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In the NoCo

'Native Americana' singer-songwriter Cary Morin brings the Old West to life with new album

Cary Morin has been part of the Northern Colorado music scene since he moved from Montana in the early 1980s. He visited a music display featuring one of his guitars, a black Fender electric, at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery on November 30, 2023.
Bryan Simpson
/
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
Cary Morin has been part of the Northern Colorado music scene since he moved from Montana in the early 1980s. He is pictured at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery in front of a music display featuring his black Fender electric guitar on November 30, 2023.

One of Cary Morin’s guitars is proudly displayed at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. That black Fender electric speaks to his musical legacy here in Northern Colorado as an Americana artist — or rather, "Native Americana," as some have dubbed his musical style. It is a style with deep Indigenous roots that Morin brought with him from Montana and replanted in Fort Collins four decades ago.

"The people that I grew up around influenced the songs that I write and, um, the music that I play, just like any songwriter is influenced by the people that they grew up around,” Morin said. “My Crow heritage is definitely rich in unique music and culturally, uh, unique. So that provided a different backdrop for me."

Morin’s new album coming out later this month is inspired by the paintings of Charles Marion Russell, whose work conjures vivid images of life in the Old West. In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole met up with Morin at the museum to talk about this new project.

As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.