As an actor, I love dialogue that sounds authentic. Maybe that’s why sometimes when I’m writing lyrics, I like to try and just…say them. Try some of your favorite songs. There are definitely exceptions that veer towards the abstract, but in general all my favorite writers have lyrics that sound super conversational - like something someone would say. If these lyrics speak to you then be sure to go pre-save my debut album at the LINK IN MY PROFILE because “Make You Happy” drops THIS FRIDAY! #SayT

DOWN THE ROAD is the penultimate track on my debut album LOVE AIN’T PRETTY. I wrote it with my friends, @ericpaslay and @dylanaltmanmusic, and from the very beginning, I could tell it was special. Whether I played it acoustically in a small round at @bluebirdcafetn, with an electric guitar and a stomp box on the road, or with a full band behind me at the @opry, it had an energy and a message that always seemed to connect with the crowd. This was never more true than when my cast and tourmates @c

Deep into pre-production of my debut album, I wrote LOVE AIN’T PRETTY with my producer Marshall Altman and our friend the great Jimmy Yeary. Before we’d even finished, I knew it would be our title track - because it encompasses so much of what the other songs were already saying in that single phrase. “Love ain’t pretty, but damn it’s beautiful..” | Charles Esten