Arista Nashville has announced today the signing of Morgan Wade.

“There always a bit of reserve when going to a major label from an independent one – there’s worry that your creativity will be stripped away. I don’t feel that at all with Sony,” said Wade. “If anything, I’m more inspired than ever. Sony and Arista see my vision and want to work hard with me to share that vision. I feel at home.”

Wade released her acclaimed debut album Reckless in early 2021, and the project has been named one of the year’s best so far by American Songwriter, The Boot/Taste of Country, and Off the Record. 

Earning rave reviews from Rolling Stone, BBC, No Depression, and countless others, Reckless “delivers what its name promises: an unvarnished voice straddling country and rock ‘n’ roll with stories of lionhearted truth” (Tennessean). Wade, now 26, kept her songs and her voice hidden in her younger years, later taking to the stage naturally at age 19, and then choosing sobriety soon after in her early twenties. Working alongside Paul Ebersold and Sadler Vaden, the trio shaped songs Wade has written over the years and developed new tracks to create a debut that Slant observes as “striking in the way it upends expectations.”

The album’s opening track, “Wilder Days,” which Vulture named one of 2021’s best songs, will be Wade’s debut single to country radio, hitting airwaves this fall. Following standout opening stints with Ashley McBryde and American Aquarium, Wade will join Lucero for the band’s fall tour and appear at high-profile festivals including Rock the South, Pilgrimage, and more. Wade is represented by Hillpeople Artist Management and WME.