Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors' music garners a lot of superlatives from fans and critics alike. And yet, for playing about 150 shows a year, you still feel like you’re discovering a treasure when you come upon this crew from Nashville’s music. (We’re not the only ones; Rolling Stone named their 2015 release Medicine one of 30 great country albums you haven’t heard yet.)

Holcomb, who performs with his wife, Ellie Holcomb (vocals, guitars), Nathan Dugger (guitar, keys) and Rich Brinsfield (bass), are supporting Amos Lee on tour this fall, just before Holcomb’s own Moon River Music Festival, which is slated for October 7-9 at Memphis’ Levitt Shell. He talks to Myspace about David Gray’s influence, his musical heroes and his amazing live album, Live at the Ryman.

Hometown: Memphis, TN

Homebase: East Nashville, TN

How do you describe your music to people who haven't heard it before?

Americana is a good catch all. But I don’t know, Folk Rock? Music played by people with instruments?

You toured your last album, Medicine, with a lot of steam. What inspired that album?

I was inspired by the loads of stories I was hearing from fans about how music, and my music particularly, had meant something to them. I realized how music is a medicine for souls, for me too. I was very happy with the reception and even more happy that our fans love it.

It got a really strong reception nationally — was that the impetus for you to record a live album afterward?

The live album wasn’t really planned so much as it just happened. We recorded the whole tour, just in case, and the Ryman show was just a magical night and it made sense to release it.

Did you always know you wanted to be a musician?

[I had my eureka moment] in 1999, as a high school senior driving down highway 7 in north Mississippi, headed to Ole Miss to visit my sister in university. It was midnight and a friend introduced me to David Gray’s White Ladder album. It changed my life.

What's your songwriting process like?

Usually I start with something musical, and I collect words/phrases in a notebook and try to match the two up.

Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?

"It Was a Girl," it was about a broken heart. Mine, of course!

Who are your musical heroes?

Tom Petty. Bob Dylan. Bruce Springsteen. Jeff Tweedy. Patty Griffin. And hundreds of others. They tell the truth with joy and ache.

Does living in Tennessee influence your songwriting?

More than anything, music in Nashville and Memphis has a strong storytelling element, with lots of good melodramatic narrative arc, so that has seeped in quite a bit.

Why do you call yourself Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors instead of touring under just your name?

Because my band has creative influence in my work in a way that deserves to share the marquee.

What's the craziest thing a fan has ever done for you?

Built me a guitar.

If you were a hashtag, what would you be?

#roadtrip

What’s your big goal going into 2017?

To love my kids and my wife well. To grow in courage and creativity. To have a heart full of gratitude.