Kip Moore was in the mood to talk Nashville, his new single, and Tim McGraw’s b-ball skills ahead of a super-intimate gig for Chase Marriott Rewards cardmembers over the weekend at the Listening Room.
“This city is exploding,” he said. “I was talking about it the other night with the band about how crazy traffic has gotten and the vibe has changed. It still has that small town community feel with a big city and a great music scene. It’s got great food and great bars, and a lot of outdoor stuff. It still has that special feeling here. I hope that we don’t lose that by trying to expand too big.”
Speaking of things he would have no problem with getting bigger: Moore has just released “Dirt Road,” the new single from his upcoming sophomore album. He told The 615 that it’s been floating around for awhile. “It’s been a really big underground song for about a year and a half. I’m glad that we’re getting to it, because I feel it introduces the intensity of this record. I think it has the sound of this record, which is different than Up All Night,” referencing his debut disc, released in 2012.
Starting in May, Moore will hit the road with Big Machine’s Tim McGraw on his Sundown Heaven Town Tour. What is the Georgia native most excited about for the tour? “Learning,” he said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to the most. If you’re smart, you’ll learn from a legend like Tim. That’s what I’m looking forward to doing every night – watching him and his band. The songs are great, and he owns the crowd. I’m ready to learn and make myself better by watching him every night.”
And, Moore issued this warning to McGraw – he’s not scared of going toe to toe with him on his extensive fitness regimen. “I’m going to kick Tim’s ass in these workouts! I’ll tell him that. I’m gonna put him through the ringer. I’m not scared of him. I’m gonna get a hold of him on the basketball court too. We’ve already been talking trash, so it’s coming.”