Today, Nashville-native, GRAMMY®-nominated tastemaker and triple threat talent ERNEST releases his third full-length studio album, Deep Blue – listen here.
Inspired by the sounds and spirit of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Deep Blue takes the listener out to sea on a nostalgic, sentimental trip. Full circle and reminiscent of ERNEST’s 9-song, 2019 entry Locals Only, the buoyant, laidback collection finds the “writer of hit songs and an emerging star in his own right” (The New York Times) centered and self-assured in “a sound all his own” (Pollstar). HITS praises ERNEST’s signature as “aesthetically smooth country of a certain vintage…there’s a freshness to all of it that captures the ear and makes the past vital and now, instead of retro.”
Across its star-studded credits, listeners will find a rolodex of Music Row legends contributing to Deep Blue, like 2026 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Paul Overstreet, David Lee Murphy, Tony Lane, Scotty Emerick, Rivers Rutherford, Jimmy Yeary, Rodney Clawson, David Garcia, Nathan Chapman, Clint Daniels, and many more.
The album marks several historic firsts within ERNEST’s esteemed catalog – his first time co-producing one of his own albums (alongside longtime collaborator Jacob Durrett), and first time including four outside cuts on any project.
To pair with the album’s release today, ERNEST also dropped the official music video for “What’s A Little Rain.” Directed by Corey Miller, the official clip was shot over a day in St. Thomas with ERNEST, perfectly-timed rainstorm and boat ride included.
Celebrating the record this weekend with several performances across the 30th Annual Key West Songwriters Festival, including a headlining, full-band set tomorrow night on the Duval Street Stage, ERNEST will also host an album release party in Key West at local staple Irish Kevin’s, with a Cadillac Music writers round to boot.
Catch ERNEST on the upcoming season of On the Record, premiering May 8th at 7:30 PM ET on RFD-TV and RFD-TV+
