#MusicExchange: Parlotones's Kahn Morbee releases third studio album, A World at Suicide

Kahn Morbee. Photo: Chashish

Morbee talks about ‘All the Beauty’ and what the writing process and inspiration behind the single was: “The opening lines of this song were changed to reflect the Covid-19 context that caused me to delay the release of the album.

“‘There's a scarecrow standing in the middle of the street (metaphor for Covid-19). Everyone's playing hide-and-seek (lockdown). Every day seems exactly the same (extended lockdown).’ The gist of the song is accepting that life is a series of ups and downs.”

I caught up with Morbee last week:

The new decade means:

Wobbly starts and broken hearts.

Fame is about:

An unexpected consequence of pursuing something others revere - a by-product rather than the target.

Retirement will happen when:

A bizarre construct that ‘removes’ the most knowledgeable and experienced people from the ‘think-tank’, perpuating an ageist culture.

I don't do:

Politics

What does music mean to you?

Freedom and therapy.

My music is about:

Observation of the human journey.

I would love to co-write with:

Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks and Robert Smith.

Where do you go for inspiration to create?

Within.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your work?

The creative metamorphosis of something out of nothing.

The song you must do in every show?

Push me to the floor, Baby be Mine and Giant Mistake.

Any funny moments on stage?

I once agreed to get wheeled onto stage in some magician’s cage as part of a trick to start the show - let’s just say the “ta-da” moment was pretty underwhelming and the laughter (and confusion) from both the audience and my band mates was at my expense.

My heroes:

My Gran, da Vinci, Aristotle, Newton, Carl Sagan, Charles Darwin, Paul McCartney, Freddy Mercury, Stevie Nicks and Leo Fender.

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My style icon:

James Bond, James Dean, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, David Bowie

Which living person do you admire most and why?

Paul McCartney. The original singer-songwriter that certainly inspired me to want to journey into songwriting and experiment with genres using pop sensibilities.

What is your most treasured possession?

My guitar collection.

It’s your round. What are you drinking?

Old fashioned.

Dream gig to do:

Glastonbury - main stage.

What makes you stand out?

I think my voice is identifiable.

Nicknames:

Gingis and Oddball.

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A post shared by Kahn Morbee (@kahnmorbee)

I’m currently playing house dad and enjoying it.

Pick five words to describe yourself?

Restless, enthusiastic, curious, ambitious and hopeful.

Favorite SA albums?

Squeal – Long Pig; Perez – Wasted out; Springbok Nude Girls – Goddank vir klank and Johnny Clegg – Third World Child.

Greatest movie ever made?

The Big Lebowski.

What books are you reading?

Great Mental Models – Volume 2 - Book by Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish.

What song changed your life?

A Day in the Life - The Beatles.

Who do you love?

My wife, family, friends and myself.

What is your favorite word?

Effervescent.

Favorite fashion garment:

Hats.

Top of your bucket list:

A luxury train ride to the Vic Falls and then chilling out on a houseboat for two weeks.

I'm sure you've got some time to kill, or maybe wanna drown out the day... If so, give 'A World at Suicide' a spin... The album is out pic.twitter.com/tPeJ32oGAd

— Kahn Morbee (@KahnMorbee) September 23, 2021

The fact that I somehow turned my hobby into a vocation.

What do you complain about most often?

Politicians.

What is your fear?

The speed of time.

On stage, I tend to?

Escape.

The best life lesson you have been taught:

Be kind.

Do you get worked up whilst watching a sports game on TV?

Impassioned perhaps, but not overly. I’m not a shout-at-the-TV kind of guy. I do enjoy the collective experience of watching sport and going with the vibe.