Meet Levi Morarie | Guitarist and Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Levi Morarie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Levi, what are you inspired by?
I’m inspired by genuine people. You know? Salt of the earth kind of people that aren’t afraid to be honest. I get inspired when I’m in over my head and I realize, “oh yeah. That person I’m working with is just a dude like me. They’ve also burnt cookies in the oven, been late because of traffic, been puked on by a baby.” Everyone’s just having fun and finding their way. The coolest thing to me is when there’s a group of people like that gathered together. There’s a feeling you get when you’re in a scene and you know everyone is united. It could be anywhere. But the world takes on a new meaning when people are together and I feel like I’ve got a place to belong. That’s why I like playing guitar so much; it brings cool humans together!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
So my art is….eclectic. People call me an “old soul.” I mean, I’m Denver born and raised and I grew up with The Beatles, Tame Impala, Led Zeppelin, and bands like that. But I also grew up when YouTube was becoming popular.

What comes out of my fingers is all over the map. It’s like being a human swiss army knife; you just keep pulling out more stuff and you had no idea it was built in. I reached out to Brent Mason when I was starting out and he likened it to being a “music historian” so that you can conjure up styles on the spot. The thing about that is… everyone’s got a unique vision for me. I’ve had to fight against people either not knowing who I am/my value, or being typecast into a character that the masses can agree with. It’s not about that! Its so much more fun to break the mold, even if I fall on my face. I wanna go out on a limb and challenge what I or anyone else thinks is possible for music. I am reaching for innovation and grabbing magic in the process.

As for my professional journey…. I started building my skills as a child. Which is hard to explain to people. They think I picked up a guitar once and got lucky, when in reality I spent most of my free time honing my craft. I’ve never looked at music as a hobby or side thing. It’s my lifeblood. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in recording studios a lot, and I also worked for a very cool production company and jumped into the live sound world. At this place we did gigs for Bebe Rexha, Brad Paisley, Justin Moore, Kanye West, and really great Denver bands like Holdfast. It blows my mind and its like my cool little secret that I guess isn’t so secret anymore now. I’ve had amazing mentors and I realized I could watch them and learn how to “do it right.” Just seeing great people in their eiement is kind of like getting the keys to the Lamborghini. It makes you more adventurous when you’re in the driver’s seat. And with that, I’ve learned some lessons that I keep close to me:

Music is for everyone, but chemistry is so rare. If you find it, cherish it. Learn to spot the people you gel with, and be gracious with them. You never know when lightning will strike. Say “yes!”

Do be professional, but make sure you stay true to your self as well. If your soul is not in something and you do it out of desparation, the quality of your work will reflect it.

Have your craft down and believe in yourself. Spend that time on your own and work out all the things that you’re not sure of. Your repetoire, your gear, your image, and most importantly your musicianship and whatever facets of that you are bringing to the table.

Whatever you are, envision the “thing” that you want to be, and then have the courage to present that to the world. I’ve seen a lot of my heroes in concert, and thought about what kind of guitarist/musician I’d like to see if I was in the audience. And that’s what I bring to the show.

Always have a full tank of gas. Be prepared to get creative. Feel free to shoot ideas out even if they get shot down. Just be cool. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding.” “Be strong and courageous, don’t be afraid. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh man! Well, I have an app for that. It’s called “Nudge” and it tells you about cool places around Denver! For breakfast, I’d take them to Pegasus in Castle Rock. We could burn off those delicious cinnamon rolls on the incline at the MAC. For lunch, we’d go to the Blue Bonnet on Broadway. For dinner, United China in Thornton. I’d wanna go swing dancing at the Mercury Cafe, jam on the most awesome music equipment at Flipside, and enjoy the natural beauty of the Garden of the Gods. If we’re not feelin’ extroverted, we could go check out records at Bogey’s West, or books at the Mutiny Information Cafe.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a special shoutout to my dad, Michael Morarie! He’s been there for me every step of the way in my life. He got me a guitar, got me a little top hat so I could feel like Slash when I was learning how to play. And whenever I’ve needed guidance, support, or help he’s been there building my foundation with me. Without him I wouldn’t be where I am!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/levimorariemusic/

Image Credits
Images by Michael Morarie.