Kip Moore bringing his hits to McGrath Amphitheatre

Complacency in the world of music can be a killer. When Dee Snider of Twisted Sister fame was asked why his band had one album loaded with hits and not much of note afterward, the hairy vocalist laughed.

“I’m sitting in front of my pool and my boat is just beyond it,” Snider explained.

That's why Kip Moore has kept a fairly spartan life, which has yet to include a wife and children.

“I've talked about this subject the other day,” Moore said. “I want to stay hungry. If I had all of these things — distractions — I don't think I would fare as well as a writer. I’m not married yet because music is my mistress. I would like to have a wife and kids someday, but not right now. I'm married to my music. I want to make a lot more of it.”

Moore, 42, loves isolation since it inspires him as a songwriter.

“It clears my head,” he said by phone from Raleigh, N.C. “I love going rock climbing in Sedona and surfing off the coast (of Hawaii and North Carolina).“

Moore is working on new songs but won’t preview material for his next album when he performs Friday at the McGrath Amphitheatre in Cedar Rapids. “I would love to play what I’ve come up with, but with YouTube, I can’t do it since by the time the album comes out (in 2023) it’ll sound old,“ he said. ”So that's not an option.“

But Moore has plenty to draw from when he returns to Cedar Rapids. He has crafted and recorded a number of hits, including the anthemic “Somethin’ About a Truck,” “Young Love,” “Beer Money” and “Hey Pretty Girl.”

“I’ve made some albums over the years,” he said. “Some songs connected with fans, and that’s great. I haven’t had hits over the last few years, but the fans stand by me, which I’m so thankful for. I’ve been playing to packed venues and it’s been great, since I’m all about playing live.”

Moore, like fellow country star Eric Church, gives fans their money’s worth, playing around 30 songs a concert.

“I love to perform,” Moore said. “Why would I just go out and play 14 songs and play for 90 minutes? I have a great time when I hit the stage. I'm in no hurry to leave once I get up there.”

Moore considers himself more of a writer than a recording artist.

“Writing has always been what it’s about for me,” he said. “I start every morning by writing. I’m always coming up with ideas. I labor over everything I do. I can’t help but second-guess myself and that doesn't sound good, but I love what I do.”

There’s no question that Moore has evolved since his debut album, “Up All Night,” dropped a decade ago.

“I never want to make the same record twice,” he said. “It’s amazing how many recording artists still sing about the same things every time out and make the same kind of music with each album. I don’t understand that. If I did that it would be boring. Where's the challenge? I move on with each album and each one is like a snapshot of where I am in my life.”

The road fits Moore’s life, since it seems like he has an endless case of wanderlust.

“I enjoy going from one place to the next,” he said. “I love being in Hawaii, Costa Rica and wherever there is great beauty. I particularly love anywhere I can surf. That frees my mind.”

Expect Moore to surf quite a bit off the coast of North Carolina.

“I'm thinking about buying a place off the coast there,” he said. “It’ll help with my creativity.”

Moore is an uncommon figure in the often transparent world of country music, since he's a bit of a mystery, which is welcome.

“I'm not one of those tell-all songwriters who names names and gives us details that shouldn’t be given out. I write and do things my own way. I can’t imagine doing it any other way.”