"I didn't have to 'cram' to write this record, because I never stop writing," he said. He also has a lot riding on this album. "I have a family--and when I say a 'family,' I mean my band and crew--and they rely on me to write these songs and make another successful record to keep this thing going. But then, there's the pressure from me. That was the pressure for me, this time around. "

The pressure also came from his record label and management. Moore both values that input (to be sure, not all artists do). "You don't want to tune it all out, there's a lot of valuable advice coming your way from all directions. I just noticed that with the success of the first record, there's a lot more riding on this one. For someone like me who has always had such a clear vision, it's about filtering out the bad advice and running with the things that are good ideas. But these people [at the label and management company] know a lot, they know what they're talking about. But you have to be firm and know what your stance is. There were a lot of fights to get the things that I wanted from this record. Like the cover art."

Indeed, the cover looks more like a rock album from the '70s or '80s than anything you've seen in country. Which is appropriate, as some of his biggest influences are Springsteen, Petty and Seger.