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When it came time to write his fourth studio album, Wild World, Kip Moore found inspiration from within.
“I’m always just trying to stay present with whatever thoughts I’m dealing with during the time that I’m writing records,” he says. “There’s a lot of talk about faith and what that looks like to you, what God looks like to you, and where you find your happiness in that.”
Moore’s introspection led him to the revelation that attaining serenity means letting go of the past.
“I think there’s a lot of digging up of old bones and regret, and trying to face those and put them to bed. Let that baggage go—what’s been pulling you down—and forgive yourself,” Moore says. “There’s a lot of search for joy and the simple things in this life, and I think that’s what this record sums up.”
Moore wrote for the album while traveling the world—the globetrotter has recently made trips to Maui, Australia, Scotland, and beyond—and found inspiration in the journey. This is especially evident early in the album on the grunge-rocking track “Southpaw.”
“Writing ‘Southpaw’ was kind of me observing the way things are right now in my own country, and kind of waking up a little bit of angst,” says Moore. “When I go to these other places—these countries that have absolutely nothing—I watch them live with such smiles on their faces, and [doing] hard work—not complaining. A lot of times I feel like an outsider in modern society, and I think that ‘Southpaw’ was just a metaphor for that. Being a rare fighter prepared for the unpredictable.”
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Later, on the title track, Moore looks back on foundational advice from his parents that continues to guide him as he grapples with making sense of the world in its wildest form.
“I think ‘Wild World’ was me trying to find some kind of simplicity and peace in all the madness that’s happening. The song was born from trying to latch on to some of those helpful golden nuggets that my parents gave me along the way: don’t get caught up in the world, and find your own simplicity and your own joy.”
On “Payin’ Hard,” the album’s final track, Moore exemplifies honesty and resilience in a stunning ballad he describes as the most personal song he has ever written.
“I’m digging up a lot of painful regrets and stuff I’ve been holding on to for a long time. There’s a lot of that through this record; there’s a lot of recognition of things that you’re trying to face and understand,” says Moore. “I think that’s where I was at with that song—facing that weight that I’ve been carrying and trying to make some kind of peace with it.”
In a time where the world feels wilder than ever, Moore’s goals for the album’s impact are sincere and simple.
“I hope that it allows people to find security in their own vulnerabilities, and a safe harbor in knowing that somebody else is singing about the same things, dealing with the same things, and that it allows a little bit of levity to their own situation. I hope it helps people find peace in their own struggles.”