Country singer/songwriter Maren Morris visited The Recording Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., to participate in an exclusive GRAMMY.com interview. Morris discussed the artists who influenced her country/pop sound and how a drive on the Pacific Coast Highway in California inspired her hit song "My Church," among other topics.  

"I had the PCH open road in front of me and I felt really touched by that moment because it made me realize driving for a lot of people, and music for a lot of people, is spiritual and is a version of a sanctuary or a church," said Morris. "The title 'My Church' came to mind and I wrote it down immediately."

Texas native Morris self-released three albums by age 21: Walk On (2005), All That It Takes (2007) and Live Wire (2011). Following the release of the latter album, she moved to Nashville, Tenn., where she scored a publishing deal with Big Yellow Dog Music and co-wrote songs for GRAMMY-winning artists such as Kelly Clarkson ("Second Wind") and Tim McGraw ("Last Turn Home") as well songs for the hit TV series "Nashville."

In January Morris released her major label debut single, "My Church." The song cracked the Top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was selected by Rolling Stone as one of the 30 best songs of the first half of 2016. Morris eventually signed with Sony Music Nashville and released her debut studio album, Hero, on June 3. The album topped Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, and features 11 tracks, including "My Church," "80s Mercedes" and "Rich."

Morris is currently on a North American tour, with dates scheduled through December.