Singer-songwriter Mat Kearney was in San Francisco a couple weeks back, performing a private show at Great American Music Hall. The Oregon-born, Nashville-based artist used the opportunity to re-supply his stash of tea from Chinatown’s Red Blossom Tea Company, “the greatest tea I got way into.” A bit later, he was eating sushi along the waterfront. The fog had dissipated, the sun was shining and Kearney had one of those magical revelations.

“When the weather is beautiful in the Bay Area, it is the most magical place on earth,” he recalled in a video interview from Nashville, a week prior to launching a summerlong tour in support of his new self-titled album. “It’s a little drier than Oregon, which [is] pretty special. It’s peak human condition. Your body loves that climate. Drive out to Marin County on a sunny day; there is no better place on earth, I’m telling you.”

He didn’t come out and say it, but Kearney probably wishes he could live here. Then again, he’s always missing his first home of Eugene, Ore. He’s written songs about it that have made him a favorite in his hometown. After numerous years living there, Nashville, with his wife and now three kids, is home, too.

And if you listen to wistful and intricate “Daydream,” off the new album, even a place without a direct connection can be seen as a home, too. It’s a feeling you’ve probably experienced once or twice on vacation.

Before he and his wife had their kids, they went on a ski trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They were supposed to be there five days, which quickly turned into nearly two weeks.

“The last day, I was like, ‘Babe, if we sold everything, and we just moved here and just skied the whole time, can we do that? Do you think they need musicians in Jackson Hole?’” Kearney recalled. “But it was fun to say, in the last chorus, ‘You know what, though? I am living in my dream here with you in Nashville.’ It kind of completes the circle of the song.”

Kearney’s eighth studio album, his first since 2021’s January Flower, is self-titled. He said this was so because no other name came to him (unlike his past records), and because he led the production. He said his goal was to create an immediate, live-in-the-studio, band performance feel. He worked with his existing backing musicians but also connected with Nashville band The Brook and The Bluff, which played on a handful of songs.

The songs are heartfelt slow-burns with a warm, summery glow, conversational lyricism and gentle memories. One of the key decisions he made was to avoid compressing the songs. Practically, it meant the songs don’t carry a crisp punch to them. They’re not in your face for a reason and are made to grow on you over repeated listens, he explained.

Kearney chatted about new songs, the concept of home, which comes up repeatedly in his discography, and performing in front of his hometown fans and the Oregon Ducks football team at their recent annual scrimmage, where it’s a tradition to perform his song “Coming Home” at each contest.

RIFF: Was there a specific thematic goal you had for the album?

Mat Kearney: I knew that I wanted the songs to kind of have this timeless quality, which is a tough thing to chase, like, “I’m gonna write a timeless song!” … You have to take on themes that aren’t in the moment. … Pop music, a lot of times, is “right now.” It’s like, “She walked into the coffee shop, and I was insecure, and then I’m overthinking it.” That’s kind of happening right now, whereas sometimes, bigger ideas and bigger concepts about who you are in life and love feel bigger. They may not be as immediate, but they can live on because they’re bigger concepts than what is trending right now. There’s no mention of TikTok or Instagram in lyrics. There’s no reference to specific artists. I was kind of referencing early ‘80s in the sound because I was wanting to capture some of my childhood nostalgia.

On listening to the songs, and reading the hints you’ve dropped about them, I see an overarching theme of trying to hold on to something you hold dear, whether it’s a relationship, keeping your kids young, or your passions. Is that a significant part of it?

Mat Kearney: Leading to this record, I had really one of the more challenging years of my existence. Some family health issues, just a lot going on. We had our third daughter, which was a surprise, and she’s so awesome, [but] we were already sinking, so you’re like, “Wait, we’re gonna take on another kid?”

Financially sinking?

Mat Kearney: Just every way. Emotionally, sinking in a mess of toys and diapers and [lack of] our time. Trying to create space as an artist; sometimes this can be at war. I used to go out to the desert and write with my friends. You know, I can’t [now]. … But somehow, in the middle of that, I was really looking for an escape and started writing for songs I needed, like, I really need this effortless breath of fresh air, something that is speaking to my soul and encouraging myself.

I wanted to feel good; I wanted to explore those things, and I didn’t have a lot of time to stress. I had a limited amount of time, so I had to be more decisive, and I had to react more, which I’ve learned is a better thing for me than overthinking. If I get too much time, I can overthink and start tweaking. You can tweak the life out of something, as opposed to when you’re just like, “Just make a decision and move.” That’s a really healthy place for me as an artist to be.

What is the “home” you sing about on “Headlights Home?” Is it family and friends; is it returning to your place in Nashville after a tour? Is it your hometown, Eugene?

Mat Kearney: It’s all those, I think. There’s a transient quality to my life and to being in this business, and it’s the quintessential traveling song that artists write because it’s true. It’s like, “Leave the light on for me. I can’t sleep. There’s a part of me that will never be at rest until I’m back with you.”

I love what I do. I love playing shows so much. I love traveling. I love seeing the world. I love getting to share this thing that I believe in with people and having these shared moments. There’s nothing like that. But there is a price to it. You have to leave the people you love behind.

You’ve spent a lot of time on the road over the last 20 years. Is it a form of home to you, too?

Mat Kearney: I think I’m at home in my skills and ability. … I think you form this summer camp home. It’s not real. It’s like you got your buddies sleeping on bunks next to you, eating nice dinners and [seeing] fun places. It’s excruciating work. You’re grinding. It’s a tightrope going on tours. I think [prior tourmate] John Mayer called it a knife fight with your calendar. Your voice, the rest; it’s a lot of work.

What was it like performing “Coming Home” at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. where the song is played at each game?

Mat Kearney: Unreal. It was nerve wracking. … I love them so much; the Oregon Ducks, the staff. I’ve known them for a long time, but they don’t put on concerts. So, we’re real-time trying to figure out speakers and amps. … There’s something about being received in your hometown that’s extra special. I didn’t want to go back because we’ve got something that’s working. I just don’t want to mess it up; it’s become this tradition. …

I’m sitting on the sideline [during the game, before his concert]. They’re like, “OK, now is where you walk out and stand there in the endzone.” And I was like, “I’m doing what?” And they’re like, “Start walking.” I’m like, “I’m not walking out in front of [everyone].” I didn’t know that was happening. … The song started, and I’m like, “This is just awkward.” I’m standing there by myself with a camera man filming me in the endzone.

Then they got to the first chorus, and I turned around, “Oh, I’m by the student section, and they’re all singing it.” So I start singing. We’re all singing it together, and then we do the second verse, and I’m like, “Wow, this is actually really special.” This is such a gift as a songwriter. All you want is songs to be something bigger than yourself, to mean something to people… They get to the second chorus and all of a sudden, I’m starting to fight back tears.

Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter.