Kirsten Morrell

Kirsten Morrell (born Kirsten Maccoll Reade; December 1974) is a British-born New Zealand singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the band Goldenhorse.

Morrell is a trained operatic singer and performed as a national singer in the New Zealand Opera for two years. In the early 2000s, she found success fronting the pop group Goldenhorse, which debuted in 2002 with the chart topping album Riverhead. The band found continued success with the 2005 release of Out of the Moon, which also went platinum. In 2007 the band released their final album, Reporter, before entering a long hiatus.

Morrell recorded her first album as a solo artist with the 2010 release of Ultraviolet, and returned to London to join the Crouch End Festival Chorus. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Morrell began writing new solo material and returned to New Zealand, where she formed KMR Records, an independent label. In 2026, she released her second solo album, Morrellium.

Morrell has been an active spokesperson for equitable trade and environmental causes, including as an ambassador for Greenpeace, and backing campaigns by Fairtrade. In 2005, she sang and appeared in the music video for Greenpeace version of "Anchor Me", which peaked at 3 on the New Zealand charts.

Early life Morrell was born to Tricia Reade in London, England, and was raised in Hampstead. Her parents eventually left London to start an organic farm in rural Cornwall, where Morrell spent the later part of her childhood. Morrell and her family moved to New Zealand when she was 12, uniting with her grandparents who lived in Taupō.

Morrell attended Selwyn College in Auckland, receiving a music scholarship and classical training. Morrell was also involved in the New Zealand Opera chorus for 12 years, performing as a core soprano. In 2002, Goldenhorse released Riverhead to commercial success, going 3× platinum and topping the New Zealand charts. The album was self-funded and had been recorded independently without a label, using money from Morrell's mother and equipment loaned from Tim Finn and Neil Finn. The success of the album subsequently lead to a record deal with Siren Records. Shortly after, Goldenhorse went on hiatus and has not reformed since, with the members moving on to different projects. It spent two weeks on the charts, peaking at 25, and was received with mixed reviews.

Following the release of Ultraviolet, Morrell moved back to London, where she joined Crouch End Festival Chorus, a leading symphonic choir which has performed at the BBC Proms. She released her first new single, "Strawberry Fool", the following year. Between 2023 and 2026, Morrell released several singles with music videos in anticipation of her second solo album, including "Buddha (Forget You)". In July 2026, Morrell released the album, Morrellium. It was produced by Clint Murphy who worked with Goldenhorse on Reporter.

Personal life Morrell has family from England and from New Zealand, the latter originating from Lyall Bay, Wellington. Morrell was formerly in a long-term relationship with Goldenhorse band mate and collaborator Geoff Maddock. In 2005, she sang and appeared in the music video for Greenpeace's charity cover of "Anchor Me" which peaked at 3 on the New Zealand charts. In 2009, Morrel participated in the Auckland supercity hikoi protests.

Discography

Albums

Ultraviolet (2010) "Strawberry Fool" (2023)