For the last several years, Niko Moon has been one of country music’s go-to guys for songs that make you want to find a cold drink, a beach chair and absolutely nothing productive to do for the rest of the afternoon.

But lately, he’s traded the beach for the woods.

In a new interview published August 12, Moon says spending more time outdoors helped inspire his latest musical chapter and his album Roots.

The shift actually makes a lot of sense.

Long before his solo career took off with “GOOD TIME,” Moon was an accomplished Nashville songwriter. He’s written with and for Zac Brown Band and other artists, so experimenting with different sounds isn’t exactly new territory for him.

What’s different now is the setting.

Moon says he’s become increasingly interested in the outdoors, and that reconnecting with nature has influenced both his life and his music. Instead of the endless-summer atmosphere associated with some of his earlier songs, Roots leans into a more organic, back-to-basics feeling.

There’s something very country about that.

Not necessarily “country” in the cowboy-boots-and-pickup-trucks sense, but the idea of getting away from screens, traffic and schedules for a while and remembering that sometimes a quiet afternoon outside is pretty hard to beat.

Moon also talked about taking more musical risks this time around instead of simply trying to recreate the sound that gave him his first big hit.

That’s not always an easy decision.

When an artist finds a lane that works, there’s a lot of pressure to stay in it. But Moon seems much more interested in figuring out where the next road goes.

Apparently that road leads away from the beach.

And straight into the woods.