Faultlines Reveals The Lyric Behind Their Duo Name And Talks About New Single ‘Freedom’

A duo that is inspiring change, one song at a time.

Made up of talented artists Ashley Morgan and John Flanagan, Faultlines releases music that is not only catchy but usually has a deeper, insightful meaning behind it. And their newest single ‘Freedom’ is no exception.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Ashley about performing live, ‘The Voice’ and more!

When did you both decide that you should create music together?

A: “John Flanagan and I met back in 2014 when I auditioned to be in a rock band that John was already a part of. I remember hearing John’s voice for the first time and thinking, “Wow! This is one of the best singers. I can’t wait to sing with him!”  We instantly gelled and the two of us started an acoustic side project with our incredible guitarist, Todd McCool. It began as just some fun acoustic covers for private parties, but one day John came to us with some songs he had written that didn’t fit the vibe of his own original music. We self-produced our first EP in a small basement studio at the Jim Henson recording lot and Faultlines was born.”

How did you come up with your group name ‘Faultlines’?

A: “As we were in the middle of recording our first EP, I was contacted to audition as a contestant for The Voice. After getting the exciting chair turns and making it on to Season 8, my only hesitation was whether we’d still be able to release the project we’d been tirelessly working on for months. The producers promised that it would be okay to release as long as it came out before I officially started production on the show and my name, Ashley Morgan, was not directly attached to the project. So we hurriedly brainstormed to come up with a name. John had written a lyric that was part of an unfinished song: “We’re living on a fault line and I always take the blame.” While some speculate we chose the name Faultlines because we live in California, the name actually comes from John’s lyric.”

Tell us more about your deep and incredible new single ‘Freedom’.

A: “Freedom was originally written by John Flanagan & Jared Mitchell back in 2020 in a chaotic world shut down from the pandemic, during the height of protests against police brutality, and the murders of George Floyd & Breonna Taylor (and countless others). The song sat in our demo folder for a couple years, but after another devastating school shooting that took the lives of six in Nashville back in 2023, we watched in frustration as two Tennessee representatives were expelled for their participation in a peaceful protest against gun violence. How can our government continue to put profit over people and do nothing to implement gun safety legislation to protect our children in their classrooms? When asked what the chant “No Justice, No Peace” means, Rep. Justin Jones said, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension, but it is the presence of justice. And until we act, there will be no peace in our communities.”

Listening to his interview, I remembered our demo of ‘Freedom’ and insisted it was a message that needed to be heard. So we brought it to our producer, David Kidd, and got to work. We never anticipated how our world would continue to change throughout the next year of recording in the studio. Now that the song is released during an election year with the United States on the battle front of two separate global conflicts, the Supreme Court stripping away 50 years of legal precedents, and the overwhelming income inequality as the rich continue to get richer, it’s impossible as a band to sit in complacency and silence. Along with David Kidd’s powerful audio production, ‘Freedom’ is accompanied by a music video (directed by Mario Garciduenas) with powerful imagery. Go check it out on YouTube!”

If you had to choose, what is your favorite song you have released so far and why?

A: “This is such a hard question! I love many of our songs for different reasons. Our music exists at the intersection of heartbreak and protest. Our entire first EP, Hearts (And Other Things That Break) is full of stripped acoustic sad songs. We started releasing some “happier” uplifting tunes to balance out the palette and got a little more produced in our sound. Our 2021 release, “Don’t” brought us back to an OG version of Faultlines and I think it’s definitely one of my favorites! It’s just stunningly gorgeous and back to our acoustic roots with haunting harmonies. Our producer, David Kidd, completely nailed the production (as he always does) and understood how delicate we wanted it to sound. It’s a total heartbreak song that gives you all the feels.”

We love watching clips of your performances! What do you love the most about performing live?

A: “I love connecting with people. I’ve been singing since I was three years old and one of the reasons I chose music as a profession is because of the positive impact it can have.  Music is powerful! You never know who is in the audience that needs to hear your song and voice, whether it be connecting through heartbreak or an anthem of hope.” 

Where can we follow your amazing journey?

A: “You can follow us on Instagram @officialfaultlines.”

Make sure to stream ‘Freedom’, available now on all music platforms!

Feature Photo Credit: Jennifer McCuen (@fotojennik)

Je’Kayla Crawford– Founder and Director– Je’Kayla has been a journalist for years and decided to start a publication of her own, New Scene. When not helping her team and working on the monthly issues, you can find her watching a movie on Netflix or baking using a viral Tasty recipe.