Released this coming Friday, ‘Live Off Roses’, the powerful new single from the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award winner Maddie Morris, premieres on KLOF today. A bold and socially conscious artist, Morris masterfully uses traditional music as a lens to explore contemporary issues, blending English folk heritage with their lived experiences as a trans and autistic person.
The track, the first to be lifted from their forthcoming EP ‘Joy And Resistance’, draws inspiration from the classic folk song ‘Bread and Roses’. It powerfully reframes the concept for today’s political climate, exploring how queer people are forced to “live off roses”—surviving on joy and community—when fundamental rights (the “bread”) are threatened. Written as a direct response to the recent Supreme Court ruling impacting access to single-sex spaces, the song is a gentle act of defiance.
Despite its serious subject matter, the song is musically gentle and almost jaunty, propelled by Morris’ uplifting and easy-going guitar style and Robin Wallace’s bouncy melodeon. Morris’s conversational vocal style delivers a message that balances mental health, fear and shame against a soaring sense of optimism. The accompanying video amplifies this call for allyship, visually capturing the resilience and connection at the heart of the song.
‘Live Off Roses’ sets the stage for the ‘Joy And Resistance’ EP, a collection of songs navigating the complexities of trans existence amidst political uncertainty. The record promises to tackle challenging topics with Morris’s characteristic wry humour and gut-wrenching vocal delivery.
In a climate where art and activism are more vital than ever, Maddie Morris offers a voice of profound connection and resistance. ‘Live Off Roses’ is a necessary testament to finding joy against the odds.
About ‘Joy And Resistance’ (EP)
The songs explore the complexity of finding a joyful existence as a trans person in a political climate of uncertainty. Full of gentle, melodic and conversational songs, the record touches on topics surrounding mental health, freedom, disability, the importance of community, and the experiences of being a queer sexual violence survivor in a world where right-wing ideology paints queer folk as groomers or sexually abusive. And all sung in a supremely expressive, gut-wrenching and tear-jerking voice. Despite challenging topics, the record also has a wry and upfront sense of humour, and Maddie’s playful writing style leaves listeners with a sense of connection and community.
Live Off Roses drops this Friday (October 17th). Maddie’s new EP ‘Joy And Resistance’ is scheduled for release on November 28th, 2025.