The hectic schedule of life on the road finds musicians in different hotels night after night, and an endless barrage of reporters calling wanting to know why they do what they do.

For country singer Jack Ingram, comfort comes in the way of lunch at a Pizza Hut outside Washington, D.C. and chatting about the music he loves so dearly.

“I think it’s a neat deal that the lines are being blurred,” Ingram said. “Having country acts that play rock with country opens a whole new road.”

The road is where Ingram has found himself spending most of his time as of late. He has quickly become a much-sought-after opening act for such artists as Hal Ketchum, Merle Haggard, Mark Chestnut and Todd Snider; he will be opening for Todd Snider tonight at People’s Bar and Grill.

But Ingram and his band are, more and more, finding themselves being saved for last, headlining many sold-out shows of their own throughout the Lone Star State and southern United States.

His band has become respected as one of the hardest-kicking ensembles to come out of Texas in years, blending “post-outlaw modern country with a salty, dance-all-night roadhouse spunk.”

Spunk aside, Ingram sees himself as a songwriter above all. “Yeah, I’m a songwriter first,” he said. “I write about anything that comes to mind.”

Ingram follows simple ideas when writing his songs, and in doing so, taps into a sound and a straightforwardness that marks the best Texas-bred singer-songwriters.

Like all good Texans, Ingram grew up listening to the music of Jerry Jeff Walker, Willie Nelson and Haggard. But as a freshman attending Southern Methodist University in Dallas, he got bored just listening to his heroes and began thinking about making the switch from listener to player.

“I enjoy listening to storytellers,” he said of the people who influenced him. “There’s such a rich heritage of people that come from Texas, whether by coincidence I don’t know, that have become known as singer-songwriter-storyteller.”

So he picked up a guitar, learned a few Willie songs and walked through the doors of Adair’s Saloon in Dallas for his public debut. Within five years, Ingram’s loyal following snatched up nearly 20,000 copies of his first two CDs, which he “distributed” out of the back of his car.

His current indy release, Live at Adair’s, showcases the energy of his live performance. Recently, Ingram signed a recording contract with Nashville’s Rising Tide Entertainment.

Despite all the hoopla that surrounded his burgeoning musical career, Ingram continued his education and graduated with a degree in psychology from SMU in 1993.

“I stayed [in school] out of respect for my parents,” he said. “I thought I should finish up even though I knew I was going to be doing music.”

Perhaps we could all learn a thing or two from Ingram.

His approach to the no-frills kind of music is that it is merely an “extension” of himself. “The misconception is that it’s not real —people think it’s corny or cheesy,” Ingram explained. “It’s not like KISS; when I get onstage, it’s how I am offstage.”

No corn or cheese here, just a night of good music. You can catch Jack Ingram when he opens for Todd Snider tonight at People’s. Showtime is set for 9:30 p.m.

Ticket are $8 in advance, and $10 on the day of the show. Oh, and don’t forget your ID.