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As a child growing up in Shiloh, Illinois, Peebles would tag along with his father and grandpa during their years of commercial catfishing. They played George Strait’s greatest hits CD and “This Time� by Dwight Yoakam on their drive to the Mississippi River, and Peebles slowly fell in love with country music.

Those twangy, backwoods rhythms became the backdrop for his greatest passion as he brings his band, the Moonlighters, to the stage at the Pickin’ on Picknic Music Festival July 10-13.

“Once I came into my own as far as my identity as an artist, I came back to country music in a big way,� Peebles says.

Peebles and the Moonlighters are joined by headlining act the Del McCoury Band, as well as Split Lip Rayfield, the Larry Keel Experience and more than 20 other bands at the St. Clair, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, festival. The band is also bringing its country, Americana flair to the Open Highway Music Festival in June, kicking off a summer full of new music releases, regional shows and fresh creative waves.

Although he originally began as a solo artist in 2012, Peebles formed his band by happenstance after realizing his set benefited from having accompanying musicians. He’d attended high school with lead guitarist Jakob Baxter, occasionally playing in side bands together before forming the Moonlighters in 2020. Steel guitarist Matt Maher and bassist Britton Wood also joined early on. Drummer Isaac Johnston was the final piece of Peebles’ musical puzzle.

With each member still playing in other local bands, the name the Moonlighters seemed like an appropriate moniker.

“We did some arranging of the songs and, by the end of it, we all looked at each other and were like, ‘This sounds really good. This should just be a thing,’� he says.

In November 2023, Peebles and the Moonlighters released their debut album “EP, Vol. 1,� featuring four original tracks seeping with elements of bluegrass and traditional country melodies. Written after the end of a four-year relationship, Peebles says heartbreak was a muse on his shoulder as he wrote each song. The relatabletracks are full of sadness, regret and recollections of love lost with sweet guitar strums in the background.

“It was almost like a letter to myself of me working through things that I was going through,� he says.

However, the band’s forthcoming project is a stark difference from its debut. Recorded at Extra Plus Productions in St. Louis, Hunter says the new album showcases his other musical influences beyond country. Listeners will notice hints of indie and folk rock in the upcoming release, including in the band’s new single “Bring Back My Heart,� which is set to drop this summer.

“A lot of the songs are going to sound pretty different from the original release,� he says.

Although country music is his foundation, Peebles says being questioned about which genre the band falls into is one of the greatest compliments he can receive.

“That’s how I blossomed into the artist that I am, and I’m taking it as an influence and then spitting out my iteration of it,� he says. “I don’t necessarily feel compelled to keep things a certain rigid, traditional way.�

Peebles describes country as a foundational genre. Like blues and rock ’n’ roll, artists throughout time have borrowed inspiration from country music and use it as a platform to create innovative and fresh new sounds. As much as he loves the genre, Peebles isn’t interested in reproducing country sounds that have already been popularized.

“It’s a really cool thing that all these different places and different people are taking it as an influence and spitting out their own version of their art with it as a foundation,� he says.

Performing and networking in St. Louis has also propelled Peebles’ development as a creative and songwriter. A resident of South St. Louis city, Peebles says artists in bands like Nick Gusman and the Coyotes and Yard Eagle have become colleagues and friends on the local music scene. Although St. Louis is a big city, the collaboration and community make it feel like a “giant small town.�

“All of these different, great bands I’ve had the chance to rub shoulders with, be influenced by and inspired by,� he says. “It’s been really good for my journey as an artist.�

Hoping one day to make a decent living singing country tunes and strumming his guitar, Peebles is focused on consistently making good music while continuing to hone his craft. He knows his band’s unique style and intentional song arrangements leave a resonating impact on audiences at live shows.

After they’ve performed their final song, Peebles hopes listeners remember the Moonlighters.

“We’re just trying to put our own original stamp on the genre,� he says. “When you do things that way, it does make you a little bit more memorable.�