me feel connected to what I’m writing.”
Since the launch of her Dreamsicle Tour, fans have noticed the setlist excludes material from her 2022 LP Humble Quest. Morris insists the omission wasn’t intentional, but rather a matter of logistics.
“I love Humble Quest! I just wanted to put the entire new record in the set list and also have songs that are familiar,” she explained. “By the end of it, I was like, ‘This is gonna be a two-hour show, and I don’t have the stamina of Taylor Swift! She’s doing three!’” She laughed, adding, “Someday we’ll introduce Humble Quest back in, but it just felt like I needed to play all of Dreamsicle, so I had to make some sacrifices.”
At the Talkhouse show, Morris was joined by English singer-songwriter Yola, who opened the evening with a stripped-down set that included the debut of her new song “Amazing,” from her forthcoming project. Yola described the upcoming record as an evolution of her signature “rock-meets-soul” sound.