Moot’s self-titled debut release clearly demonstrates his talent for writing and performing songs with the passion, soul and honesty of such legendary honky-tonk balladeers as Hank Williams, Sr. and Webb Pierce. While true to the idiom, Moot’s music is not a “throwback” – rather it is an evolution of an art form that has been sadly missed. This is honky-tonk for the new millennium.

In many ways, Moot’s music defies categorization – which is not surprising, given his background. Born and raised in New Jersey, Moot grew up listening to the current popular music he heard on the streets of his hometown, Trenton. Summers spent visiting his grandparents in West Virginia, however, exposed him to a wide array of classic country artists like Johnny Cash, George Jones, and Hank, Sr. The combination of his northern upbringing and the deep influences of his family’s southern heritage helped Moot develop a unique sound which can only be defined as “honky-tonk” – “roots” tunes with a distinct edge and attitude.

At an early age, Moot displayed an interest in both music and acting. After high school, he did stints as a laborer and pool builder while focusing his efforts on his musical career, eventually moving to New York City. Moot was soon heard by Fred Boenig who ran WDVR-FM, a local radio station out of Sergeantsville, NJ. There, Moot was featured on a live weekly hillbilly radio show called "Heartlands Hayride.” Boenig also helped Moot record his first real demo.

In 2001 Moot moved to Nashville to pursue his career. There, he continued honing his own brand of contemporary roots music and started sending out demos. Eventually, one of his recordings landed in the lap of Little Dog Records. One listen and everyone at the label was hooked. Exactly one year after moving to Nashville, Moot found himself on a plane to Los Angeles to make a record with multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning producer Pete Anderson.

The result is a tight ten-song album consisting entirely of Davis-penned tunes. Under the direction of Anderson, the music jumps out of the speakers, presenting Moot’s classic honky-tonk fare with an in-your-face honesty that let’s the listener know this is the real thing. His record has landed on a variety of critics’ Top Ten list and he was recently named Honky-Tonk Artist of the Year by “True West” magazine. Moot’s music was also chosen to appear in the upcoming feature film “Crash,” starring Sandra Bullock, Ludacris, Brendan Fraser, Don Cheadle, and Matt Dillon.

In support of the record, Moot has been appearing on the road with his band The Cool Deal, doing nearly 200 dates a year – a performance schedule that has been dubbed, “The Tour That Never Ends.” Moot has received continuing critical acclaim for his live shows, which feature Pete Anderson as band leader/guitarist.

And Davis shows no signs of slowing down. He has begun work on his follow-up album while maintaining a cross-country tour schedule that would give Greyhound a run for their money. Whether your tastes run toward country, blues, honky-tonk or even live jam band mania, Moot Davis offers an alternative to bland music-by-the-numbers. If you can listen to Moot Davis and not move your feet, check your pulse – you may be dead.