By the time Skye Moore launches into the second verse of his hard-driving ode to the South, "The Horse You Rode In On," there is little doubt that this country boy takes no prisoners onstage. Moore rapid-fires through the redneck-loving anthem with the reckless abandon of a rock star on a three-day binge, and lets you know there is definitely more where that came from attitude-wise. His long hair, leather, and penchant for Harleys may give him away as a rocker, but they hardly hint at the country heart and soul that also make up this multi-faceted Texan.

Like many country singers who grew up in the South (East Texas), Moore was as influenced early on by Lynyrd Skynyrd and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith as he was Merle Haggard and George Jones. The only difference was he called one of those influences "uncle," and spent plenty of time watching the master at work. As the nephew of Jones and the son of an evangelist/singer, Moore grew up around music practically from birth, and was singing "Just As I Am" in his father's church when he was only five. His early life had the makings of a great country song: his parents lost his sister during a tornado when he was only three, and the strain from that loss eventually took a toll on both his father's sanity and his parents' marriage. They later divorced, and his mother moved the family to Louisiana and refused to let his father see him for years. When his father finally located Skye, he snatched him and took him on the run for nine months across the South, preaching in different churches and hiding out at a relative's cabin in the woods. The FBI finally found them and returned him to his mother, arresting his dad.

"He couldn't find me for four years, and when he finally found me," recalls Skye, "he took me out of desperation because he loved me. I was never scared…I thought we were on vacation, but when he let me talk to my mom on the phone and she told me what he had done I felt kind of pulled and confused. He went to jail, but not for long, because my mother eventually dropped the charges. It probably all made me stronger looking back, but it was definitely wild. I actually wrote a screenplay about it that Billy Bob Thornton optioned for a movie."

In his teens, Skye spent years opening for George Jones at his Texas theme park "Jones Country" and watching everyone from Loretta Lynn and John Anderson to Reba McEntire pass through on the Texas circuit. He began cutting demos and traveling back and forth to Nashville, and when Jones shuttered his theme park and moved back to Music City, Skye followed. Not long after he arrived in town, he piqued the interest of producer Chuck Howard, and Chuck and Skye cut a few songs together. One of those songs that Skye released himself to the clubs, "Fever," became wildly successful during the late 90's country dance club craze, landing at Number One on the club charts and spawning a Number One dance video. The record also went to the top of the charts in Europe as well, and gave Skye a launching pad for several other singles and a successful Wal-Mart tour that followed.

During the next couple of years, he dove headlong into his songwriting, with some impressive results. "I had always written songs since I was about 15, but this time I really focused on it. I got a publishing deal and really started going for it hard. I wrote 86 songs in about two years, and that's what became my next recording."

In 2007 Skye began working with producer Anthony Little (need list of Anthony's other clients here) carving out his own brand of whiskey-soaked, honey-infused country rock. He found the music was appealing to fans craving a little drive in their country, and began receiving interest from labels that appreciated his fresh vibe and stripped-down, cranked-up sound. Songs like "Whole Lot Of Honey," a playfully flirty ode to a carnival crush, and "Rock Me Country," a get-down-and-dirty anthem for the redneck party masses, showcase Skye's boundless musical energy and untamed spirit and are sure to strike a chord with hardworking, Bud-drinking, blue collar heroes everywhere. "Livin' Out Loud" is a make-no-apologies barnburner that celebrates the unbridled freedom of being exactly who you are, while "Horse You Rode In On," offers up a testosterone-fueled lesson in Down South: 101 for those who may not understand or appreciate all things Southern. Meshing fiddle and steel and screaming guitars into a soulful, country rock tapestry, the songs reveal how diverse and wide Skye's influences reach, and how far his talent is able to stretch. His music may defy categories and not fit neatly into the proverbial "box," but then, some things are just too cool to be contained.

So slide the seat back, roll down your windows, hit play and crank it up. It is a ride you definitely don't want to miss.