Acclaimed entertainer Charles Esten has continued to attract an array of audiences with his storytelling skills. Whether he’s on your screen, on stage in front of you or coming through your speaker, the artist and actor always aims to tell stories in the most authentic and truthful manner possible.
For over a decade, Esten devoted himself to cultivating a collection of songs that emphasize the beauty of love and life even during hard times. On Friday (Jan. 26), he finally shared that full collection with the world when he released his independent debut album, Love Ain’t Pretty.
Serving as a co-writer on all 14 tracks with acoustic guitar credits, Esten spoke candidly with MusicRow about the time and care poured into the project.
From the time he was little boy, Esten loved to sing and make his own music. This love led him to win his school’s third-grade songwriting competition, and join a band during his college days at William & Mary. When the rest of the group parted ways to pursue other careers after graduation, Esten still wanted to chase his musical dream. He had a few actors friends in Los Angeles and decided to move there and try that, in hopes of meeting and joining another band.
Although he never met that desired other group—and grew quite busy when he found success in acting—Esten never stopped writing and always had instruments in his home, even teaching his kids how play to guitar and piano. It was when he scored the role of Deacon Claybourne on ABC/CMT’s television series Nashville and made his way to Music City that his first love and passion came back into his life full-force.
“I had been practicing on my own for so long that suddenly coming into this world, where you could co-write with an incredible songwriter and be surrounded by great musicians who would hop on [the song] and record it with you, felt like I was walking into heaven. This is where I felt like I was meant be,” he shares. “I began making music immediately, but took some time before deciding what kind of album I wanted to make.
“[Nashville] is built in such a way that people can quickly get up and perform, whether it’s on Broadway or at writers’ rounds. As a young actor in Los Angeles, it’s brutal trying to be heard or seen, and often takes a long time. But here, people can easily be heard or seen. I’m not saying it’s easy to make it, but it’s easy to be seen.”
During his time on the television series, Esten started to piece together Love Ain’t Pretty with producer and title track co-writer Marshall Altman and other great musicians. While filming Nashville, he learned that the truth within a scene and song is what connects them to their audience. The charismatic creator divulges the realness he and Jeffrey East infused into track “When Love Ain’t Love,” tapping into truthfulness to accurately articulate evolving feelings that can be difficult to describe. “That song is clean and simple. It’s a little poetic, but it’s mostly just something that is very real and true. I believe [those lyrics]—there’s not a word in there that I don’t believe.”
Known for his roles as Claybourne and Outer Banks‘ Ward Cameron, Esten’s acting skills help him to switch his view on life to a different lens in the music world.
“As an actor, you have to get good at putting yourself in someone else’s boots and walking in them for a while. So when writing from different perspectives, I become [those people] in the same way that I become Ward or Deacon,” he notes. “You have to use as much empathy and emotional intelligence as you can muster to [present ideas] from a different point of view.”
“One Good Move” marked the first Love Ain’t Pretty single release, which Esten spontaneously wrote with Sam Backoff, Zarni deVette and Elise Hayes while on a writing retreat after he disclosed his younger, more rebellious behavior back in the day to them, deeming his wife Patty his “one good move” during that time. “I call my wife ‘the blessing from which all others derive.’ It started with her, so why not start the releases with my ‘One Good Move’?”
Another single from the album is “Down The Road (feat. Eric Paslay).” Esten says that once he, Paslay and Dylan Altman got the concept down and rock gusto going, things took off and they developed the hopeful anthem that encourages listeners to look towards the future and the good times to behold. When writing, Esten likes his songs to be both “singable and sayable,” and is constantly asking himself and/or his collaborators “What do we want to say here?”
It was the answer to this question that ultimately determined the title track. While penning the last of the record’s tunes, Esten, Marshall Altman and Jimmy Year posed it to one another and sought to find the response until one of them said, “It’s hard, it’s tough, it’ll wreck you, love ain’t pretty.” The artist states that the following line, “but it’s beautiful,” is what he believes completed the answer to that faithful question, and says the song as a whole seems to sum up everything the album touches on.
“You have to write what you love and write what moves you,” says Esten. “Love ain’t pretty, life is hard—those are a given—but I would love if any of these songs became something that people could go to during hard times, or something that could make them laugh on their road back to happiness. If this was a part of that soundtrack for somebody, that would mean everything to me.”
Riley Green To Host Two-Day Duckman Jam At Flora-Bama In April
/by Lorie HollabaughRiley Green will return to a place that’s near and dear to his heart for his inaugural Duckman Jam at Flora-Bama in Pensacola, Florida April 12-13.
Green has referenced the famous Flora-Bama stage in a few of his lyrics, and will headline both nights of the event with support from Tracy Lawrence and Jake Worthington on Friday, April 12 as well as Drake White and Ella Langley on Saturday, April 13.
“Flora-Bama has always been a big deal to me. I’ve been going there since I was a young kid, sneaking in on vacation with my family. It’s the first place I ever saw a writer’s round. I remember going down there as a teenager and standing by the stage, hoping to play. It’s pretty exciting to go back and have my own two-day festival there,” shares Green. “Having Tracy Lawrence and Drake White there will make it a really fun weekend.”
Presale tickets are available for Green’s fan club members today (Jan. 30), with tickets going on sale to the general public this Friday (Feb. 2). For more information, click here.
The announcement comes ahead of his “Ain’t My Last Rodeo Tour.” Starting in February, the tour will visit arenas across the nation.
BMI Promotes MaryAnn Keen To Director, Creative In Nashville Office
/by LB CantrellMaryAnn Keen. Photo: Nathan Zucker
BMI has elevated MaryAnn Keen to Director, Creative in Nashville. In her new role, Keen will continue to generate unique opportunities for affiliates while offering guidance to songwriters as they navigate their careers in Music City.
Keen joined BMI in 2016, and has been instrumental in identifying and signing new talent while advocating for songwriters as BMI Nashville’s Creative, Associate Director. She plays a large part in coordinating events for BMI such as the Key West Songwriters Festival, Belmont’s Catalog Cast and No. 1 parties.
She also works with emerging songwriters such as Heath Warren, Brett Tyler, Tiera Kennedy, Rocky Block, Mackenzie Carpenter and many more. Keen will continue to report to BMI’s Leslie Roberts, AVP of Creative Nashville.
Keen, a Belmont University grad, is a co-founder of the young entertainment professionals networking group YEP Nashville, and was recently named to MusicRow‘s 2024 N.B.T. Industry Directory list.
Luke Combs To Open Category 10 Entertainment Venue In Downtown Nashville
/by Liza AndersonRendering of Category 10 Exterior
Luke Combs and Opry Entertainment Group have revealed more details about their multi-level entertainment venue in downtown Nashville, including its name: Category 10. Inspired by Combs’ chart-topping debut “Hurricane,” Category 10 is set to open in phases this summer.
Rendering of The Main Stage
The expansive honky-tonk experience celebrates Combs as a significant force who took country music by storm. “The Category 10 name symbolizes the sheer, undeniable power of Luke’s voice, songwriting and career, and just like Luke, this venue will be an off-the-charts experience unlike anything else downtown,” says Colin Reed, Executive Chairman of Ryman Hospitality Properties.
Located at 120 2nd Ave. N., Category 10 aims to be the largest and most versatile entertainment complex in Nashville’s downtown entertainment district, totaling 67,000 square feet, with three interior floors, a rooftop and an indoor/outdoor capacity of approximately 3,000. The venue features five entertainment experiences that are influenced by the hitmaker’s music and passions.
Rendering of The Still
The Honky-Tonk experience will consist of a street-level authentic honky-tonk with live music. The Main Stage will be the largest dance floor and stage in downtown Nashville, fully equipped for 1,500-person capacity ticketed concert events. With themed bars and a large beer selection, the space will also host line dance lessons. The Sports Bar will have an extensive selection of major sports playing year-round. Inspired his songwriting, The Still is designed for Combs’ Bootleggers Fan Club, bourbon aficionados, songwriters and music lovers from all walks of life. This space will feature a variety of bourbon and performances by famous and up-and-coming singer-songwriters in an intimate setting. Lastly, The Eye is set to include the largest outdoor deck on Broadway with a 7,000-square-foot rooftop and unobstructed views of the Cumberland River and Nissan Stadium.
The core of Category 10 will be its concert-quality acoustics and live music programming throughout the venue. Lineups will be curated by the Opry Entertainment team with a special emphasis on up-and-coming talent.
“Cat 10 is going to be a place that artists of all levels want to play downtown,” says Combs. “We are building a spot where we can put on a high-level touring act show one night and a songwriter showcase the next. There isn’t anything like this venue, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience it.”
Rendering of The Sports Bar
Rendering of The Eye Exterior
Brothers Osborne To Perform At Nashville Symphony Fashion Show
/by Lorie HollabaughBrothers Osborne. Photo: Katie Krauss
Brothers Osborne will perform at the 2024 Nashville Symphony Fashion Show on April 23 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
The Grammy-winning artists will take the stage at the Nashville Symphony’s annual spring fundraiser, presented by Gus Mayer, following a runway show of the Fall/Winter 2024 collection of Nepalese-American designer Prabal Gurung.
Joining the all-star lineup for the Symphony Fashion Show are emcees Kelleigh Bannen and Colson Horton. Singer-songwriter Bannen hosts The Kelleigh Bannen Show and Today’s Country Radio on Apple Music. Colson is an art director and multi-faceted stylist. Bannen and Horton are also the co-founders of the Preservation Society of Nashville.
“For 19 years, the Symphony Fashion Show has brought together an eclectic and talented group of designers, artists, musicians, and philanthropists to support the Nashville Symphony’s work in the community,” says Nashville Symphony President and CEO Alan D. Valentine. “Our 2024 co-chairs, Tracy Frist and Emily Humphreys, are planning yet another spectacular evening for the Nashville community. Brothers Osborne, Prabal Gurung, Kelleigh and Colson join an esteemed list of artists who have graced the Symphony Fashion Show stage in support of the Nashville Symphony’s music education programs across Middle Tennessee. We’re grateful to them for sharing their time and talents, and we can’t wait to see them take the runway on April 23.”
“This is a full circle moment for us,” adds John Osborne of Brothers Osborne. “We both got our starts playing double bass in our high school orchestra and now we’re getting to play at the Schermerhorn with the Nashville Symphony. Not the route that our teachers intended but we got there eventually! This is gonna be a blast.”
Patrons packages for the Symphony Fashion Show are on sale now at nashvillesymphony.org/
Dalton Dover To Release Cover Songs EP
/by Madison HahnenRising country singer Dalton Dover will release a collection of cover songs, Take Me Home: Covers EP, on Feb. 9. The UMG Nashville/Mercury Records artist will pay tribute to his roots and celebrate the songs that drew him to the genre.
The Georgia native has been surrounded by country music his whole life. His grandfather initially sparked his interest by introducing him to country singers spanning across generations. Since breaking into the scene with his debut radio single “Giving Up On That,” the singer has earned accolades from Pandora, Amazon Music, CMT and more.
“I grew up in a musical family, where we’d sing at church and then go home and keep singing,” shares Dover. “My grandpa would put on his favorite records, and I’d listen to the stories. Seeing my own life in those lyrics is what made me fall in love with country music, and I can’t think of a better way to honor that than sharing these songs.”
Dover has already given listeners a taste of the project with his rendition of John Denver‘s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” The recording of the famous track won Dover MusicRow’s Disc of the Day award.
In addition to the EP, Dover is also gearing up for his first ever headlining tour, kicking off on Feb. 23. He will also be supporting Larry Fleet on “The Earned It Tour.”
Dover is signed with United Talent Agency for worldwide booking representation in all areas. He is published by Sony Music Publishing Nashville in partnership with Droptine Music Publishing.
Dalton Dover Tour Dates:
Jan. 29-Feb. 1 – Boots on the Beach – Punta Canta, Dominican Republic
Feb. 13 – Grand Ole Opry – Nashville, TN
Feb. 15 – ETSU Martin Center for the Arts* – Johnson City, TN
Feb. 16 – The Ritz* – Raleigh, NC
Feb. 17 – Tabernacle* – Atlanta, GA
Feb. 29 – Iron City Bham* – Birmingham, AL
March 1 – The Fillmore Charlotte* – Charlotte, NC
March 2 – The National* – Richmond, VA
March 14 – Jannus Live* – St. Petersburg, FL
March 15 – The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon* – Fort Myers, FL
March 16 – Clewiston Sugar Festival – Clewiston, FL
April 5 – House of Blues – Bronze Peacock – Houston, TX
April 6 – The Lot – Mansfield, TX
April 11 – 40 Watt Club – Athens, GA
April 12 – The Barrelhouse Ballroom – Chattanooga, TN
April 13 – The Open Chord – Knoxville, TN
April 20 – Coast City Country – Vancouver, Canada
April 26 – Terminal South – Tifton, GA
April 28 – Capitol Theatre – Macon, GA
June 20-22 – Country Jam – Mack, CO
June 28 – Country Fest 2024 – Cadott, WI
July 4 – I-105 Country Freedom Fest – Quarryville, PA
*Supporting Larry Fleet
Concord Music Publishing Extends Partnership With Cary Barlowe, Purchases Catalog
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R, back row): Melissa Spillman (Concord), Megan Pekar (Loeb & Loeb), Matt Turner (Concord), Shawn Thompson (Concord); (L-R, front row): Derek Crownover (Loeb & Loeb), Cary Barlowe, Brad Kennard (Concord). Photo: Audrey Spillman
Concord Music Publishing has expanded its partnership with Grammy-nominated, hit songwriter Cary Barlowe through the acquisition of a selection of his catalog of hits, including Chris Young and Kane Brown‘s “Famous Friends,” Young’s “Raised on Country” and additional songs recorded by Kelsea Ballerini, Brett Kissel, Chris Tomlin, Rascal Flatts, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Mickey Guyton and more.
Concord has also extended Barlowe’s publishing deal through its creative joint venture, Hang Your Hat Music, which includes Barlowe’s full catalog and all future works.
“It feels good to entrust a company like Concord with this body of songs,” shares Barlowe. “Knowing them personally and creatively, I am so thankful to be working with such great people! It’s a blessing!”
Throughout his career, Barlowe has had success in multitude of musical genres, including rock, country and contemporary/gospel. Christian music star Toby Mac has notched nine No. 1 songs with Barlowe, three of which earned Grammy nominations. Barlowe’s penned “City On Our Knees” won a Dove Award for Gospel Song of the Year.
Barlowe’s introduction to country music began when Taylor Swift included Barlowe’s co-penned song “Untouchable” on her multi-platinum album Fearless (2008). The songwriter has since garnered five country No. 1 hits, including “American Honey” by Lady A, “Where It’s At” by Dustin Lynch, “Sun Daze” by Florida Georgia Line, “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To” by Billy Currington and “Famous Friends” by Young and Brown.
Barlowe was named SESAC’s Songwriter of the Year in 2015, and took home the SESAC Song of the Year Award with “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To” in 2017.
“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Cary, and now represent this additional catalog of hits,” says Brad Kennard, SVP of Concord Music Publishing in Nashville. “Cary is the consummate pro who won’t be outworked. His passion for writing hits is clearly represented in this catalog, as well as the songs he’s writing today. We couldn’t be prouder to continue to build with Cary Barlowe!”
The multifaceted deal was negotiated on behalf of Concord by Legal and Business Affairs team, Duff Berschback and Shawn Thompson. Barlowe was represented by Derek Crownover, Colleen Kelley, Megan Pekar and John Rolfe of Loeb and Loeb in Nashville.
Amy Stroup Signs To Jonas Group Publishing
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): JGE Founder Kevin Jonas Sr.; Amy Stroup; JGP President Leslie DiPiero; JGE CEO Phil Guerini
Jonas Group Publishing has signed singer-songwriter Amy Stroup to its songwriter roster. The company has also acquired Stroup’s Danger Twins Catalog, which has collected more than 2.4 billion video views on TikTok and YouTube, and over 50 million global streams.
Stroup’s songs have been recorded by an array of artists, from Chaka Khan to Ingrid Michaelson and many more. She is an in-demand sync creator, with an array of TV and film placements in works such as Grey’s Anatomy, This Is Us, How I Met Your Mother and Disney’s Willow, as well as ad campaigns for brands like British Airways, Google and Nike.
“I am thrilled to announce our collaboration with Amy Stroup and the Danger Twins catalog. Amy is a truly gifted artist whose creativity and musical genius align perfectly with our vision at Jonas Group Publishing and Jonas Catalog Holdings,” says Jonas Group Entertainment’s Founder, Kevin Jonas Sr. “I would like to thank Access Media Advisory and Teresa Miles Walsh for their expertise and guidance on the acquisition of this catalog and their participation in financing.”
As an artist, Stroup recently released her critically acclaimed album Since Frank and collaborated as half the duo Danger Twins.
“Amy is a fearless and innovative songwriter with an effortless coolness that transcends all musical boundaries,” says Jonas Group Publishing President, Leslie DiPiero. “I believe she will inspire anyone she collaborates with. We are so grateful to partner and amplify her existing and future works.”
“I’ve been enamored with the art of songwriting since I was a kid in Texas,” shares Stroup. “If I were to name a song or artist I love, Leslie DiPiero, Kevin Jonas, or Phil Guerini would likely have had something to do with it, and I am immensely excited to jump on board with the team at Jonas Group Entertainment. l can’t believe I get to keep living this dream and launch a whole new chapter.”
Zach Bryan, Dave Matthews Band & More To Headline 2024 Bourbon & Beyond
/by Lorie HollabaughZach Bryan. Photo: Trevor Pavlik
The artist lineup has been unveiled for Bourbon & Beyond, the Kentucky bourbon and music festival, set for Sept. 19-22 on Louisville’s Highland Festival Grounds.
The bill features both established and breakout stars including headliners Neil Young and Beck on Thursday, Sept. 19, Dave Matthews Band and Tedeschi Trucks Band on Friday, Sept. 20, Zach Bryan and Cody Jinks on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Tyler Childers and My Morning Jacket on Sunday, Sept. 22.
Other artists slated to perform include Matchbox Twenty, The National, Whiskey Myers, Black Pumas, The War And Treaty, The Beach Boys, Mt. Joy, Fleet Foxes, Young the Giant, Maren Morris, Wyatt Flores, The Head And The Heart, Melissa Etheridge, Teddy Swims and more.
Now in its sixth year, the four-day festival is adding two music stages and 40 additional artists for 2024, expanding to a total of five music stages and 100 performers, plus the culinary and bourbon workshop stages.
“To have one of the most influential artists of all time, Neil Young, headline Bourbon & Beyond this year is so incredibly special. Not only do I love his music, but I think there is a real authenticity in his craft that has inspired generations of artists to find their true voice,” says Danny Wimmer of Danny Wimmer Presents. “To have such a timeless artist share the stage with some of today’s best storytellers and craftsmen is something truly exceptional. Plus, being able to celebrate hometown heroes, My Morning Jacket and Kentucky’s own, Tyler Childers, this year’s Bourbon & Beyond lineup is truly a career highlight for me. We can’t wait to see everyone this September to celebrate the pure magic of this festival and the great city of Louisville.”
The Bourbon & Beyond experience will include daily workshops and demonstrations hosted by Chris Blandford, Amanda Freitag, Ed Lee and Chris Santos—pairing master distillers and celebrity chefs with guest artists and a who’s who of Kentucky personalities—as well as a variety of additional onsite experiences.
The Kroger Big Bourbon Bar will also be available to attendees. Featuring bluegrass bands, line dancing and curated picks, the bourbon trail is coming right to Bourbon & Beyond. Bourbon lovers can also stop by Chris Picks MiniBar for select single barrels curated especially for the festival as well as The Hunter’s Club and the Tiki Barrel Bar. In addition to select bourbon experiences, guests can partake in other cocktail offerings at Blackened Presents, The Whiskey Bar, and music lovers and musicians can spend time at The Music Experience powered by American Musical Supply consisting of music gear to play, giveaways, special deals, guitar and drum contests and more.
“The Commonwealth of Kentucky is honored to be hosting Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville this September,” says Governor Andy Beshear. “The festival brings in fans from all over the world and showcases the best of Kentucky; highlighting our rich culture of bourbon, the best in local culinary and a top tier musical lineup. We can’t wait to welcome fans once again for this great tradition that we all in Kentucky are proud to call our own.”
For more information, click here.
Ashley Gorley Takes No. 1 Spot On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
/by Madison HahnenAshley Gorley. Photo: Katie Kauss
Ashley Gorley has taken the No. 1 spot on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week, moving Zach Bryan to No. 2.
Gorley has eight songs on the country charts this week, including “Young Love & Saturday Nights,” “Last Night,” “Thinkin’ Bout Me,” “World On Fire,” “Truck Bed,” “Save Me The Trouble,” “All I Need Is You” and “This Town’s Been Too Good To Us.”
Bryan holds the No. 2 position this week with hits “I Remember Everything,” “Hey Driver,” “Sarah’s Place” and “El Dorado.”
Randy Montana has cracked into the top three this week with “This Is My Dirt,” “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Different ‘Round Here.” Chayce Beckham and Jelly Roll hold the No. 4 and No. 5 spots, respectively.
The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.
Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.
Charles Esten Delivers Truth, Gratitude & Perspective On Debut Album [Interview]
/by Liza AndersonAcclaimed entertainer Charles Esten has continued to attract an array of audiences with his storytelling skills. Whether he’s on your screen, on stage in front of you or coming through your speaker, the artist and actor always aims to tell stories in the most authentic and truthful manner possible.
For over a decade, Esten devoted himself to cultivating a collection of songs that emphasize the beauty of love and life even during hard times. On Friday (Jan. 26), he finally shared that full collection with the world when he released his independent debut album, Love Ain’t Pretty.
Serving as a co-writer on all 14 tracks with acoustic guitar credits, Esten spoke candidly with MusicRow about the time and care poured into the project.
From the time he was little boy, Esten loved to sing and make his own music. This love led him to win his school’s third-grade songwriting competition, and join a band during his college days at William & Mary. When the rest of the group parted ways to pursue other careers after graduation, Esten still wanted to chase his musical dream. He had a few actors friends in Los Angeles and decided to move there and try that, in hopes of meeting and joining another band.
Although he never met that desired other group—and grew quite busy when he found success in acting—Esten never stopped writing and always had instruments in his home, even teaching his kids how play to guitar and piano. It was when he scored the role of Deacon Claybourne on ABC/CMT’s television series Nashville and made his way to Music City that his first love and passion came back into his life full-force.
“I had been practicing on my own for so long that suddenly coming into this world, where you could co-write with an incredible songwriter and be surrounded by great musicians who would hop on [the song] and record it with you, felt like I was walking into heaven. This is where I felt like I was meant be,” he shares. “I began making music immediately, but took some time before deciding what kind of album I wanted to make.
“[Nashville] is built in such a way that people can quickly get up and perform, whether it’s on Broadway or at writers’ rounds. As a young actor in Los Angeles, it’s brutal trying to be heard or seen, and often takes a long time. But here, people can easily be heard or seen. I’m not saying it’s easy to make it, but it’s easy to be seen.”
During his time on the television series, Esten started to piece together Love Ain’t Pretty with producer and title track co-writer Marshall Altman and other great musicians. While filming Nashville, he learned that the truth within a scene and song is what connects them to their audience. The charismatic creator divulges the realness he and Jeffrey East infused into track “When Love Ain’t Love,” tapping into truthfulness to accurately articulate evolving feelings that can be difficult to describe. “That song is clean and simple. It’s a little poetic, but it’s mostly just something that is very real and true. I believe [those lyrics]—there’s not a word in there that I don’t believe.”
Known for his roles as Claybourne and Outer Banks‘ Ward Cameron, Esten’s acting skills help him to switch his view on life to a different lens in the music world.
“As an actor, you have to get good at putting yourself in someone else’s boots and walking in them for a while. So when writing from different perspectives, I become [those people] in the same way that I become Ward or Deacon,” he notes. “You have to use as much empathy and emotional intelligence as you can muster to [present ideas] from a different point of view.”
“One Good Move” marked the first Love Ain’t Pretty single release, which Esten spontaneously wrote with Sam Backoff, Zarni deVette and Elise Hayes while on a writing retreat after he disclosed his younger, more rebellious behavior back in the day to them, deeming his wife Patty his “one good move” during that time. “I call my wife ‘the blessing from which all others derive.’ It started with her, so why not start the releases with my ‘One Good Move’?”
Another single from the album is “Down The Road (feat. Eric Paslay).” Esten says that once he, Paslay and Dylan Altman got the concept down and rock gusto going, things took off and they developed the hopeful anthem that encourages listeners to look towards the future and the good times to behold. When writing, Esten likes his songs to be both “singable and sayable,” and is constantly asking himself and/or his collaborators “What do we want to say here?”
It was the answer to this question that ultimately determined the title track. While penning the last of the record’s tunes, Esten, Marshall Altman and Jimmy Year posed it to one another and sought to find the response until one of them said, “It’s hard, it’s tough, it’ll wreck you, love ain’t pretty.” The artist states that the following line, “but it’s beautiful,” is what he believes completed the answer to that faithful question, and says the song as a whole seems to sum up everything the album touches on.
“You have to write what you love and write what moves you,” says Esten. “Love ain’t pretty, life is hard—those are a given—but I would love if any of these songs became something that people could go to during hard times, or something that could make them laugh on their road back to happiness. If this was a part of that soundtrack for somebody, that would mean everything to me.”