Authenticity is at the root of David Nail’s music.

“I always tell people, I’m a terrible actor,” Nail chuckled. “Whether it’s positive or negative, you get what you see.”

That personal, honest storytelling comes through in his songs, and it’s what resonates with his fans. On Thursday, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter will perform at Phil Long Music Hall with opener SJ McDonald.

Originally from Missouri, Nail started his music journey as a kid. As far back as he can remember, Nail tagged along with his father, who worked as the local school’s band director and music teacher. About 6, Nail found himself pitter-pattering on the drums and, soon, strumming the guitar.

“Around that time, I had gone to my first legitimate concert, which was a Garth Brooks show about an hour away from where I grew up,” he said. “That took an initial interest and sort of put Miracle-Gro on it.”

He’s built his career on honesty, he said, and it’s something his listeners can expect time and time again. Putting his soul into his songs means tackling subjects that can be vulnerable, like mental health, as well as heartfelt personal moments, like the one that inspired the song, “Best of Me,” about his proposal to his now-wife Catherine.

“It means a ton, and you’re super humbled and flattered that you sort of have the ability, or were given the ability, to move somebody and mean something to somebody,” he said. “If in some way that helps other people, I feel like it’s just one of the greatest benefits to what we do.”

Nail doesn’t tend to stick with a concrete set list. Instead, he performs what speaks to him — and with a music career spanning several decades, there’s plenty to choose from. His songs can bring him back to different moments of his life, he said, and some of his oldest releases still manage to give him goosebumps on stage.

And even after all this time, he still gets nervous before shows. That’s a good thing, though, he said.

“When I quit being nervous, that’s when it’s time for me to do something else,” he said. “I don’t know that that’s necessarily like a great thing to walk on stage with, but it also reminds me of how much it matters to me still.”