From ‘Backwoods’ to big time

By JOHN BENSON

entertainment@vindy.com

Country singer Justin Moore will be the first one to tell you he couldn’t believe his eyes when his 2009 self-titled debut effort landed on the Billboard country music charts last summer. Moore is currently an opener on Brad Paisley’s “H20 World Tour,” which plays Saturday at First Niagara Pavilion near Pittsburgh.

“It was great,” said Moore, calling from Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. “Not to sound like a clich , but it was a dream come true for me to put an album out with a record label and when it debuted at No. 3 behind George Strait and Taylor Swift, I was kind of scratching my head and going, ‘How the heck did I get here?’ I was very blessed to have a couple of big [singles] and people went out and bought the album. It’s kind of mind-blowing to me, to be honest.”

Those hit singles include his first No. 1 song “Small Town USA” and top 10 track “Backwoods.” If you’re thinking by the song titles there’s a growing-up-in-the-country theme behind Moore’s early success, you’re right. Straight out of high school, the Arkansas native moved to Nashville with the goal being nothing short of stardom. While his live performances got him noticed, leading to supporting tours with Trace Adkins, Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, Brooks & Dunn and Kenny Chesney, it was his material that was lacking.

In fact, he felt shut out by the Music City publishing world, which thrives on getting good songs with the right performers for big hits.

Finally, Moore said in an effort to show the industry just how wrong they were about him, he started writing on his own. Well, he got his revenge with “Small Town USA” being the second song he ever wrote.

“Looking back on it now, I can see why people weren’t giving me the good stuff,” said Moore, who remembers coming through Youngstown in the past. “They were trying to get them to Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, and I totally agree with that method of thinking now. But as a kid when I moved up here, I wanted to record the good stuff and I wasn’t getting anything. I thought well, shoot, I’ll just write it myself. Looking back, I can’t imagine being a songwriter without playing onstage or vice versa. They go hand in hand for me now. Honestly, when I moved to town as an 18-year-old kid. I could sing on key but I didn’t really know what I wanted to be as an artist and songwriting really made me who I am as an artist. So it’s a blessing.”

Considering the lyrics to “Small Town USA,” which include “Give me a Saturday night, my baby by my side/A little Hank Jr. and a six-pack of Lite,” Moore said his unintentional product placement hasn’t resulted in any sudsy freebies.

“Heck no, they ignore me,” Moore laughed. “I wish they would. Actually I’m a Bud Light drinker but I’ll take anything for free. I’m not picky.”

Hmm, similar to how Music City songwriters ignored his requests for songs forcing him to write on his own, perhaps Moore should consider making his own microbrew.

“There ya go, I’d be into that,” Moore said.

And what would his concoction taste like?

Said Moore, “It would probably be a lot like Bud Light.”