Charles Esten discusses how his experience as a star on the TV show 'Nashville' influenced the creation of his first album. While every artist's path is unique, Esten's journey stands out in the country music industry (and even beyond) when it comes to the process of making a debut album.
"Isn't it crazy? It has been a really long journey," the singer playfully remarks in an interview with Taste of Country, discussing his latest album Love Ain't Pretty. This album is finally being released on Friday (Jan. 26), over thirty years after Esten first started his career.
Starting with his initial job in the entertainment industry back in 1988, which involved participating in a game show called Sale of the Century and earning over $32,000 worth of prizes, Charles Esten has had quite the journey. From portraying the main character Deacon Claybourne in the popular country-themed television series Nashville to achieving a remarkable feat of releasing 54 singles in 54 weeks, earning him a place in the Guinness World Records, Esten has dedicated a significant amount of time and effort to his craft, amounting to approximately 10,000 hours, or around 30 times over.
There are certainly drawbacks to releasing a debut album at a later stage in life, as is the case for Esten who is currently 58 years old. It is unlikely that his album, Love Ain't Pretty, will have a significant impact on radio. However, Esten recognizes the importance of having a unique backstory and identity that sets him apart from others. No one else has the advantage of embodying a character like Deacon Claybourne and incorporating it into their own musical persona. Additionally, no one else has experienced the fictional rise to country music stardom and then achieved it once again in their real-life career.
Esten expresses that while he did learn valuable lessons from portraying the character of Deacon, he believes he learned even more from the fans of the show who reached out to him. Throughout the series, viewers took the time to connect with Esten and share their personal experiences of finding solace and inspiration in the complex, flawed, yet strong-willed character of Deacon.
The individuals, who had experienced difficult lives themselves or had parents who had gone through challenging circumstances, expressed to me their desire to convey the therapeutic aspect of accompanying someone on their journey. This realization made me recognize the importance of incorporating meaning, connection, and a purpose to assist and bring about healing in my own music.
Esten frequently refers to the term "through line" when discussing Love Ain't Pretty, and there's a valid reason for it: He put a lot of effort into ensuring that the project is a unified artistic expression that truly represents his identity. This began by placing emotional depth at the forefront, inspired by Deacon and Deacon's fans. It also involved collaborating on all 13 tracks of the project and combining a traditional country foundation with his own playful incorporation of rock 'n' roll influences, which he humorously refers to as embracing the spirit of "going full Springsteen."
Esten acknowledges producer Marshall Altman and the talented musicians he brought on board for their skill in understanding and refining his artistic vision. The unexpected occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic also played a role in shaping Esten's debut album. Just before the initial lockdowns were implemented, he had begun working on an album, but it had to be put on hold. When restrictions were eventually lifted, Esten was eager to resume his work and had a stronger sense than ever of the direction he wanted his debut album to take.
When asked about the purpose behind their mission, the singer believes that COVID has highlighted the universal truth that life can be challenging and cruel, but at the same time, it can also be incredibly beautiful. They mention that love plays a significant role in this concept as it is often the source of our deepest pain. Losing a relationship or a loved one hurts profoundly because it is a testament to the love we had for them, but it is also a reminder of the immense beauty that love can bring.
The momentum of the album increased with the release of popular songs like "Down the Road" and "A Little Right Now," according to Esten. He believes that these songs helped to develop and expand upon the overall theme of the album. However, even though he had a general idea of what he wanted the sentiment of the album to be, he struggled to find the right words to capture it. It wasn't until he wrote the title song, which was also the last addition to the tracklist, that he finally found the precise expression he was looking for.
After completing the song, before leaving the room, Esten recalls saying, "This will be the title and the first song of the album." He wrote the song together with Altman and songwriter Jimmy Yeary, and it represented the album's theme: Love is not always pretty, but it is still beautiful.
Once he finished writing the words, he immediately recognized that he had expressed the message accurately. Esten's unwavering self-assurance, which has been built over many years of dedication and perseverance, is another significant factor that adds value to his journey towards releasing his first album.
I want to mention something else about the experience of waiting for a long time. Back when I was in college, I took a job in construction as a helper to a carpenter. I received a toolbox for this job, which made me really happy. I felt a great sense of pride because everything in the toolbox, like the hammer, screwdrivers, and drill, looked completely new and unused.
"Upon arrival, I noticed a group of carpenters with worn-out and weathered tools, and I couldn't help but feel envious," he shares with a light-hearted laugh. "My own tools appeared flawlessly new and untouched. They jokingly exclaimed, 'This guy has never held a hammer before.' The advantage of reaching my current age is that I can now look at my toolbox and see the signs of use. I've swung that hammer countless times, if you catch my drift."
Here are 20 country artists who achieved great success with their debut albums. Credit for the gallery goes to Billy Dukes.
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