Charlotte Morris channels her roots and inspirations with her cover of the Joni Mitchell classic Both Sides Now and its accompanying video — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The Philadelphia folk artist’s emotionally driven take on Mitchell’s ethereal single is the final track and the title cut from on her most recent album Both Sides. Having a profound resonance with the song throughout her life, Morris presents a homey setting alongside her velvety tone. Seeking to display her growth, she initiates a sense of closeness with listeners, herself, and the music. Demonstrating her “being” and what it truly means to be human, the video represents the evolution of Morris as a singer-songwriter, explaining, “it felt like the right song to create a visual for, as it so perfectly sums up everything I experience over the timeline of the album.”
Morris reminisces on the past with her cover of Both Sides Now, seeking to honor the song with her own stripped-back acoustic spin through the video while still encapsulating its wistful and delicate folk sonic landscape. Directed by William Gawley (Charlotte Avenue Pictures) and edited by Color Synch Visuals, the purposeful changing of the camera angles shares the components that make the video whole: A piano and Morris, all that is needed to present the intention behind the video.
“I first sang the song while a part of the concert tour Lonesome Traveler, where I got to perform the history of folk music alongside some of the greats that shaped the genre: Peter Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey, George Grove and Tom Chapin.” Creating a story with the track, the video serves to portray this tight-knit bond she has initiated with it over the years, emphasizing the video’s vision: “We wanted the video to be simple in order to let the lyrics speak for themselves. I also wanted a chance to go back to my roots in terms of the way I perform. Of course, it’s so fun to have the whole band up on stage creating magic and music together, but my most authentic performances, I feel, are when it’s just me and my guitar, or me at the piano.”
Embracing her true self as an artist, Morris desires that listeners take away meaning behind the single’s introspective lyrics like she did, hoping the video “allows viewers to connect with the song on a level they might not have before.” With her rich vocals, personal storytelling, and passion as a singer-songwriter, the video showcases her foundation as a folk artist, painting the picture of the human experience.
A Philadelphia native, Morris recognized her passion for music early on. After taking violin lessons at the age of four, she was inspired to begin teaching herself several other instruments, like the guitar, piano, ukulele, and banjo, and she started to pursue songwriting seriously by the age of 12. Morris draws inspiration for her raw and emotional lyricism from female-centric artists such as Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, Liz Longley and The Chicks. The singer’s career highlights include the release of her debut EP To New York, With Love (2018), and her first album, Songs For My Next Ex (2020). In 2021, she made the move to the roots hub of Nashville, where listeners saw the birth of her second album Wild Child (2023), along with powerful singles like Good Kind of Hurt, both garnering her accolades.
The video for Both Sides Now takes audiences on a reflective journey lyrically, sonically, and visually to present her album’s purpose of unveiling stories of contradiction, whether it be joy and grief or anger and grace. Fulfilling her goals, the video acts as a visual conclusion to what the album came to do: Seeing how beautiful life is when you take a step back to see the whole picture through both the highs and lows.
Watch the video for Both Sides Now above, listen to the rest of the album below, and visit Charlotte Morris on her website and Instagram.
