Charles Esten has released a Deluxe Edition of his debut album ‘Love Ain't Pretty' on digital.
Marking the set's one-year anniversary the Deluxe Edition was released on limited edition double vinyl in January, and the new digital version is a select version of its physical counterpart. It features 17 tracks including collaborations with Keb' Mo' and Sara Evans', and a live cut of ‘Down the Road' featuring Esten's former ‘Nashville' co-stars Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson and Sam Palladio.
‘Down The Road' was recorded as a live performance (both audio and video) from the sold-out ‘Nashville' Reunion Tour stop at London’s Eventim Apollo in 2023. The song served as the closing song and parting message at each show on the in-demand run
“‘Down The Road’ is the penultimate track on my debut album, ‘Love Ain’t Pretty'. I wrote it with my friends, Eric Paslay and Dylan Altman, and from the very beginning, I could tell it was special. Whether playing it acoustic in a small round at The Bluebird Cafe, with an electric guitar and a stomp box on the road, or with a full band behind me at the Grand Ole Opry, it has an energy and a message that always seems to connect with a crowd. This was never more true than when my fellow cast and tourmates Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson, and Sam Palladio, joined me and our incredible band (led by the great Colin Linden) in closing every show of our 2023 ‘Nashville' Reunion Tour with what was easily the most rocking and raucous version of this hopeful anthem,” recalls Esten.
“Sharing all the vocals with these incredibly talented friends of mine was not only a joy, it was a blessing that let this song flower into the fullest expression of what it was meant to be. You see, if you ever watched the show ‘Nashville', you know that the most central and recurring theme was that life is hard and love ain’t pretty, but you can’t give up. You have to keep looking for the light. You have to keep going in order to find and arrive at all the beautiful things that are waiting for you down the road. When it came time for the Deluxe Edition, I knew that this live London performance – this beautiful moment in time – had to be on it. Clare, Jonathan, and Sam, all graciously agreed, and so, here it is. Turn it up, sing it loud, and we’ll see you down the road!”
The track listing for ‘Love Ain't Pretty' Deluxe Edition is:
1. “Love Ain’t Pretty” (Charles Esten, Marshall Altman, Jimmy Yeary)
2. “A Little Right Now” (Charles Esten, Jacob Lyda, Brian Maher)
3. “One Good Move” (Charles Esten, Sam Backoff, Zarni deVette, Elise Hayes)
4. “In A Bar Somewhere” (Charles Esten, Jason Gantt, Neil Medley)
5. “I Ain’t” (Charles Esten, Brad Crisler, James LeBlanc)
6. “Another Song About You” (Charles Esten, Colin Elmore)
7. “When Love Ain’t Love” (Charles Esten, Jeffrey East)
8. “Candlelight” (Charles Esten, Kenny Alphin, Eric Paslay)
9. “Back In My Life Again” (Charles Esten, Marcus Hummon, Bryan Todd)
10. “Make You Happy” (Charles Esten, Gary Burr, Jon D’Agostino)
11. “Willing To Try” (Charles Esten, Gary Burr)
12. “Maybe I’m Alright” (Charles Esten, Leslie Satcher)
13. “Down The Road (feat. Eric Paslay)” (Charles Esten, Eric Paslay, Dylan Altman)
14. “Somewhere In The Sunshine” (Charles Esten, Jon Nite)
15. “In A Bar Somewhere (feat. Sara Evans)” (Charles Esten, Jason Gantt, Neil Medley)
16. “Maybe I'm Alright (feat. Keb’ Mo’)” (Charles Esten, Leslie Satcher)
17. “Down The Road – Live In London (feat. Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson,
and Sam Palladio)” (Charles Esten, Eric Paslay, Dylan Altman)
All Songs Produced by Marshall Altman
