Todd Snider is a complex person. He can show compassion for his fellow man one minute, then turn around and attack the situation with an abrasive, yet witty remark the next.

As a folk artist, self-control has never been his niche.

Calling from a phone at a Motel 6, Snider sounded a little brash about his recent departure from MCA Records.

“I got shit-canned,” he said sleepily. “I don’t pay attention to that stuff anyway. It probably had something to do with money.”

Disregarding exactly who crossed whom, Snider has ended up at Oh Boy Records, a label started by one of his mentors, John Prine.

Snider has been a professional folk musician for almost 12 years. He started when he was 20, barely a ripe enough age to have experienced the life of meager misery and self-reflection typical of a folk star.

“When I was 20, I got a guitar,” he said. “By 21, it was my job. Only a year of practice and I was out playing. My family was poor, and these songs just started coming to me.”

Snider plays a style of music that he has dubbed “anarchistic alcoholic gospel rock.” His music touches on elements of rock but mixes in a bit of southern country flair and blues for good measure.

The musician has a mix of influences ranging from Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Muddy Waters.

However, he is greatly inspired by ’70s country musician Jerry Jeff Walker.

“I studied him a lot, reenacting how he did things,” Snider said. “Everything I do is derivative of him.”

Snider loves the idea that he has been dubbed a folk artist. He feels more connected to the folk tradition and singing about community and friends rather than the country style of retelling husband and wife bedroom talk.

Inspiration for songwriting is drawn from anything and everything Snider sees.

“Mostly God though,” he said. “If I’m doing songs right, they should be for God.”

Snider released his latest album “Viva Satellite” earlier this year, the last record he made while at MCA. The album is filled with raw and upbeat southern-rock tunes that touch on gospel now and then.

Among Snider’s favorites are the more gospel-like songs such as “Once He Finds Us” and “Can’t Complain.” He even does an energized cover of the Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker.”

“I wish I could take that fucking ‘Joker’ off it though,” Snider said. “It throws off the continuity of the record.”

Snider is still very happy with the outcome of “Viva Satellite,” which could be due to the fact that he seems to have finally shared the message he wanted to get across for so long.

“Not to sound self-pretentious … there’s a decision to believe in love or hate and forgiveness,” he said. “Hopefully in our music, it says that. I was trying to paint a picture of what it is like to live in the South.”

Snider added that he hopes his music inspires people to be more nice to each other.

Accompanying Snider on the album was his backup band, the Nervous Wrecks.

“I met them at a raffle. I won the bass player who came with the drummer,” he joked.

Snider isn’t touring with his band this time around though. He said he wants to play solo acoustic shows to calm things down before going back to the studio for another album.

It was a drug that got Snider started in music, but not your typical drug. His was a finely crafted piece of wood with six strings.

“A million things drove me to music but especially the guitar. It was kind of like a drug except that no one screams ‘Get off of this! Get off of this!’ My guitar habit was ruining my life,” Snider said referring to the number of problems, especially relationship ones, that his drug caused.

After high school, Snider became a drifter. He ended up in California which was where he really got his start. He recalled getting drunk on vodka on the roof of his friends’ house, which eventually got them evicted.

Yet, there was a moment up on that roof, with a half of a bottle of vodka left, when Snider suddenly had a revelation.

“I thought, ‘I’ll be a fucking singer.’ Two weeks later I got a guitar and started singing,” he said.

Snider said that being a drifter was a life filled with confusion, drugs, alcohol, chicks and hotels. He said it was all a big blur, but doesn’t regret his dabbling with drugs and booze.

“I would advise smoking grass to almost anybody, and drinking too. Sure it makes fat people beat each other up, makes people fight, but there’s nothing wrong with it really,” Snider said.

Now, Snider is on the right path, playing a show nearly every night at mid-sized venues across America. He said he wouldn’t know what to do with himself on a Friday night if he wasn’t playing.

“Drugs. Tons of them,” he joked. “Actually, I’d probably play with my dog and stay at home or have sex.”

The last time Snider had a day to himself, he went to the store to buy the new Dylan album.

“It’s a cool album, ‘Live in 1966.’ I’m also going through a Woody Guthrie phase. Right now I’m listening to ‘Dustbowl Ballads.'”

For now, Snider is content to be out on the road playing shows. He doesn’t even want to think about beginning work on his next album or what he hopes to accomplish — and it shows.

“Nothing. I hope to accomplish nothing,” he said. “I’m setting out to do nothing, and I think I’m coming along great.”

Snider plays at People’s Bar and Grill Friday at 9:30 p.m. Jason Reed is slated to open. Tickets are $8 and available through TicketMaster.