Country and Gospel Music Traditionalist Mo Pitney at the Texas Theatre

Description

Country and Gospel Music Traditionalist Mo Pitney will be performing at the Stephen & Mary Birch Texas Theatre in Seguin, on Saturday, May 18, at 2:30 PM.  Reserved seating is available for $30 and general admission tickets are $20 and available at www.thetexas.org, Gift & Gourmet, Keepers, the Seguin Chamber of Commerce, or by calling (830) 372-6168.
 
Mo Pitney was born in Rockford, Illinois. He began playing drums at 6 and guitar at 12. He played in a bluegrass band with his brother and a friend. Pitney moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he signed with Curb Records and began working with record producer Tony Brown.
 
Pitney released his single "Country", in December 2014. He co-wrote the song with Bill Anderson and Bobby Tomberlin. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country reviewed the single positively, saying that "Mo isn’t making a statement, and he’s not the sign of some traditional country revolution in 2015. But he’s a reminder of how good a simple country song sung by a man who believes in God and George Strait can feel." 
 
Johnny Nevin of Huffington Post also reviewed Pitney's music favorably, saying that "Mo Pitney knows a couple of really important things about being Country, real Country. One of them is that he knows who he is, and that's always going to be important because it's the only way anyone can keep becoming the person they want to be. Just as important though, it seems like Mo Pitney never forgets about everybody else, and how important they are too."  It was the third most added country song in its first week on radio.  The song entered the Top 40 on Country Airplay on the chart dated for the week ending June 20, 2015, its nineteenth week on that chart.  His second single, "Boy & a Girl Thing", was released to country radio on August 31, 2015. It reached #50 on Hot Country Songs in October 2016. His debut album is Behind This Guitar. The album's third single, "Everywhere", went for ads on country radio on February 13, 2017. 
 
Pitney's debut album, Behind This Guitar, was released on October 7, 2016, and featured collaborations with Morgane Stapleton and Mac McAnally.  It charted at No. 10 on Billboard's Top Country Albums in its first week.  When the time came for Mo Pitney to choose a title track for his new album, there was little doubt as to which song it should be. After years spent both honing his sound and growing his family, Pitney reached something of a turning point: He knew who he was as an artist and a person, and felt it was time to introduce himself in song. The title of the new track "Ain't Lookin' Back" summed things up better than anything else could, and Pitney's long-awaited sophomore album was born.
 
Pitney describes his time making Ain't Lookin' Back as "the most joyful" musical experience he's had thus far. Making the album transported him to a time when he made music for music's sake, and one can hear that joy in the 13 tracks that comprise the new LP. His growth is also evident in the songs' arrangements, which incorporate new sounds like loop pedals and programmed drums, both of which Pitney had feared including in his earlier music, but now feels are important tools in his musical toolbox. “I realized I could use these in a way that still had heart and stay authentic to my style,” shares Pitney.
 
"Two things happened with having a baby," he says. "Everyone talks about how, when a kid comes, you're able to see the world through their eyes again and a leaf falling on the driveway is the most interesting thing in the world. You can start over and relive that again... But also, it's like, 'Oh my gosh. This little kid depends on me to bring checks home and pay the bills.' That's where the faith has to take over God has a plan, and He's taking care of my daughter more than I am. I don't think He believes in ruining art for the sake of financial gain."
 
Ain't Lookin' Back nods decidedly to Pitney's musical roots, which are certainly steeped in country tradition, but find him firmly facing forward. More than that, though, it's a snapshot of a man who found faith in The One thing that could help him come into his own and share with others what he's learned along the way.
 
“Mo Pitney is a fantastic singer and songwriter,”  MC Tracy Pitcox said.  “He is very spiritual and has written some incredible gospel music.  He will be performing both his country and bluegrass hits as well as some new material that he has recently composed.  He will also spend time visiting with everyone after his show as well.”