Now there’s a John Moreland song for whatever mood you’re in…

Singer and songwriter John Moreland has built a reputation for passionate lyrics and acoustic performances that connect with audiences across the country. Born in Texas, Moreland spent time there and in Kentucky before another move brought him to Tulsa, Oklahoma when he was 10 years old.

It was here where Moreland began to play guitar and write his own songs. A member of a few different bands, his initial interest was in hard core music but a transition to his more familiar sound began to occur following high school. Moreland has built a following largely on his own, consistently writing songs, self-producing and releasing three solo albums. Even using his parent’s home as a recording studio for his third album, High on Tulsa Heat.

Becoming known for his story telling capabilities and piercing lyrics that often not only hint at, but face dark and depressing tones full on, Moreland himself began to succumb to his own endeavor. He shared these feelings with Rolling Stone in a past interview.

“When I heard the sad bastard thing more and more, it came to a point where I felt like a caricature of a real person. It made me really depressed for a little while, where I kind of believed it and put too much stock in that. I felt like it was all I had to offer: just bumming people out. It got really dark. I was a happy person, and then everybody called me a sad person, and then that made me sad. I felt like, ‘Am I just bumming everybody out? Is my art just this one-dimensional, negative thing?'”

Now a few years older, in love and married, Moreland released his first full band record, Big Bad Luv last year. His most recent performances have been a mix of his rock based beginnings, fully backed anthems and a peppered mix of his acoustic renditions, which still can quiet a venue demanding their appropriate attention.

Moreland has been heralded by country superstar Miranda Lambert but won’t be writing anything for her or anyone else, anytime in the near future. A rising star in his own right, Moreland continues to receive praise from Lambert and countless others in the music industry.

As his evolution continues, expect Moreland’s music to maintain its hard hitting ability to impact an audience – now, covering an even wider array of emotions.