It’s pretty rare that a hometown kid reaches the top of Nashville’s most famous business. But then again, Ernest is an uncommon country star.
A singer-songwriter whose unique lyrical approach wins him fans from the old school and the new, “Ern’s” debut single “Flower Shops” (feat. Morgan Wallen) became a Platinum-certified success in 2022 – and that was just one headline in a rare bouquet of news. Along with the hit as an artist, he also plucked a CMA Triple Play Award for writing three Number Ones in a single year, delivering FLOWER SHOPS (THE ALBUM), and arranging a sold-out headlining Sucker For Small Towns Tour.
On February 10, he’s back with FLOWER SHOPS (THE ALBUM): Two Dozen Roses, and in March joins Wallen on the massive One Night At A Time World Tour. Nashville Lifestyles caught up with Ernest at his favorite local lunch spot, Logan’s Roadhouse (which he also penned a mouthwatering jingle for last year), and in between bites of hot, buttery rolls, we dug into a rare kind of Music City life.
A Unicorn in the Wild: I’m not sure “unicorn” is the right term for being from Nashville, since I actually exist. But I do get what people are saying. In fact, I’ll probably get a unicorn tattoo at some point. I definitely take pride in being born and raised here.
Stick to the Plan: I just always wanted to do music or entertain somehow, make up songs. I didn’t pay too much attention back in middle school or high school about being a “Nashville songwriter.” I was just doing what I liked doing.
Mad Flow on Music Row: Growing up, I was a fan of music first and foremost. Imitation is flattery, and at some point I was just trying to write and sing songs like John Mayer. Then I was trying to write rap songs and sound like Eminem, or Drake, or Kendrick [Lamar]. Or making rock songs and trying to sound like Mayday Parade. I just wanted to sound like them because I liked it, and it has morphed into my own brand. With the years I spent rapping and working on that craft, I’m able to take that penmanship into a country songwriting session, which is pretty freestyle-based. I may not be rapping when I’m writing a song like “Flower Shops,” but I’m going off the dome like I would be if I was writing rap. So it’s not really like I’m blending hip-hop and country in a music sense, even though I’ve had records like that. But I think my approach to songwriting has been positively affected by my time spent rapping.
The Done-Her-Wrong Ballad, Reborn: We were pumped when we did the demo [for “Flower Shops”], because we knew it was special, but for a slow, sad-ass, steel-soaked country song to be the thing that popped me off? I’m really thankful. It lays the groundwork for me to be able to have fun making music. And I mean, sad country songs? By God, I can do that. They don’t all have to be that way, but I do think more and more that traditional sound is becoming popular again.
A Bigger Bouquet: [Part two of the album is] a continuation—13 more songs making it 24 total—and it’s just more of that Flower Shops thing. There’s a funny song in there that I think is pretty catchy, and it’s still introspective. It’s like “I’m done drinkin’, I’m drinkin’ again. She’s leavin’, she’s comin’ back. I wanna spend forever with her ... Ah I f---ed it up.” [laughs] It’s every guy that’s ever settled down, because he’s f---ed it up somehow, and I feel like I enjoy writing that side of it.
Flower Girl: I had just graduated and came home from my freshman year of college [when I met my wife, Delaney]. I met her brother at a recording studio, just messing around, making songs, and Delaney was finishing up her senior year. We joke that we met in high school, but it was really right around her graduation. Actually, I sat at her graduation ceremony with her dad and her boyfriend.
Another Unicorn Generation: She was cool with [naming our son Ryman]. Her dad was a songwriter and had a rock band back in the day, so it was just a cool fit. Being a Nashville native, and with her last name being Royer, I just felt like it speaks well. It’s not necessarily like “Hey, you’re going to be a musician!” It’s just a cool name.