Billy Morrison Explores Acceptance and Personal Change on ‘Take Me As I Am’ From New Album ‘Hollow’

Billy Morrison Explores Acceptance and Personal Change on ‘Take Me As I Am’ From New Album ‘Hollow’

Photo credit: Jane Stuart @JaneStuartPhotos – Billy Morrison

Morrison’s fourth solo album arrived August 7, pairing his own vocals with appearances from Dexter Holland, Sully Erna, Nuno Bettencourt, Duff McKagan and other guests.

Billy Morrison released his fourth solo album, Hollow, on August 7 through TLG | ZOID, distributed by Virgin Music Group, while also spotlighting one of the record’s more personal songs, “Take Me As I Am,” with an accompanying music video.

The British guitarist, singer and songwriter — widely known for his longtime role alongside Steve Stevens in Billy Idol’s band — uses “Take Me As I Am” to examine personal flaws, change and the value of accepting people as they continue to grow.

“Life is a hell of a journey and we are all fallible beings, but we all have the capacity for change,” Morrison said of the song. “‘Take Me As I Am’ examines both the concept of change and growth as a human being, and the idea of arriving at a place of acceptance for one another.”

Morrison said his own experiences with judgment helped shape the song’s perspective, particularly the idea that mistakes can be part of a person’s development rather than something that permanently defines them.

“I believe that as long as we are aware of our faults, and we strive to be a better person tomorrow, then acceptance is one of the most healing attributes we can offer the world,” he said.

Musically, “Take Me As I Am” draws heavily from the sound and weight of 1990s alternative and hard rock. Morrison handled the instrumentation himself apart from the final drum performance, which was played by Erik Eldenius.

Rather than approaching the recording through a rigid stylistic framework, Morrison described the process as largely instinctive.

“Imagine if STP had a torrid affair with Oasis, while hanging out at a party thrown by The Cult and watching an Alice In Chains documentary,” he said.

Billy Morrison
Photo Credit: Jane Stuart @JaneStuartPhotos

Morrison also explained that he extensively programmed the drum arrangements before Eldenius recorded the finished parts, allowing him to shape the rhythm section in detail while maintaining control over much of the song’s overall construction.

The accompanying “Take Me As I Am” video marks the directorial debut of photographer Jane Stuart, who has worked with Morrison across both The Morrison Project and Hollow album cycles. Filmed throughout Los Angeles, the video visually reflects the song’s themes of mistakes, internal conflict and attempting to move forward.

Morrison said he gave Stuart only a few initial ideas — including using a yellow Lamborghini and appearing with a black eye — before allowing her to develop the broader concept.

“The story captures the essence of the lyrics perfectly: a fallible man, learning from mistakes, and trying to make sense of his own shortcomings,” Morrison said.

Musician Franky Perez also appears in the video alongside two showgirl dancers.

“Take Me As I Am” arrives as part of a broader rollout surrounding Hollow. The album’s earlier material includes “Never Gonna Change,” featuring The Offspring vocalist Dexter Holland, as well as the title track and “Becoming,” which features Godsmack frontman Sully Erna and Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt.

“Becoming” reached No. 19 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, according to the album announcement, giving Morrison his third Top 20 rock track.

Hollow follows Morrison’s 2024 album The Morrison Project, which returned him to solo recording after nearly a decade. That record included “Crack Cocaine,” featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Stevens. The collaboration reached No. 1 on Mediabase’s Active Rock chart. A deluxe edition followed in 2025, with “Gods Of Rock and Roll (Orchestral),” another Osbourne and Stevens collaboration, later reaching the Mediabase Active Rock Top 10.

Morrison has carried a similar collaborative structure into Hollow. The 12-song album is divided between tracks sung by Morrison and songs featuring guest vocalists and musicians. Contributors include Holland, Marilyn Manson, Chuck D, B Real, Duff McKagan, Steve Stevens, DMC, Erna and Bettencourt.

Other songs identified from the album include “Forgive Me,” “The Tailor,” “No Suspects,” “Another Day” and “Leave No Trace.”

The album release also coincides with another active stretch of Morrison’s career outside his solo work. He began a run of U.S. performances with Billy Idol on August 7, continuing his longtime position as Idol’s rhythm guitarist alongside Stevens.

Morrison’s career outside the stage has also extended into visual art and broadcasting. His work as a contemporary artist has been exhibited internationally, while his SiriusXM program Influenced airs on Ozzy’s Boneyard.

A six-minute documentary titled Who the F%@K is Billy Morrison? has also been released, examining his career through interviews and archival material. Directed and edited by Mike Savage, the film includes appearances from Duff McKagan, Al Jourgensen, B-Real, Nuno Bettencourt, producer and engineer Barry Pointer, and Morrison himself.


Album Information

Billy Morrison — Hollow
Release Date: August 7, 2026
Label: TLG | ZOID
Distribution: Virgin Music Group

Billy Morrison
Photo credit: Jane Stuart @JaneStuartPhotos


The 12-song album features Morrison alongside guest appearances from Dexter Holland, Marilyn Manson, Chuck D, B Real, Duff McKagan, Steve Stevens, DMC, Sully Erna, Nuno Bettencourt and additional collaborators.

Songs from the album include:

“Take Me As I Am”
“Never Gonna Change”
“Becoming”
“Hollow”
“Forgive Me”
“The Tailor”
“No Suspects”
“Another Day”
“Leave No Trace”


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