JJ Grey loves writing his music, but he thinks it is better when the songs write themselves.
"The best stuff is when it just flows out, you know," he said.
Grey, who is originally from Jacksonville, will be playing his soulful, Southern rock-meets-blues music at Common Grounds tonight with his ever-changing band Mofro.
Doors will open at 8 p.m. and tickets are $17.
Mofro used to be the title Grey went by until a friend confronted him, asking if he did not want to use his own name because he was ashamed of his music. The answer? Definitely not.
Grey has been touring hard since 2000 and has no plans to stop, he said.
His albums include "Blackwater," "Lochloosa" and "Country Ghetto." But his most recent album, "Orange Blossoms," is about where he grew up and what he loves most.
He said his music is a mix of a lot of things that are worth remembering.
"My songs have ended up being like a diary entry to remember what's important," he said.
Grey's music is stirred by storytelling, and he has grown to have his own flavor by listening to inspiring varieties of music.
As a young kid, Grey would jam out on his 8-track to everything from KC and the Sunshine Band to Lynyrd Skynyrd and AC/DC.
Grey said his music is not very political, but it is all up to interpretation.
He is currently working on a score for a documentary called "Good Soldier." It is the story of four different soldiers from four different wars.
As a dedicated Gators fan, he is excited to come to Gainesville, and he said that every crowd he's ever played for in Florida has treated him well.
This is very different from Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights, the band opening for JJ Grey & Mofro, that has yet to play a show in Florida.
Tyler said most of the guys in the band grew up in the same areas of Texas and Oklahoma, where they played at local bars while they were in high school.
When he was 18, record labels told them they weren't ready to be real rock stars.
"It was kind of a bummer, but we kept playing anyway," he said.
When he was 21, the band took a turn for the worse and stopped playing altogether. Tyler played by himself in coffee shops around town and anywhere he could get a gig.
But after a while, separation anxiety brought the guys back together. Eventually, they signed with Atlantic Records and recorded their album, "Hot Trottin'," in about six days.
As soon as the album was released, things started moving more quickly than before.
They used to play at places like Starbucks, but now they have toured with bands such as O.A.R., Tyler said.
Beau Bedford, who plays guitar and keyboard, said it has been quite a ride for everyone.
"All of us are living our wildest dreams," Bedford said.
He said touring with O.A.R. was a great experience to meet new people, learn about music and have a good time.
Tyler agreed, adding that they still keep in touch with the guys of O.A.R., who taught them a lot on the road.
"You know, here we were, six guys showing up late to everything," Bedford said. "O.A.R. was so professional."
It is one thing writing the music, but it's another thing to be able to survive on the road, Bedford said.
He specifically mentioned one night in Georgia where he felt like he could have been in "Almost Famous."
Bedford said the band looks up to the Rolling Stones, and the freedom they have with their music. He said he aspires to have that kind of success.
Tyler writes the lyrics for the band, and the rest of the guys collaborate on music.
"Hot Trottin'" was inspired by an unsuccessful five-year relationship that ended when Tyler dropped out of the University of Texas and decided to pursue his dreams.
"The relationship got ugly. It was really tough," he said. "And there were a lot of different emotions to write from."
Tyler said some of the songs, like "Something in the Wind," remind him of bad times, and he will only play them if the mood is right.
The band is about to record its second album, which will be released in June.
The new album will feature "cleaner rock" with the same attitude and soul as "Hot Trottin'."
Both Tyler and Bedford are excited to come to Gainesville, and it seems as though they will fit right in.
"Fans should expect a good time because we love to drink, and we love to party," Tyler said.
