With his new release “Somewhere In The Sunshine,” multi-talent Charles Esten conjures a hopeful vision of the great beyond. Produced by Marshall Altman, the song offers anyone who is grieving a bit of peaceful harmony and consolation. Available across all streaming platforms and digital retailers today (10/6), listen here.
Following the sound of a lone miniature pump organ and supported from the beginning with Altman’s calm, shimmering, and dreamlike production, Esten sings with reverence from the perspective of a lost loved one, reassuring those of us left behind that they are in a better place. With inspirational lyrics penned by Esten and hitmaker Jon Nite (Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Gabby Barrett) like, “So don’t worry. Be happy. I’m finally home. / I’m waiting. I’m with you. You’re never alone,” “Somewhere In The Sunshine” explores the striking arc of loss, hope, and joy. As the profound track intensifies, Esten’s raw vocals soar with soul-stirring imagery and a rejoicing sense of faith. Lifted by layers of reverb-drenched guitars and swelling with bold drums, “Somewhere In The Sunshine” radiates into a warm crescendo of rich Country-Rock.
Describing Esten’s “emotional delivery” as “a comforting arm around your shoulder, at a time when you need it most,” Holler exclusively premiered the adjoining music video. Directed, filmed, and edited by Erika Rock, the Brentwood, TN-based location was a meaningful one for Esten, as it’s a favorite park for him and his family.
“My wife and I bring our dogs there and they absolutely love it. And every time we do, we descend a staircase of railroad ties that was built by our son and his friends several years ago as his Eagle Scout project. So, the spot is pretty special to me,” shares Esten. “In a real sense, it’s my ‘happy place.’ That being the case, it seemed the perfect location for me to truly connect with this ‘message from Paradise.’”
The power of the song was also clearly present during the video shoot. Esten remembers, “There was a point during one of the takes in the middle of the stream where I suddenly realized that Erika, while filming and not missing a beat, was crying. Concerned, I stopped singing and asked if she was okay. She said that she was, but that the song and the moment had all suddenly hit her, and that she was thinking of her father who had passed not long ago. I was instantly reminded of, and shown again, the sensitive and incredibly intimate nature of the song’s message. From there on out, it all somehow got even more meaningful. I was, in some sense, singing into that lens and using the lyrics to try to make her, and by extension all of the video’s ultimate viewers, feel all the peace that the song might impart.”
WATCH THE “SOMEWHERE IN THE SUNSHINE” MUSIC VIDEO
As featured on Esten’s highly anticipated independent debut album, Love Ain’t Pretty (out January 26, 2024), pre-save/pre-add here. A diverse and richly textured full-length project more than 10 years in the making, he explores life, love, and the passing of time through the lens of a traveled and tested everyman, who has never lost his innate sense of wonder, or his wide-open soul over the course of co-writing all 14 songs. Vividly detailed and filled with the emotional daring of a celebrated storyteller – both onscreen and onstage – Esten dives into wide-ranging themes of earth-shattering romance, big-picture reflection, and more. Love Ain’t Pretty is a culmination of a lifetime of growth, and like its title suggests, it hasn’t always been pretty, but it has been a beautiful ride. With a rollout of already released songs, “One Good Move,” “A Little Right Now,” “In A Bar Somewhere,” and “Down The Road (feat. Eric Paslay)” are all available now.
Breaking the news onstage last week (9/25) at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, during “NASHVILLE” The Reunion Tour ahead of its international run, Esten announced a local album release show at Exit/In on January 26, 2024. Fans can purchase tickets here. Tickets are also on sale now for his back-to-back Nashville events to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – Charles Esten & Friends 10th Annual Light the Late Night on October 27 and Charles Esten’s LLS Light the Morning Brunch on October 28. Serving as the National Honorary Spokesperson for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Esten’s “Team Addie” – inspired by his daughter Addie who survived Leukemia when she was 2 ½ years old – has surpassed over $2 MILLION in cumulative funds raised over the last 10 years.
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ABOUT CHARLES ESTEN: Multi-talent Charles Esten is a global entertainer. Best known for his roles as “Ward Cameron” on the Netflix hit show Outer Banks and “Deacon Claybourne” in ABC/CMT’s Nashville, the artist-songwriter introduces his independent debut album, Love Ain’t Pretty, on January 26, 2024. Garnering 14 MILLION streams to date, Esten is a 2018 Guinness World Records title holder for the “Most consecutive weeks to release an original digital single by a music act” after delivering 54 original songs once a week for 54 straight weeks. He’s made over 160 appearances at Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry and performed multiple headline tours in the U.S., Germany, Amsterdam, and U.K., including at famed venues like Royal Albert Hall. This fall, Esten returns to the stage with select Nashville cast members for “NASHVILLE” The Reunion Tour with dates in the U.S. and U.K. In addition, Esten serves as the National Honorary Spokesperson for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual Light The Night Walk, and is a board member and volunteer for Musicians On Call
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