A career best from Ernest.
From the get-go, it was clear that Ernest was gearing up for an incredibly unique release with Deep Blue. Before officially announcing the album, he’d tell Bobby Bones that the album would contain some beachy/island vibes mixed with some of his patented southern flair. He’d go as far as to call it Alabama meeting Jimmy Buffett.
“There’s a little island inspiration in this next album for sure. And just like a little southern, too. It’s like Alabama and Jimmy Buffett had a baby.”
During an interview with us on the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast, the “I Had Some Help” songwriter would also reveal that the Deep Blue will feel like a grown-up, beach-inspired version of his 2019 debut album, Locals Only.
“It’s kind of a grown-up version of the first project I put out called ‘Locals Only,’ which was all heavily inspired by and largely written in Saint Thomas and Saint John. It’s 10 years later since a lot of the songs got written, and I’ve done a lot of growing. My voice has gotten deeper. I’ve had a lot of smoke in my throat since then. (My voice) is weathered, and my technique… I’ve sang a million songs since then.”
In the months following, Ernest kept the singles coming. Kicking everything off with the infectious “Lorelei,” he’d follow up by dropping equally infectious tracks such as “Boat Named After You,” “Deep Blue,” his formerly Apple Music-exclusive cover of Toby Keith’s “End Of The Night” and finally, the highly-anticipated collaboration with Lukas Nelson, “Time Is A Thief.”
After months of anticipation, Deep Blue is finally here, and the Tennessee native cannot be more proud of it, calling it his favorite album to date. Additionally, he’d note in the caption that it’s ultimately all about escapism — hoping that everyone can find their own “deep blue” while listening to the album.
“FINALLY. Yall can have it. DEEP BLUE is out now and I must say, it’s my personal favorite album yet. It wouldn’t exist without my love and affinity for the islands. (Shoutout ST THOMAS/ ST JOHN) .
This album is a dissociative for some, one that will pull you straight from your reality and land you right smack dab in the middle of the ocean, floating and drifting away. It might sit u down on that favorite beach of yours in your mind. Hell, it could land you at that beach bar you went to ONE time and have never stopped thinking about it. It might take a sunny day and turn it in to a much needed Rainey afternoon. Who knows… what I do know is that the album is yours …. it’s been mine for long enough….
Thank you to all the songwriters who helped create this world with me. I also wanna say thank you to my brother Jacob Durrett for trusting me to go in and produce an album together. We have worked together for years and it was fun finally going in and doing the damn thing for real. Anyways- I’m gonna be sunburnt or tan for the foreseeable future.”
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve always kept Ernest’s discography at an arm’s reach over the years. While he’s had some absolute stone-cold country classics, ranging from his hit with Morgan Wallen, “Flower Shops,” and his cover of “Would If I Could” with Lainey Wilson to tracks like “Cowgirl Stay” and “Honkytonk Fairytale.” With that being said, however, those tracks would get bogged down in a sea of filler tracks that oftentimes felt like he was chasing a sound much in the vain of Morgan Wallen and his contemporaries. In other words, despite his previous efforts having stellar songs throughout, much of it felt dissonant as an entire body of work.
I’m happy to report that Deep Blue is anything but dissonant. In fact, it’s one of the most cohesive, well-realized albums of the year so far. What immediately jumps out as you listen through the record is just how much time and effort went in to making it these 13 songs feel as cohesive as possible.
Despite the album clearly being a beach-inspired effort, Ernest packs it with quite a variety of songs — all while still keeping the production breezy and varied throughout. Here, you have some high-energy, heartbreakers on tracks like “Lorelei” and “Boat Named After You,” some genuinely stunning, classic offerings that harken back to Willie Nelson on “Lucky” and “If I’m Not Careful” and other rock-solid, breezy tracks like “Edge Of The U.S.A.” and “Somewhere In The Caribbean.”
As Ernest stated, Deep Blue is truly an album that transports you straight to the ocean. All things considered, he took a gamble on this project. There’s no doubt that he could have stuck to his guns and delivered another album that’s a mixed bag of traditional songs and more radio-friendly, pop-country tracks. However, the “Flower Shops” singer decided to see his vision of an island-inspired record all the way though, and it paid dividends.
Overall, Deep Blue is a career best from Ernest. While I can see some listeners being a bit hesitant to give this album a chance, I truly think there’s a lot to love here, even for the most traditional of country fans. It’s an incredibly cohesive, pleasant record that breezes by just as fast as a day on the beach. If Ernest can keep this level of focus from project-to-project, the sky is truly the limit for him. While its still early, I can easily see this record being on a shortlist for Album of the Year in the mainstream.
“Boat Named After You”
“Time Is A Thief” (with Lukas Nelson)
“Edge Of The U.S.A.”
Ernest 2026 Tour Dates
5/2 – Key West, FL – Key West Songwriters Festival 2026
5/5 – Nashville, TN- Grand Ole Opry
5/24 – Chester, CT – Chester Meeting House
6/2 – Nashville, TN- Stars For Second Harvest
6/13 – Atlanta, GA- Braves Country Fest 2026
7/1 – Trois-Rivières, QC – Festivoix 2026
777 – Calgary, AB – Calgary Stampede 2026
7/10 – Fort Loramie – Country Concert 2026
7/11 – Youngstown, OH – Y-Live
7/12 – Rhinelander, WI-Hodag Country Festival 2026
7/15 – Stateline, NV – Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre At Caesars Republic !
7/16 – Stateline, NV – Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre At Caesars Republic !
7/18 – Paso Robles, CA-California Mid-State Fair 2026
7/24 – Avon, OH – Country Rising Festival Cleveland 206
7/25 – Marysville, OH – Union Country Fairgrounds
8/8 – Arcadia, WI-Ashley For The Arts 2026
8/25 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
10/2 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center A
10/3 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center ^
10/9 – Albuquerque, NM – Financial Credit Union Amphitheater
10/10 – Phoenix, AZ- Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre ^
10/17 – Mesquite, NV – 1-15 Country and Rock Music Festival 2026
11/20-22 – St. Petersburg, FL – St. Pete Country Fest 2026
! supporting Eric Church
^ supporting Thomas Rhett
* with lan Munsick
