His previously single “Somebody Else Will” topped the Billboard Hot Country charts. “It’s exciting,” he admitted. “It’s always the goal, that the songs go to the top of the charts, but you hope that the song gets out there and people dig it and it makes them feel good. We are thrilled to have that become our 7th No. 1 single. It is really exciting!”
On his new single, “Kinda Don’t Care,” he said, “I’m excited about it. The song is similar to things we’ve done in the past, and I think the fans are going to dig real traditional honky tonk country music. Obviously, that’s what this song is, so I’m excited for folks to hear it.”
He added that “Kinda Don’t Care” is “stereotypical us.” “We are taking it back to the roots here with our music,” he said. “Our music is traditional country, and certainly, that’s what this song is. I am excited about it, and hopefully everybody else is fond of it as we are.”
In his personal life, Moore revealed that he is extremely happy to have a baby boy in the family. “Yeah! That’s wild,” he said. “It’s funny for us since we are still walking around asking ourselves: ‘do we really have a boy?’ It’s the strangest thing, since we were always the couple that had all girls. He just turned four months and he’s healthy. We are very, very blessed. He’s been a fun, dynamic to add to the family for sure.”
Digital transformation of music
On the impact of technology in the country music industry, he said, “When I started, there was no MySpace or Facebook, but now it has really taken over. It is necessary that we do it. Social media is a platform that allows people to get a keen insight on who we are as people. I’m from a generation that grew up without all of these things.”
Regarding his use of technology in his daily routine, Moore said, “I do Twitter, and the cool thing about it is that you can tell people about a new song, show or a new album. You can type it on your phone and it reaches millions of people instantly. That’s pretty nice for us to have on our fingertips. You have to use it as a tool for positivity, as opposed to the opposite.”
When asked if he still memorizes phone numbers, he admitted, “With cell phones, I don’t think anybody knows anybody’s number. Half the time I don’t even remember my own number.” “I had a pager. I remember that back in high school, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. There are people probably reading this that don’t know what a pager is,” he said, with a laugh.
Moore is extremely pleased to see a resurgence of vinyl. “That has been pretty cool to see. I didn’t even know my albums were out in vinyl, until somebody brought one to a meet and greet for me to sign. I thought that was really cool. I’m actually in search of a record player myself. We just finished up with our house and I’d like to get out in the house. I’ve been waiting til our house was all done. I love vinyl and I think it’s cool that it is making a comeback. I kind of dig the imperfections of a vinyl,” he said.
The country star shared that he would love to someday perform a show at Stage 17 in New York City, for NASH FM 94.7. “I would love to,” he admitted. “I love coming in that direction, and every time we have a great time. We enjoy visiting there, and they are typically very good! I’m all about it.”
Moore remembers country musicians Don Williams and Troy Gentry
He had nothing but the fondest remarks about Country Music Hall of Famer Don Williams. “I was talking about Don yesterday with my tour manager. All of my heroes are passing on. Don Williams was going to play a show and I didn’t make the trip to go and see him, and I missed out on seeing him. I’ve always been a fan of people that are stylists, who nobody can ever be like or sound like again. Don was the epitome of that. The man was one of a kind. His voice was one of a kind and his delivery and songwriting were one of a kind. He was the equivalent of George Strait. I would compare those two to each other. He was a true icon and country music lost a great one. I hate that I never had the opportunity to go and see him play live.”
Moore listed “Good Ole Boys Like Me” as his favorite Don Williams song.
An Arkansas native, Moore paid a moving homage to the late Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry. “That was a rough one. Troy was good buddies with my tour manager, and because of their relationship, we became pretty good buddies. That was unbelievably heart-wrenching for his family. Troy was really, really great guy. He had a charisma that was unmatched,” he said.
“Kinda Don’t Care” is available on iTunes.
To learn more about Justin Moore, his new single and touring schedule, check out his official website.
