Charles Esten releases debut album ‘Love Ain’t Pretty’

Multi-talent Charles Esten has today released his independent debut album, Love Ain’t Pretty (26 Jan). Bob Harris, who played ‘Maybe I’m Alright’ off the album on his BBC Radio 2 show last night shared that “in addition to making such great music, he [Charles] is one of the great people of the world.” The episode is available to listen back here.

Esten, who will be returning to the UK in April for a headline run of shows, wrote all 14 songs on Love Ain’t Pretty, in tandem with hitmakers like Jon Nite, Eric Paslay, Gary Burr, Leslie Satcher, and more. The album explores life, love, and the passing of time through the lens of a travelled and tested everyman, who has never lost his innate sense of wonder, or his wide-open soul. Vividly detailed and filled with the emotional daring of a celebrated storyteller – both onscreen and onstage – Charles dives into wide-ranging themes of earth-shattering romance, big-picture reflection, and more.

Love Ain’t Pretty, produced by Marshall Altman (Frankie Ballard, Marc Broussard, Matt Nathanson) to sculpt a calm, controlled, and beautifully contoured sound, blending the forward momentum of Country Rock with Rootsy small-town charm, and a warm, soulful vocal, 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.

“The throughline of this album is right there in the title: ‘Love Ain’t Pretty,’” Esten shared with CMT.com. “Life can be hard, and there are moments when it can wear anyone down. In those times, you need strength and maybe a little more faith. So, there’s some real seriousness throughout.”

Making several anticipated albums of 2024 lists including The Tennessean, STEREOGUM, Men’s Journal, American Songwriter, Taste of Country, and Wide Open Country, Love Ain’t Pretty is stacking early notable features with GRAMMY.com, Parade, and Cowboys & Indians.

Charles Esten’s 2024 UK/European Tour Dates – tickets on sale here:
Sat., 20 Apr. – Usher Hall | Edinburgh, UK
Mon., 22 Apr. – Royal Concert Hall | Glasgow, UK
Wed., 24 Apr. – The Glasshouse | Gateshead, UK
Fri., 26 Apr. – Palladium | London, UK
Sat., 27 Apr. – O2 Academy | Bristol, UK
Mon., 29 Apr. – Lowry Lyric Theatre | Salford, UK
Tue., 30 Apr. – Town Hall | Birmingham, UK
Thu., 2 May – Tivoli/Vredenburg – Grote Zaal | Utrecht, Netherlands
Fri., 3 May – Fabrik | Hamburg, Germany
Sat., 4 May – Im Wizemann Halle | Stuttgart, Germany
Mon., 6 May – Circus Krone | Munich, Germany
Tue., 7 May – Carlswerk Victoria | Cologne, Germany
Thu., 9 May – DR Studio 2 | Copenhagen, Denmark
Fri., 10 May – Kulturkirken Jakob | Oslo, Norway

ABOUT CHARLES ESTEN:
Multi-talent Charles Esten is a global entertainer. Best known for his roles as “Ward Cameron” on Netflix’s 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. Surpassing 21 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 nearly 170 appearances at Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry and performed multiple headline tours in the U.S., Germany, Amsterdam, and U.K., further embarking on his U.S. and international headlining LOVE AIN’T PRETTY TOUR this spring. 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.