Steve Ewing dropped the Urge, and got the urge to move in other directions.

The former front man of St. Louis-based the Urge has emerged in a more starring role as his solo career is just beginning to take off. He has relocated to Los Angeles and has hit the road armed with a new sound and a new album to back it up.

While the Urge pounded its way across the country year after year, mixing rock, punk, rap and reggae, Ewing’s solo music fuses rock, R&B and new wave.

The Urge put an end to a jam-packed, six-year career that saw them make three major label releases. The split didn’t seem to burn any bridges, and though there was no confirmation of future Urge works, there was no denying it either.

“The touring kind of wore on us a little bit,” Ewing says from a cell phone in his hometown of St. Louis. “Just the vibe was just kind of getting old between us, actually at that point, the thought of going in and being creative for a record label was just not appealing.”

With that in mind, Ewing kept thinking about a bunch of the songs he wrote that he wanted to do but wouldn’t work as Urge songs, so he tested them out solo.

With the tour-heavy schedule that being in the Urge demanded, one would think Ewing was overdue for a nice long break, but things don’t always go as planned.

“I tried to take a break, but you never really do,” Ewing says. “Even when you call yourself taking a break, you’re still writing. Maybe a month after the official breakup, I was in rehearsal.”

“Here We Go Again” is the new album, and it’s filled with lyrics about relationships and what Ewing has gone through these last few years, including his move to a new city.

“I’ve observed a lot of loneliness, a lot of breakups and makeups,” Ewing says. “Los Angeles is a very lonely city — there’s a lot of people that are from different places around the world and that makes it really difficult to connect.”

One thing Ewing really likes about making his own music is the freedom he has in writing.

“The music I write now, there’s more space for storytelling and melody,” Ewing says. “But it’s still very much rock — you can just sing along to it more. I love it.”

Though no longer a band, the Urge has helped Ewing get a head start on his solo work. He is very proud of what the Urge did and isn’t afraid to talk about it, even though he’s pushing new material.

“It’s tough getting gigs when you start a band, but the fact that I was in the Urge makes things a lot easier,” Ewing says. “Getting in the doors and getting the right venues and getting the right people to come to the shows.”

And the people that have come to the shows thus far, including many Urge fans, have given Ewing great feedback. He has also picked up a guitar and throws in Urge songs in his set as well.

“The live show is very energetic,” Ewing said. “It’s not the jumping around carnival sort of thing like the Urge was. So it’s not crazy like that, but the performances are very intense.”

Though the Urge never achieved the commercial success many thought they deserved, their underground popularity made constant touring possible, and they played to packed houses.

So while mapping out the future for his solo music, Ewing doesn’t see the need to change up his approach.

“I’ll do it exactly the same way — we did a good job,” Ewing said. “I’m going to tour my ass off and continue to put out music as good as I can make it and continue to enjoy it.”

Ames can enjoy it tonight at People’s, as Ewing will be opening for Pomeroy. Ewing says he feels for poor college students, so he put his record for sale at just $5.

Here we go again.