Country artist Kip Moore to headline McGrath Amphitheatre

The path seemed obvious after Kip Moore hit the top of the Billboard country charts with "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" in 2012. The feel-good hit was followed by the catchy "Beer Money" and the infectious "Hey Pretty Girl."

Moore, 45, seemed to be well on his way to a career in bro-country, but a funny thing happened on the way to co-headlining with the likes of Florida Georgia Line.

The aptly titled album "Wild Ones" dropped in 2015. Moore crafted songs that were as much rock and roll as country. The infectious heartland rock is clearly influenced by Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp.

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"I grew up listening to country music, but I heard lots of rock and roll, and that had such an impact on me," Moore said while calling from Nashville "I loved Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Willie Nelson with his album ‘Red Headed Stranger,’ and I was always a huge fan of Travis Tritt. Just like those guys, I wanted to write substantial songs. There is something about the craft of the lyric in country music. I'm all about that. I love the rock and roll melodies. And I also have to do it my way. I didn't want to just recreate another 'Somethin' 'Bout a Truck.' I wanted to do what I wanted to do. I'll never pander to the trends. I'll never be worried if some college girl is buying my records. I write what's on my mind."

That's exactly what Moore has done with his latest album, "Solitary Tracks," which dropped in February.

"Solitary Tracks" is arguably Moore's deepest album. The album is comprised of songs from the view of an outsider, who does what he can to accomplish his goals. The hooks aren't as big as some of Moore's earlier work, but when Moore sings over the moving folk-rock, it works since much of "Solitary Tracks" is about the message.

"The words are important to me," Moore said. "I have something to say with each of these songs."

"Solitary Tracks" is an epic two album set, with 23 songs that checks in at 85 minutes. The album stands out in the era of the EP, which often features a single and three songs that sound like the radio ready track.

What sets "Solitary Tracks" apart is not just the length but the depth. "Half Full Cup," "Learning As I Go" and "Flowers in December" are compelling tunes sung by a mid-life recording artist who has reached maturity. Moore is more concerned about creating an entire album that satisfies him rather than a single that connects with the masses.

"That goes back to when I was a kid," Moore said. "I remember being a teenager and I would just get lost in an album. I would listen to it from top to bottom and just loved the experience. I remember discovering Tom Petty's 'Full Moon Fever.' I just sat there and was absolutely enthralled by that album. That's what I grew up on and that's probably why I'm still driven to make albums like what I grew up listening to."

Moore, who will perform Saturday, Aug. 16 at McGrath Amphitheatre, is a prolific writer, who has already penned songs for his next album.

"Writing is what I do," Moore said. "It's not a job. Writing is my life. I've already written a whole other project. I probably wrote more than 100 songs for 'Solitary.’ I'll never stop writing, and I'll never stop making records. I'm so passionate about it."

The same can be said for live performance since Moore is always working to put on the best organic show possible. There are no backing tracks or augmentation of any kind. It's just Moore and his band walking the high wire onstage.

"I've always loved playing out, and that hasn't changed," Moore said. "We strive to give fans the best show and the most authentic depiction of us as musicians. We rehearse hard, and we feel out the audience so we might change the set. I often write a set list, and it just becomes something completely different. I like to go up there and have fun and engage the audience. There's nothing like it when you're locked in up there connecting with the crowd."