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How Midwest doldrums became a gift for Kevin Morby

Kevin Morby's new album, Little Wide Open, is a love letter to the Midwest, where he grew up and spent the past several years. It's a part of the country he says is endlessly inspiring.

"There's something about the natural world in the Midwest that feels very musical to me," he says.

Today, Morby talks about how the Midwest has shaped his songwriting and creativity.

He also reflects on a major life change that was just around the corner when we recorded this conversation. Morby and his partner, Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee, have since welcomed their first child, and he shares what it felt like to stand on the brink of becoming a parent.

"We have no idea what to actually expect or what it's actually going to feel like until it happens," he says. "I think we just can't wait to meet whoever this person's gonna be."

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez. Our senior producer is Kimberly Junod and our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.

Copyright 2026 XPN

Raina Douris
Raina Douris is the host of World Cafe.
Miguel Perez
Miguel Perez is a radio producer for NPR's World Cafe.