Carla Morrison was at the apex of her success when she hit an all-time low. The Mexican singer and songwriter had already released some of her most iconic music and appeared on Calexico’s Edge of the Sun when her mental health went into total system failure. “I would find myself thinking very often that I wanted to die,” said Morrison in an interview shared on her website. The story of a musician being ground down in the crucible of fame, success, and social media is, unfortunately, a familiar one. But Morrison’s story took an unexpected turn. Instead of going into free-fall, she stopped touring, nuked her social media, tried medicinal ketamine, and moved to Paris with her husband. Although Morrison was already a world-class talent, whose supple, elastic voice filled beautifully crafted songs so they burst with emotion, she started learning again. She studied at a French music conservancy and learned new improvisation techniques. Now, Morrison is reemerging, starting with her new album, aptly titled El Renacimiento (“The Renaissance”). El Renacimiento deals directly with Morrison’s struggles, most literally in a song called “Ansiedad” (“Anxiety”), and she has hosted several “Anxiety Tuesday” events with fans on Instagram Live to talk about mental health issues. Rather than crumbling beneath the weight of her mental health struggles, Morrison incorporated them into her art and public persona. Her music has never been better. Carla Morrison plays at 8 p.m. on March 3 at Howard Theatre. thehowardtheatre.com. $65. —Will Lennon
Carla Morrison
