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He and his band add reggae grooves to country covers or write their own country-leaning reggae songs like 鈥淐ountry Reggae鈥� 鈥� 鈥淚鈥檓 a little bit country (I鈥檓 a little bit country)/I鈥檓 a little bit reggae (I鈥檓 a little bit reggae)/Sometimes I listen to Marley (ooh, ooh)/While I sip on my whiskey鈥� 鈥� that pretty much spells out Maoli鈥檚 musical philosophy.

They call it island country.

In June, the Maui-based singer/songwriter 鈥� who has tens of millions of Spotify streams and YouTube views and is considered one of Hawaii鈥檚 biggest reggae stars 鈥� took his band full Nashville country.

Maoli, on June 25, released 鈥淟ast Sip of Summer,鈥� Awong's 10th independent release and first country album since his 2008 debut."

We鈥檙e talking three-chord pop country musings about drinking to forget, losing yourself in a Friday night bar or reminiscing about a summer romance, with a little island groove slipped into a toes-in-the-sand homage and a waiting-in-the-wings love song.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something I always wanted to do, but I just had to find the right time,鈥� Awong said last month from a tour stop in Reno; the band comes to Linda Ronstadt Music Hall on Thursday, Aug. 7. 鈥淚 guess that this was the time.鈥�

Maoli recorded the album in Nashville with powerhouse Music City producers Dann and David Huff (Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown). Awong said he wrote two of the album鈥檚 dozen songs 鈥� the rocking 鈥淒amn Good Night鈥� and the twangy ballad 鈥淟eaving Here Lonely鈥� 鈥� and collaborated with Brett Young (鈥淚n Case You Didn鈥檛 Know,鈥� 鈥淢ercy鈥�) on 鈥淏roke Heart Break.鈥�

Awong has been enamored with country music since he was young, a side effect of growing up in a rural area of Maui where his grandfather and stepfather were farmers.

鈥淚 grew up all around that stuff,鈥� he said. 鈥淲here I鈥檓 from is a lot of country living. I was raised by cowboys and stuff like that so the storytelling of country music is just like so relatable to me in Hawaii.鈥�

Hawaii鈥檚 melting pot of different cultures, food and music is similar to country music鈥檚 inclusion of rock鈥檚 scorching electric guitar riffs, hip-hop鈥檚 rapped lyrics and reggae grooves; country superstars Kenny Chesney (鈥淏eer In Mexico,鈥� 鈥淣o Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem鈥�) and Zac Brown Band (鈥淭oes,鈥� 鈥淛ump Right In,鈥� 鈥淭ie Up鈥�) scored some of their biggest hits from songs that celebrated life in bare feet on sandy beaches.

鈥淐ountry鈥檚 gone ... all over the place 鈥� hip hop, pop; I鈥檓 just bringing in the reggae,鈥� said Awong, who last September brought his country-reggae fusion concert 鈥淏oots On the Ground Tour: Part II鈥� to the Rialto Theatre. 鈥淚鈥檓 just doing this for me, you know. I always loved country since I was little and I鈥檝e been doing reggae for a long time. I just want (fans) to see that this is a part of me that I want to share.鈥�

Thursday鈥檚 concert begins at 8 p.m. at the Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. Tickets start at $50.90 through .