Steve Moakler Gets Personal On New ‘Blue Jeans’ Album
Steve Moakler is stepping back into the spotlight with his brand new album, Blue Jeans. The singer/songwriter, who has previously penned…

Steve Moakler; Photo by Spencer Combs
Steve Moakler is stepping back into the spotlight with his brand new album, Blue Jeans.
The singer/songwriter, who has previously penned songs for artists such as Dierks Bentley, Reba McEntire and Jake Owen, took an innovative approach to the project by releasing a few songs at a time. The final “pocket” of the Pennsylvania native’s three-part project was just released and Moakler says he couldn’t be more proud of this body of work.
“I’m particularly excited about this record,” Moakler enthusiastically told Country Now of the project as a whole. “I feel like I’ve sung about some subjects and told some stories I’ve never had to tell before. I would say it probably is my most personal album to date.”
Produced by Luke Laird and Nick Lobel, the 10-track offering, which follows 2018’s Born Ready, draws inspiration from the last 14 years of Moakler’s life. During that period, he moved to Nashville to pursue a career in country music, married his wife Gracie and became a first-time father to the couple’s son, Jack.
“Becoming a dad has made me more emotional,” Moakler, who recently shared his new perspective as a father with the heartfelt “One On The Way,” said. “I think I feel everything a little more deeply, and I think and hope that comes through in the music.”
Moakler has, undoubtedly, come a long way both personally and professionally, and those life-changing experiences are all accounted for on Blue Jeans. But, on his record, he also reflects on where it all began, particularly in “72 Winnebago,” where he recounts the first time he traveled across the country in a camper with his wife.

“We were broke, and she was starting a [jewelry] company in her attic, and I was trying to get my career off the ground,” Moakler explained of those early times. “I just had this vision of us driving around the country in a camper together. I was like, ‘Man, how could we do this?’ So we made this announcement online to see if our friends or fans would want to invite us to play a show and hang out for the night, and we got an overwhelming response to that.”
As it turns out, Moakler completed 40 shows in fifty days while on that initial run. Their cross country trip eventually evolved into what is now the Hometowns & Campgrounds Tour. Together, the pair have completed four additional tours since their first trip and even managed to bring their son along for the ride on their latest outing.
“We were ready for it to be a lot harder than what it was,” Moakler shared of taking their 1-year-old out on the road. “I think we knew we were crazy to try to do that, but we’ve been blessed with this sweet little guy. He’s a road dog. He just rolled with it. He’s an easy-going kid, and we’re blessed that it all worked out.”
Moakler, who will welcome a second child in June, says it’s too soon to know whether or not baby number two will enjoy life on the road. However, his family will likely impact his music going forward.
“We hope to keep that going in some way as we grow our family, but that song just tells that story of the Winnebago and that first tour,” he explained.
Moakler will hit the road in the spring in support of his Blue Jeans album.
Melinda Lorge is a Nashville-based freelance writer who specializes in covering country music. Along with Country Now, her work has appeared in publications, including Rare Country, Rolling Stone Country, Nashville Lifestyles Magazine, Wide Open Country and more. After joining Rare Country in early 2016, Lorge was presented with the opportunity to lead coverage on late-night television programs, including “The Voice” and “American Idol,” which helped her to sharpen her writing skills even more. Lorge earned her degree at Middle Tennessee State University, following the completion of five internships within the country music industry. She has an undeniable love for music and entertainment. When she isn’t living and breathing country music, she can be found enjoying time outdoors with family and friends.