Everything We Know About ERNEST’s Third Studio Album, ‘Deep Blue’

ERNEST is gearing up to take fans on a tropical escape with his brand-new full-length album, Deep Blue. Over the past few weeks, he’s been steadily dropping details about the project, from new songs to the release date and the full track list, giving fans a taste of what’s to come. Now, there’s exactly one month left until listeners can dive into the album themselves.

In anticipation for the upcoming release, we have collected all the information you need to know before Deep Blue arrives. Keep reading to learn about everything from the stories behind the songs, the island that shaped the project, outside cuts drawn from Music Row legends and more.

Deep Blue Arrives In One Month

For starters, the project is set to drop on May 1 via Big Loud Records, and this will serve as his third studio album.

The Project Offers A Journey of Nostalgia and Island Sounds

Thematically, fans can expect Deep Blue to offer a mix of breezy, laid-back energy and nostalgia as ERNEST taps into the sounds of his debut project, Locals Only (2019 via Big Loud Records). For this collection, he chose to go back in time and revisit the sounds that shaped hi early project, which in turn led him to reflect on seven years of growth and evolution as an artist.

At the same time, it’s exepcted to captures the sounds, stories, and spirit of the of the U.S. Virgin Islands, a place that has made ERNEST the artist and the person he is today. Combining his past with the current phase of his life results in a journey of vibrant tropical songs that are both familiar and entirely new.

“I want to say thank you to the fans that have been here since the Local Only Days.” ERNEST shares. “If you are new here, thank you for joining the ride. Most importantly, I want to thank the ocean and the islands. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them. I found myself in that Caribbean water and will always call it home away from home.”

Deep Blue Features 13 Tracks, including Four Outside Cuts

Fans will get to dive into these themes across the 13 tracks. The GRAMMY-nominated hitmaker has already shared early previews into to the project through singles such as “Lorelei,” and “Boat Named After You.”

For the first time on any of his projects, ERNEST also included four outside cuts. To find these tracks, he drew from a treasure trove of backlog cuts from Music Row legends such as Toby Keith, Nathan Chapman, David Lee Murphy, Tony Lane, Scotty Emerick, 2026 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Paul Overstreet, among others.

Along with the songs listeners have already heard, ERNEST has unveiled two more tracks, giving his fans the chance to explore the album a bit more through the title track as well as an official studio version of Apple Music Lost & Found Session submission “End Of The Night.” 

ERNEST clearly took a hands-on approach with this project, serving as co-writer on the majority of the collection as well as a producer on each of the 13 tracks alongside Jacob Durrett.

Deep Blue Tracklist:

1.   Lorelei(Ernest Keith Smith, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Mark Holman)

2.   Edge Of The U.S.A. (Ernest Keith Smith, Jacob Durrett, Chris Lane)

3.   What’s A Little Rain (Ernest Keith Smith, Rodney Clawson, David Garcia)

4.   Lucky (Ernest Keith Smith, Cody Lohden)

5.   Quit While We’re Behind (Ernest Keith Smith, Scotty Emerick, Trent Tomlinson)

6.   Somewhere In The Caribbean (Scotty Emerick, Paul Overstreet)

7.   End Of The Night (Toby Keith, David Lee Murphy, Bobby Pinson)

8.   Waste A Day (Ernest Keith Smith, Rodney Clawson, David Garcia)

9.   Deep Blue (Ernest Keith Smith, Grady Block, Rocky Block, Hank Compton, Jamie McLaughlin)

10. If I’m Not Careful (Ernest Keith Smith, Ronnie Bowman, Clint Daniels, Chandler Paul Walters)

11. Same Moon (Ernest Keith Smith, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Mark Holman)

12. Boat Named After You (Nathan Chapman, Tony Lane)

13. Time Is A Thief feat. Lukas Nelson (Matt McKinney, Rivers Rutherford, Jimmy Yeary)

Deep Blue will be released on exclusive deep blue–colored vinyl. A limited run of signed copies will also be available for fans to purchase.

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Along with awaiting the new project release, ERNEST is busy on the road with his nationwide Live From The South Tour. The headline trek is next set to stop at New York’s iconic Irving Plaza, followed by Houston, Fort Worth, Knoxville, and more, before wrapping this April. 

Joining the Nashville, TN native on tour are breakout artist-writers Rhys Rutherford, Chandler Walters, and Cody Lohden, all of which are signed to ERNEST’s record label, DeVille Records, and his publishing company, Cadillac Music Publishing.