NYCS First Impression: Steve Moakler ‘Blue Jeans’

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native Steve Moakler is back with a new project titled Blue Jeans released on January 17th; his first project since Born Ready. Produced by Nick Lobel and Luke Laird, this 10-track collection features songs written or co-written by Moakler himself, and is his fifth studio album. Blue Jeans provides the soundtrack to the Creative Nation Country/Americana singer + songwriter’s confidential memories and experiences. Released in “pockets,” the official project is now available.

“The album is called “Blue Jeans”, I wanted to name it that because I think they’re a great metaphor for life,” Moakler explains in a video about the album. “They tell a story about how someone lives, what they’ve been through, and that’s what this record really is to me”.

From heartache and woe to great times and good vibes, the project has it all. “Blue Jeans,” the title track released on the first pocket, details flashbacks the years he’s spent living in Nashville. Metaphorically, it assimilates breaking into the comfortability of life just like a pair of blue jeans. The track is the overarching staple behind the rest of the songs on the album while each song singles different stories. He sings: “Came out for the gold rush and haven’t gone home / That river shining just keeps going on and on / I’ve been trudging through the fields / And fishing in the streams / Fading in the sun like a pair of blue jeans / Like a pair of blue jeans / Loosen up around the seams / Patching up these holes down my knee-ee-ees / Getting better with time / It’s a beautiful thing / Breaking in this life / Like a pair of blue jeans”

“One On The Way” reflects on his son’s birth. The couple are now expecting a second child this summer. “Push,” co-written with Blane Mitchell (Florida Georgia Line) and Grant Vogel, was inspired by conversations with the singer’s wife throughout the duration of a few hard times. Pocket 2 was released two months later with “The Picture,” a delicate, undressed instrumentation that addresses seeing a post on social media but interpreting it wrong. “I wasn’t even that drunk / I wasn’t even havin’ that much fun / Somebody said, ‘Smile!’ and that’s just what you do,” Moakler sings. “I had my arm around her, but I was thinkin’ about you / Just because you saw it don’t mean you got the picture.”

Detailing Project 3 Moakler posted, “Pocket 3 of #BlueJeans has some of the most personal songs I’ve ever released. “‘72 Winnebago” is an autobiography depicting the Craigslist camper that Steve and his wife Gracie picked up in Kentucky and traveled around the country in as newlyweds whereas “When You Could Still Remember” is a stripped-down piano ballad song discussing about his anger in not spending time with someone when they could remember who he was.

Moakler manages to take his personal experiences that are so specific to his life and the lessons that he has learned and turned them into a cohesive album, give it one listen and we think you’ll love it as much as you love your worn-out blue jeans.

To keep up with Steve Moakler follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Blue Jeans is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more recently released music here on our “New Country Music” playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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