Dustin Morris

Dustin Morris wishes he could say a girl inspired him to pick up a guitar. A real-life girl that is.

Morris, who'll perform Monday at FireSlice Pizzeria, 7306 S.W. 34th Ave., had been pretty chatty during a recent interview until the subject of his original musical inspiration came up.

Then he got shy.

"It was actually a TV show that I'd rather not mention," he said, before launching into a vague-but-detailed description of a sitcom where a girl's Uncle Jesse encouraged her to chase her musical dreams.

TGIF fans, you've guessed it: "Full House."

"That is my complete inspiration, why I do everything I do throughout the day."

Hyperbole? Most likely. And it's entirely possible that Morris was completely full of it throughout that exchange.

But as the lead singer of a band named Greater Fiction, perhaps that's fitting.

"I wanted (a band name) that was a match for the versatility of the music," he said. "Fiction can be anything from a happy story to a murder novel.

"We can go anywhere from polka to a dance beat," he said. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "we don't play polka."

Morris started his music career in Dallas as a self- described "utility player."

"I did the scene there and was in a ton of bands, from artsy modern rock to straight-up R&B," he said. "... That was a lot of fun, but at the same time, I've got to be singing and dancing, got to be in the spotlight. I guess I'm selfish."

He also wasn't finding artistic fulfillment. "The (Dallas) scene is really good for modern rock and hip-hop, which I respect, but do neither. I heard Denver had a good scene," Morris said.

Unlike Dallas, which is so huge that you "really need to know where you're going," in Denver "you can stumble around and run across music," Morris said.

"That really impresses me most of the time," he said. "When you find something amazing, it's by accident, be it a friend or a song."

After a couple of years in Denver, Morris has put together a band he describes as an "indie, soulful, bluesy organization."

They're staying at home, though, while Morris is on the road.

"I couldn't quite get the whole band out on the road this time, so I'm testing the water on my own," he said. "... Just me, my harmonica, my guitar and a tent."
- Amarillo Globe