Britain has been battered by storms this week. Winds, fog and driving rain have made me grateful for the sofa, heater and a blanket! My cat has point-blank refused to have a look outside and has retreated under the blanket. I nearly sat on him today! But with weather like this, what better way to spend an evening than in the company of the music of SJ Mortimer?
Artist Bio
Part angel. Part banshee. All fire.
SJ Mortimer is not your typical singer-songwriter.
With a voice that can whisper like smoke and roar like thunder, SJ has built a reputation as one of the most compelling frontwomen in modern UK Americana rock. As the lead singer and songwriter of Morganway, she commands stages with raw power, emotional honesty and a magnetic presence that has seen her compared to Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin and even a female-fronted Zeppelin.
From recording her debut album Nashville Sessions in Tennessee to touring across the UK, Europe, the US and China, SJ’s journey has been defined by fearless creativity and a refusal to be boxed in. Her songwriting moves effortlessly between grit and grace, heartache and defiance, country storytelling and soul-drenched rock.
With charting albums, major festival appearances, international tours and four-time BCMA Band of the Year awards with Morganway, SJ now stands on the edge of a bold new chapter.
In 2026, SJ is releasing her most powerful and personal solo work to date, recorded in Muscle Shoals and featuring co-writes with Grammy-nominated Nashville writers. Rooted in country, folk and soul, this is music written with a new level of truth, depth and fire: the sound of SJ Mortimer at her most open, honest and fearless.
Our Interview
A little bit of history. Am I right in thinking that your last solo project was Nashville Sessions (2015)? Tracks like “Hit the Road” sit firmly in the country lane. How close is the music on that album to what you’re doing musically in 2026?
SJ: It was a full circle journey as I recorded my first solo album with my producer Sol Philcox back in 2015, then fast forward 10 years, hundreds of gigs and wonderful musical memories with Morganway and other projects, to now recording my second solo album with Sol. My music has developed and changed over time in finding my voice – there are still elements of country but also influences of soul, rock, folk and pop in this new music. I love so many genres of music it’s hard to choose a “genre lane” but that’s what keeps it creative! I guess I’m still figuring it out, but I’m enjoying the process rather than feeling pressured by an algorithm to fit into a box.
We do love Morganway here at Rock the Joint — you put on great live shows! Does going out on your own feel more exposed somehow, without the regular band alongside you on stage?
SJ: So happy Rock The Joint are fans of Morganway and we really do appreciate your support of the band! Playing live is my favourite thing to do in the world. It’s been my main focus over the last 10 years and I like to push myself out of my comfort zone and try new things. It feels very different to play solo acoustically, but it’s pushing me to work on that kind of intimate performance live, which is a great challenge. The band I have backing me for the solo project are all good friends of mine from Cambridge where I’m from, and I’ve gotten to know them through various musical projects over the years. They’re a talented bunch and I’m lucky to have such great musicians around me both in my solo music and in Morganway.
Let’s talk about “Numb” to begin with. “Like a loaded gun… maybe I’m dangerous, for you…” Are lyrics like these drawn from your own experiences, or are you an observer of life, making notes as you go through the day?
SJ: I originally started writing “Numb” as a folk ballad, but when I took the beginnings of it to Nashville and worked with Justyna Kelley, we decided to turn it into a female empowerment song. It comes from a personal place, from my own experiences of being a woman in music and navigating the expectations that come with that. But it’s also about something much bigger than me – it’s for any woman who’s ever felt she has to fight to be seen, heard or taken seriously. I think my songwriting often comes from a mix of personal experience and observing the world around me, but with “Numb,” there’s definitely a lot of me in it.
“Above & Beyond” blends country and rock with the warmth of a ballad. There’s a lovely sense of home and intimacy in those images of sleeping under the stars. Can you tell us a little more about the song? Was it written specifically for the EP, or had it been waiting in the wings for a while?
SJ: I wrote “Above & Beyond” nearly 10 years ago, after playing at a wedding where the groom described his new bride as his “above and beyond” in his speech. I absolutely loved that phrase, and it stuck with me. A year later, I got married myself, and the song became the story of our honeymoon — a road trip across America, from the Grand Canyon to Texas and Nashville. Kieran and I have been travelling and making music together ever since we met, both with Morganway and through my solo project. He’s my guitarist on and off the stage, and it’s been an incredible journey so far. I can’t wait to see what adventures are still to come.
Streaming has significantly changed the way we consume music, with many artists preferring to release a succession of singles rather than an album. I guess an EP offers a middle ground! Personally, I feel that a collected body of work allows the music to breathe and gives listeners the chance to hear the songs as a collective statement. How do you feel about this?
SJ: I love an album to really get into an artist or band and hear what they’re about, but I think the way music is sold to people now it’s a single first that gets us to that point. I really don’t think there is a right way to go about releasing music today though, I love how independent artists pave their own path and do what feels right to them. For me, I didn’t want to rush putting a whole album out straight away and risk losing it in the void without putting proper time and thought into the release campaign. I’m still figuring it all out and I’m changing plans all the time, but I think that’s the same with a lot of creatives… we have to go with the flow in this industry!
What are you listening to in 2026? Have any new acts caught your eye, or do you get too busy with your own work to keep up with what’s happening elsewhere? It happens! I suppose festivals are a great way to discover new music.
SJ: I love festivals for discovering new artists and bands, and catching up with friends too! There’s nothing better than watching artist friends smashing it on big festival stages; Kezia Gill, Alyssa Bonagura, Elles Bailey, Savannah Gardener to name a few! I went to Americanafest this year and the true stand outs for me were Katie Pruitt, Tenille Townes, Mary Bragg and Abigail Rose. Hearing new music live inspires me to then listen to their music after and buy the vinyl – I love vinyl. I find learning covers also really helps inspire me to write in new ways with my own songwriting.
Do you have a hidden talent that fans might be surprised to discover? It could be anything from juggling to baking the perfect cake!
SJ: I wouldn’t say it’s a talent but I love paddle boarding, good food and dogs, all dogs!
One last question! It’s a freezing winter’s night and the tour bus has broken down miles from anywhere. Luckily, you stumble across what appears to be an abandoned house. There’s a roaring fire, a table full of food and the electricity still works. While you wait for morning, you can choose only one book and one film to keep you company. What are you picking?
SJ: As it’s a freezing winter’s night I would choose “Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone” as my book and “The Holiday” for my film. If it’s cold and we’re lost somewhere on the road all I’d want is something comforting and familiar! But to be honest I would choose them anyway.
Our Review
Late Bloomer was released on 2 October 2026. The EP features five songs and runs for approximately 18 minutes.
“Numb” opens the EP with a punchy rock/country number. It’s driven by a strong drum-and-bass foundation, with a powerful chorus that SJ clearly enjoys kicking into. There’s a broad, commercial rock sound here, and the track shifts gears seamlessly between those harder-hitting moments and passages that invite us to pause and reflect.
“Don’t Underestimate Me” is a favourite of mine from the EP. It rips along with a strut and swagger, combining rough-edged rock with a strong pop melody and a very assured vocal performance. “You should be medicated,” sings SJ, before the track dips into its defiant cry of “don’t underestimate me”. This is a fight-back song, and one I slipped straight onto my playlist. There’s a lot of fun packed into just over three minutes, too!
“Late Bloomer” is the title track, and it takes us into a different musical space. Dreamy and unhurried, it’s a song to savour over a cappuccino on a lazy afternoon. Beneath that relaxed surface lies a little social commentary about changing times and how we build upon what has gone before. I particularly like the shift in tone towards the end, as the drums slow things down and the song draws us into a gentler journey. It’s a journey through life, perhaps, and a reminder that there’s no single timetable for getting there.
We discuss “Above & Beyond” in the interview, and knowing the story behind it adds another dimension to what is already a rather lovely song. It’s a narrative about those special times we share with the person we love, personal and intimate in its telling. There’s enough country in the mix to have us sleeping under the stars with a guitar for company, but the song’s real strength lies in the warmth of the story it tells.
“Heals Me Like You” closes the EP gently. It’s a country/folk blend with a pinch of pop, and a song you can simply relax into. There’s an intimacy here that makes it feel deeply personal, bringing to mind an evening around a campfire — preferably in considerably better weather than we’re experiencing at the moment! It’s a song of healing and memories, and a fitting way to bring the collection to a close.
Final Thoughts
Late Bloomer reveals an artist who is comfortable exploring different musical directions without feeling the need to settle into a single genre. From the defiance of “Don’t Underestimate Me” to the intimacy of “Above & Beyond”, SJ Mortimer gives us five songs that balance rock’s energy with country storytelling, folk’s warmth and a touch of pop accessibility.
What makes this EP particularly interesting is the sense of an artist continuing to discover herself. Our conversation revealed someone who values the freedom to experiment, who draws on personal experience without losing sight of the wider world, and who understands that a song can be both a private story and something listeners make their own.
There’s a pleasing contrast between the strength of SJ’s voice and the vulnerability that often sits behind it. The harder-edged tracks provide the punch, while the quieter moments allow the songwriting to breathe. Together, they give Late Bloomer a character of its own.
And perhaps the title tells us something about the journey, too. There is no deadline for finding your voice, no rule that says an artist must remain where they started. With a new solo chapter opening up alongside her work with Morganway, SJ Mortimer has plenty of room to explore.
For now, Late Bloomer offers an engaging glimpse of that journey. I’m looking forward to hearing where she takes it next.
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Stream music from SJ Mortimer here
By Anna-Louise Burgess
&
Mark C. Chambers
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