I saw John Moreland last summer at The Newport Folk Festival and was incredibly excited to see his name on the Atwood’s lineup this fall. Apparently, I’m not alone, as the show was moved to Great Scott recently to accommodate demand. At Newport, Moreland took the stage unassumingly, tuning his guitar while people chatted between sets. He sat on a stool and said with total understatement: “I’m John Moreland, here’s some songs I made up.” And then we held our collective breath for the next thirty minutes while he offered one blisteringly good song after another with precise picking and sorrowful vocals.

I got to know Moreland’s work via daytrotter, and I’ve had the incredible songs in that session on heavy rotation ever since. “Hang Me In The Tulsa County Stars” from Moreland’s latest album, High on Tulsa Heat, hooked me immediately. It’s a devastating song. The lines that echo for me are: “Babe I know, this world will have the wolves outside your door / Make you leave all that you love to fight a war / And never tell you what you’re dying for.” Over the course of the album, Moreland’s voice creaks and aches with sincerity but not melodrama and his lyrics contain the kind matter-of-fact pathos that describes the best of Townes Van Zandt’s or Guy Clark’s writing.

Another highlight on the album for me is “You Don’t Care Enough For Me To Cry,” a plea to an ex-lover: “I dreamt I’d take you with me / And you’d say you’d forgive me / And we’d live out some easy, ancient song.” There’s so much packed into Moreland’s songs–the tricks we play on ourselves and, as he writes, “the secrets we conceal.” One of my favorite tunes is from his previous album, In The Throes–he sings, “I heard truth is what songs are for / Nobody gives a damn about songs anymore.”

Moreland has made a steady reputation for himself in Nashville and in his home state. (“Where’s he from?” someone asked me at Newport, and I said, “Read his knuckles” On his right hand is “O-K-L-A” and his left “H-O-M-A.”) He’s garnered attention from Rachel Maddow, is touring with Dawes and Jason Isbell, and has received praise from Pitchfork, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Rolling Stone. This is a great chance to see him in a small venue before anyone else finds out! Tickets are $10.00 in advance and $12.00 at the door.