Actor and musician Charles Esten (“Nashville”) chatted about his new single “One Good Move” and being a part of the series “Outer Banks” on Netflix.
‘One Good Move’ single
“One Good Move” was co-written by Esten, Sam Backoff, Zarni deVette, and Elise Hayes. It is a reflective power ballad that describes a misspent youth that paid off in the end with “one good move.” “That song came about from a writing retreat that was organized by my friend Twinnie, she is a fantastic female artist from the UK,” he said.
“I had a great songwriting session that morning, and I was talking about how talented my songwriting partners Sam Backoff, Zarni deVette, and Elise Hayes are, how hard they work, and how mature they are. I was talking to them about how I met my wife and how she was my ‘one good move.’ I said that out loud and they told me that was the title of the song that I was writing, and sure enough, we wrote that,” he elaborated.
The song is dedicated to Patty, his college sweetheart and wife of 31 years. It was produced by Marshall Altman. “It was mostly written on piano, and it was clear to all of us that it’s basically somebody looking back and noting that I didn’t do much back then, but she was my one good move. It was written rather quickly and I loved it instantly. I still love singing it,” he said.
“It starts off as a super ballad and chill, and then it rocks a little harder,” he added.
UK tour with ‘Nashville’ stars
Esten shared that the stars of “Nashville” will be reuniting for a UK tour that will launch in October of 2023. He will be joined by Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson, and Sam Palladio. “I am so excited and I am so thrilled about that,” he said. “The last time I was over there I was on my own and I was getting to ready the O2 Arena for the C2C: Country to Country Festival.”
“I had already played Berlin and Amsterdam and then the whole world shut down, and I had to fly back to the United States and I never got to do that, so that was a tough pill to swallow. To get to go back and with these ‘Nashville’ friends I love so much is really great,” he said.
In New York, he shared that he loved headlining The Paramount in Huntington on Long Island. “That was so much fun. I would love to do that again. That was one of my favorite venues, it was so nice, they showed me around. I love that place,” he said.
‘Outer Banks’
Esten is known for his portrayal of Ward Cameron in the hit Netflix series “Outer Banks,” which just kicked off its third season. “It has been an incredible ride,” he said. “This opportunity just came to me in the sweetest way. The timing worked out perfect.”
“My role started as the good father and it spiraled out of control from there. Ever since, the last three seasons have honestly been such a wonderful ride. I love the people that I got to make this show with, I ended up loving this character Ward so much.”
“Playing the bad guy is a lot of fun, especially a bad guy with a lot of heart and a lot of emotions underneath it. He is terribly human. This latest season, Season 3, has been my favorite thus far. More than anything, I am just so grateful,” he acknowledged.
The digital age
On being an artist in the digital age, he said, “It worked out perfect for me already. My Guinness World record was only doable thanks to the streaming age. I was not going to get a label to go along with that. The very fact that you can do streaming meant so much to me, and so did the process. That was me being as creative as I could in that moment.”
Esten credits the digital age for being a huge part for making his Guinness World record a reality. He was recognized for the “most consecutive weeks to release an original digital single by a music act” after releasing 54 original songs once a week for 54 straight weeks.
“Now, it’s a similar thing. It’s a whole new world where the artist is able to connect with a fan-base in a very direct way and I am grateful for that as well,” he added.
Frederick Keys baseball team
On Friday, July 28, Esten will stop and visit with the Frederick Keys baseball team, where he will be a part of a meet and greet, autograph signing, and he will throw the first pitch of the game in Frederick, Maryland. “I can’t wait to go and do things like that,” he said.
“I get nervous when I throw, I was not the baseball player back in the day,” he admitted. “Over the years, I’ve played softball and baseball a couple of times. It’s a good challenge and I love getting to meet people in the new city.”
Stage of his life: Album-making
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Esten said, “The Album.” “I’ve released all of these singles in the past but I’ve never done an album,” he said. “They say it’s a 10-year town. Finally after these 10 years, I’ve felt like I’ve spent enough time making music and finding out who I am as an artist to go do something which is very special, and that’s making an album.”
“I grew up with albums, where there are stories being told, and when you hear a single or a song, you immediately know the song that comes after it. I am anxious to put it alll out,” he said.
“One Good Move” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
To learn more about Charles Esten, check out his Linktree page.
