Crosby Loggins describes his songwriting process as "a conversation," so it's no surprise that the 28-year-old singer's solo debut, "Time to Move," feels like an honest heart to heart. The album specializes in warm pop tunes ("You Want to Be With Me," "Heaven Help Me"), and Loggins' vocals capture a raw sincerity that recalls one of his primary inspirations, James Taylor.

"Time to Move" debuted at No. 24 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart and has sold 2,500 copies since its July release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album also features a cameo from John Mayer, who happened to be in the same Los Angeles studio where Loggins was recording and contributed an impromptu guitar solo to the title track.
 
"I ended up doing a tremendous amount of co-writing and just spending a lot of time with people that I appreciate and respect," Loggins tells Billboard.com. "It sort of conjured the group process that I was more akin to and enjoying a lot in my last band."

Loggins signed a solo deal with Jive Records after years of working with bandmates as Crosby Loggins and the Lights, which he and a friend started in 2002. The group independently released an album in 2007 entitled "We All Go Home" that features soulful vocals over jazz and folk influenced tunes.

But Loggins earliest musical endeavor came at seven years old, when his father, the veteran singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, bought him a Casiotone keyboard. As piano-absent, alt-rock bands invaded the '90s, Loggins traded in his keys for guitar, experimenting with ska and even metal before experiencing another turning point, thanks to his father. "Somewhere around that time -- I was maybe 16 -- my dad got tired of hearing Nirvana through the walls," recalls Loggins. "He threw some Jackson Browne on for me and stuff like 'Sweet Baby James' and 'The White Album.' "

Although Loggins has tried to carve his own identity in the music industry, he admits that his last name has significantly contributed to his career.  "It can stand in the way quite a bit in terms of expectations, but then there are shows that you can gain entrance to because you have a famous parent," he says.

In 2008, Loggins decided to participate in MTV's 2008 reality show "Rock the Cradle," on which the offspring of famous musicians competed for a label deal. Loggins joined the show with some reluctance but was eventually crowned the winner, which led to his signing with Jive. "To assume that it hasn't garnered me opportunities that I wouldn't normally have I think would be really ridiculous," says Loggins." I like to say that it just all balances out at the end of the day."

Loggins says his father is a fan of "Time To Move" and has been offering feedback since he was a kid, but these days, he's mostly left to explore his own musical instincts. "We just show each other our work and try to be each other's fans."