With his new release “Somewhere In The Sunshine,” multi-talent Charles Esten conjures a hopeful vision of the great beyond. Produced by Marshall Altman, the song offers anyone who is grieving a bit of peaceful harmony and consolation. Available across all streaming platforms and digital retailers today (10/6), listen here.
Following the sound of a lone miniature pump organ and supported from the beginning with Altman’s calm, shimmering, and dreamlike production, Esten sings with reverence from the perspective of a lost loved one, reassuring those of us left behind that they are in a better place. With inspirational lyrics penned by Esten and hitmaker Jon Nite (Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Gabby Barrett) like, “So don’t worry. Be happy. I’m finally home. / I’m waiting. I’m with you. You’re never alone,” “Somewhere In The Sunshine” explores the striking arc of loss, hope, and joy. As the profound track intensifies, Esten’s raw vocals soar with soul-stirring imagery and a rejoicing sense of faith. Lifted by layers of reverb-drenched guitars and swelling with bold drums, “Somewhere In The Sunshine” radiates into a warm crescendo of rich Country-Rock.
Describing Esten’s “emotional delivery” as “a comforting arm around your shoulder, at a time when you need it most,” Holler exclusively premiered the adjoining music video. Directed, filmed, and edited by Erika Rock, the Brentwood, TN-based location was a meaningful one for Esten, as it’s a favorite park for him and his family.
“My wife and I bring our dogs there and they absolutely love it. And every time we do, we descend a staircase of railroad ties that was built by our son and his friends several years ago as his Eagle Scout project. So, the spot is pretty special to me,” shares Esten. “In a real sense, it’s my ‘happy place.’ That being the case, it seemed the perfect location for me to truly connect with this ‘message from Paradise.’”
The power of the song was also clearly present during the video shoot. Esten remembers, “There was a point during one of the takes in the middle of the stream where I suddenly realized that Erika, while filming and not missing a beat, was crying. Concerned, I stopped singing and asked if she was okay. She said that she was, but that the song and the moment had all suddenly hit her, and that she was thinking of her father who had passed not long ago. I was instantly reminded of, and shown again, the sensitive and incredibly intimate nature of the song’s message. From there on out, it all somehow got even more meaningful. I was, in some sense, singing into that lens and using the lyrics to try to make her, and by extension all of the video’s ultimate viewers, feel all the peace that the song might impart.”
