With their extreme sideburns and beards, long hair, sunglasses and proclivity for bluesy, country-inspired songs, it’s easy to peg Blackberry Smoke as Southern-rock musicians. However, after digging into the band’s music or seeing these musicians perform, it becomes clear this crew from Atlanta is actually the best darn Southern-rock act around today.

Blackberry Smoke — performing at the Country Concert 2012 with Friday’s, the Zac Brown Band — is promoting the new album, “The Whippoorwill,” coming out on Brown’s label, Southern Ground Records, on Aug. 14.

The band is Charlie Starr (vocals, guitar), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals), Brandon Still (keyboards), Richard Turner (bass, vocals) and Brit Turner (drums).

“It’s the culmination of a few years now,” Starr said. “I don’t ever really stop writing songs. If you’re a songwriter, you just keep writing when inspiration comes. Those years were full of inspiration so we had a whole bunch of songs to record and we’re so proud of them. The album turned out so well.”

Although “Whippoorwill” won’t be in stores until August, Blackberry Smoke is selling copies at concerts.

“We weren’t prepared to sit around and wait any longer for this album to come out,” Starr said. “It’s not like there’s a lot of gritted-teeth or anger about it, but our fans and friends we play music for every night are dying for it and we’re dying for them to have it. There’s nothing like holding something you’re so proud of in your hands and you can’t show it to anybody. Waiting for show-and-tell time is no fun.”

Artist info: www.blackberrysmoke .com.