Singer-songwriter Kip Moore explored his own experiences of growing up in a small Georgia town and working diligently for years to achieve his musical dreams to create his MCA Nashville debut album, Up All Night. The album poetically captures those unforgettable coming-of-age moments, especially for those longing for a life beyond a small town's borders, as well as the roller coaster of love and heartbreak at any age. He delivers these honest and deeply personal lyrics with a gravelly voice weathered by life's detours and disappointments and strengthened by his dreams and unyielding determination.Up All Night, which includes the hit "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck," is infused with relentless intensity, both of passion and frustration, that is earning rave reviews from critics. His energetic live shows, including a spring tour with Billy Currington and David Nail, are quickly drawing a large and enthusiastic fan base."For years, I have been searching for the missing link between blue-collar rock and country music," says noted journalist/historian Robert K. Oermann, who writes for Music Row magazine. "This year, I think I have heard it. His name is Kip Moore. There is fiery, urgent intensity in his voice. His lyrics vibrate with conviction and true grit. The melodies have gripping, heart-in-throat passion. And the roaring, propulsive performances on his debut album sound like signposts on the highway to some Southern-fried Born to Run. Dare I say it? This man just might be the hillbilly Springsteen."Says Billboard Country Monitor's Tom Roland, "Gritty, earthy vocals layered over powerfully simple arrangements. Moore isn't flashy, but the subtle frame he creates for his blue-collar portraits make the images seem that much more real. It also suggests he's confident in his songs and his performance. Which he ought to be."Kip chose Up All Night as the album's title because the phrase has multiple meanings to him. "I spent so many late nights writing this record," he says. "I was up until three or four in the morning listening to records and practicing and writing songs and being engulfed in the whole process for years. I had a lot of dark moments along the way and spent late nights crafting these songs. But it can also mean just the late nights on the road having a good time. It means a variety of things, and that's why I went with that title and the song is one my favorites on the album."Kip, who had a hand in writing all 11 songs on the album, isn't interested in depicting a fairy-tale kind of love. "I am drawn to the real-life experiences between a woman and a man. I try to sing about the way it is, but yet at the same time, what you can hope for between a couple. I don't intend to paint a picture of what it's really not."Up All Night reveals some of the contradictions that he grapples with personally. Although he's from a large family and enjoys musical collaborations and performing onstage, he's an introvert who is often more comfortable being alone. "There's a combativeness to the music too, a fight within," he says. "With 'Faith When I Fall,' I know how bad I need that spiritual realm, but yet I find myself on this other end a lot of times."Despite its edge, his music remains desperately optimistic. "I am hoping for what I have yet to become," he says. "I feel like it's hopeful for what I've yet reached, how I look forward to feeling, but I haven't gotten there yet."I have truly lived my music to a sense, even the milestones I haven't reached yet," he says. "I have been in those moments. I've been at those crossroads with a girl: 'Are we going to take that next step?' I look forward to taking that next step, but I haven't wanted to yet. I look forward to being ready for that."He was born in Tifton, Ga., near the Florida line, and was one of six children, the youngest boy who had three younger sisters. "You had to make your own fun, for sure," he says of Tifton. "I had a lot of time for daydreaming. It was a great town, but I dreamed about getting out. I do enjoy going back now."His father was a golf pro and his mother was a painter who used anything handy for a canvas, whether it was cake plates or baby crates. She also taught piano and played the church organ. More Info at www.kipmoore.net

• published: 12 Feb 2015
• views: 73