Maren Larae Morris (born April 10, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter. While rooted in the country genre, her music also blends elements of pop, R&B and Hip-Hop. Born and raised in Arlington, Texas, Morris enjoyed singing as a child. She started publicly performing in her preteen years and toured throughout Texas. In her late teens and early twenties, she released three studio albums on independent record labels. She relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in country music during this same time period. Morris signed a publishing contract and later a recording contract following the streaming success of her 2015 self-titled EP.