Before his performance at the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den, New England Country Music was lucky enough to get a chance to sit down with rising star Mo Pitney, to talk Bluegrass Festivals, meeting Merle Haggard, performing at the 2015 CRS Seminar, training his dogs, and much more.
Pitney was certainly not bitten by the music bug later on in life- his family played all varieties of instruments, and Pitney became familiar with the drums at age 6 and the guitar at age 12. Pitney opened up that his music appreciation goes back even further than that, even before he could talk. His grandmother would sing him the song ‘Home on the Range,’ and even as a baby he would cry upon hearing it. “She used to tell me that such a sad melody would move me even that far back.” Mo went on the explain that growing up he always wanted to be a musician like his father, who played the guitar, the bass, slide guitar, mandolin, and the drums. His dad’s electric drum kit was in the recording studio in his house, and as a kid Pitney would beat along to Alan Jackson records in the background.
After playing in the church and experimenting with other instruments, Pitney perfected the entire ‘Live in San Quentin’ album by the great Johnny Cash, and it led him to his first performance, an open mic night that his dad helped get him a slot into, and in front of 75 people he performed songs off the album like ‘Big River,’ ‘Folsom Prison Blues,’ and ‘Ring of Fire,’ treating it nothing less than a big Opry performance, dressed to the nines and all. The same show led Pitney into his next musical venture, after seeing a bluegrass group take the stage he decided to take up the banjo.
Once Pitney had successful performed the mic nights and local venues, mastered a wide variety of instruments, and was faced with the decision to take the leap to Nashville, Pitney opened up, “I believe that God was involved with a lot of it.” After performing mostly bluegrass, a friend in town was convinced that he could become a successful country singer, and right he was. Pitney moved to Nashville and began writing songs, and within weeks he signed a record deal with Universal Records, a huge moment for such a young artist. “Its been slow but sure the past 5 years, just a steady climb.”
The firm decision to move to the Music City certainly paid off in the honor of a selection to perform at the 2015 Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, a multi-day event that brought the performances of Garth Brooks and Hot Country Knights,the 90’s cover band of Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert, to the small clubs of the city. “It was a shock really, the invitation came a few weeks before the seminar, and all of the other performers had successful songs on the radio which was seemingly the criteria of performing, but somehow they squeaked me in which blew my mind.” Mo went on to tell that it was surreal to have so many people come up and tell him that he was their favorite part of the night.
Seemingly a hard event to top in the Country Radio Seminar, Mo couldn’t say quick enough, “The Grand Ole Opry for sure,” when asked about his favorite venues to perform across the country, and went on to say that he hasn’t played a whole lot of full band performances around the country, but between that and the Ryman Auditorium both in Nashville, that had to be it. One of the coolest performances however, came different. “I was the first and only guy to play an acoustic set in Buck Owen’s office in Bakersfield two months ago. I sat in front of his fire place and played for an hour, Buck Owens and Merle Haggard original songs, along with my stuff. It was really cool.” His favorite road experience however was a different story. “I was at this bluegrass festival with my dad playing banjo and my brother playing bass, in Indiana in peak summer. We didn’t have a camper, but at the time we had a black enclosed equipment trailer. We put some mattresses in it but we’d be up all night sweating, dad went to town to buy a regular window air conditioner, cut a hole in the trailer so we had AC, I’ll never forget that.”
“That is such a hard question, there’s just so many!” exclaimed Pitney when asked about his biggest musical influences. “Keith Whitley was a big one, obviously Merle Haggard and George Jones, and Randy Travis are the ones that most hear in my voice, but one that a lot of people don’t understand is James Taylor, he’s had a huge influence one me from the way I produce the record and write the melodies.” He went on to say that he’s trying to help others with his artistry, and that if he can take some of the younger fans that don’t know the old stuff and introduce them to it through his live shows, it would be phenomenal.
Mo Pitney isn’t all music after all, and couldn’t wait to tell us that when he’s not performing, he is an avid sportsman, hunting and fishing, as well as raising spaniels for quail and pheasant hunting. “I love to work with the dogs, getting to raise and train them, and take my bass boat out with my brother on the Cumberland River.” It really was an honor getting to spend some time with such a rising star of the music industry, and he certainly did not disappoint the packed house at the Wolf Den later that evening.
You can follow Mo on Facebook, Twitter, and his official website.