Kip Moore

Moore exudes a blue-collar charm and work ethic onstage. He even delights in telling the crowd about when a “big time record executive” wanted to sign him if he switched out his baseball cap for a cowboy hat, to which Moore gave a hearty eff-you. He wasn’t changing for nobody. And, of course, the crowd cheers. It’s all part of his Everyman mystique.

And that’s why it’s little wonder he hitched a ride on The Chief’s recent tour – like Moore, Eric Church is of the Springsteen pedigree, fueled by years of playing marathon shows on hot honky-tonk stages.  With all of that sweat and elbow grease, the sheen is slowly coming off country music.

“Kip has really studied the culture surrounding the live shows of his biggest influences,” his agent, CAA’s Marc Dennis, told Pollstar.  “He’ able to bring a similar working-class energy to his performances that his fans really respond to.”

Dennis emailed the quote after working with his clients in Las Vegas. Two of them – Moore and Kacey Musgraves – were busy at the Academy of Country Music Awards. While Musgraves got the nominations at the ACMs, Moore’s coming-out party was last year’s American Country Awards, where he was nominated for new artist, best single for “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck” – one of the three singles off his debut album, Up All Night – and for the accompanying music video.  

A native of Tifton, Ga., Moore arrived in Nashville in 2004, via Hawaii, and spent years as a songwriter (two of Thompson Square’s songs are co-written by him). He grabbed the attention of Dennis, who introduced him to Joe Fischer at UMG Nashville.

Moore will be spending the early summer months supporting Brantley Gilbert and Toby Keith.