New York noir soul artist Kendra Morris recalls singers who straddled soul and rock during the early '70s, such as Ruth Copeland and Chaka Khan. Her taste was developed through her parents' record collection, a library heavy on late-60s and early-70s soul and funk as well as a love for the cinema scores of the same period. After touring with legendary Motown Funk Brother Dennis Coffey and releasing a series of singles that she did with longtime collaborator Jeremy Page including "Concrete Waves," with b-side remixed by DJ Premier, Morris released the album Banshee (2012) on Wax Poetics Records. In 2013, Morris returned with a covers album 'Mockingbird'.
Both Banshee and Mockingbird received much acclaim, a cult following and several film + tv placements. The title track "Banshee" was used prominently in the Showtime hit series Ray Donovan while her cover of Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was featured in the trailer for major motion picture Dead Man Down starring Noomi R