Charles Esten is one of those people that you have seen in everything. From The Office to Outer Banks to Whose Line Is It Anyway?, he really is in everything. And who can forget his perhaps most memorable role as Deacon Claybourne in Nashville? I’m still crying over the way things went with him and Rayna Jaymes. And I don’t want to hear anyone crying “SPOILER!” I spoiled nothing. If you haven’t seen it by now, what exactly are you waiting for? Anyway, besides being a wonderfully versatile actor, Esten is also a talented musician [as all my Nashville friends can surely attest]. And now he is blessing us with an album and a full tour! I got to chat with him yesterday about all of this and much more.
LOCALS: you can catch Charles Esten in Charlotte, NC at Neighborhood Theatre on May 31st. Tickets are available here. His friend, and Monroe native, Karla Davis, will be opening. Both of their websites, socials and full tour information are linked below.
What It Was Like Being On The Office
EPR: I’d like to talk to you about your new album and tour, as well as some of your other projects, too. So, I think everybody who reads my blogs know that my favorite show is The Office, so I will start there. Can you tell me about how your run as Josh on The Office came about?
Charles: Yeah, absolutely. First of all, like so many others, I was an Office fan. For so long. Basically I had been a fan of The Office from the British one. I loved it so much that I was actually a little like, afraid for them, when I saw they were going to try it here in the States. But then I heard that it was going to be Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson, both of whom I knew a little bit, but I also knew their talent very much. Even then, I thought they were both comic geniuses – just both extraordinarily funny people. So I watched the first couple episodes and watch them slowly make it their own. They actually very quickly made it their own.
So, I called my agent and I said, “This is going to be fantastic. Do me a favor. Eventually they’re going to need a ‘good’ boss from another branch to make an appearance here.” And lo and behold, I think it was the end of the second season, a show called “Valentine’s Day,” and I was one of the other branch managers that assembled in New York for the big corporate meeting. It was just incredible to be part of a show that was written so well, and then all the actors are so perfectly cast and gifted, but on top of that, they were just really, really kind people. They made me feel very welcomed. So my time on there was a joy and when it was time to go, it was hard to go. It was hard to leave, but I enjoyed every bit of it.
EPR: I hear they’re doing a reboot. Do you think there’s any chance you might have anything to do with that?
Charles: Well, I have no idea at all. I think last we head Josh was at Staples, so if they can peel him away from that job, I sure wouldn’t mind that at all.
EPR: Well, they got Dwight back from Staples, so…
Editor’s Note: This refers to when Rainn Wilson’s character left Dunder Mifflin for a short stint at Staples, for those of you who may not have seen the show.
EPR: It would be awesome if they could get some of the originals back, but I don’t know if any of the originals are attached to the new show as of yet.
Charles: Yeah I haven’t heard that either. I’m not waiting for that phone call. I’d answer it, but I’m not waiting for it.
Nashville Reunion Touring
EPR: Do you think there might be another Nashville tour reboot any time soon?
Charles: Well, we did Nashville reunion dates last year. We played at the Ryman and we played in Chicago. It went fantastically. We even went over to the UK and were just blown away by the response. I mean, it’s been six years since we finished back in 2018, almost six years. And we had no idea if anybody was going to show up again. But what we found is that that bond is deep, and it’s long lasting and, like us, people just love those songs. So yeah, I would imagine that in some capacity, we would all love to do that for as long as we could. Everybody has a different career that we’re doing. And my music is something I’ve been focusing on making the last two years. I’ve been focused on this album that I released this past January. So that’s been my focus, but anytime I can get together with those guys, sitting with them and singing next to them, it’s an absolute joy. One thing about all those concerts, they always were comprised of Nashville music and it seemed like the audience wanted to hear some of ours, as well. So, that was always very lovely. And we’ll keep that as part of it, too.
EPR: I watched some of the Nashville tour videos online. Even in the other countries, they knew all the words.
Charles: It’s so amazing. That’s one of the strange things about other countries, especially the UK. I just got back from a UK and European tour. I was in Scotland, England, multiple cities in Germany, Oslo, and you’re right. With strangers, they love it deeply. Ask any country artist, when you go over there, somehow they know all your songs. They know the deep cuts. They know the lines for the ones that maybe weren’t singles here, or didn’t blow up that much. But they spend the time. They take the time and they take these to heart. So yeah, seeing my lyrics on their lips, was perhaps the most rewarding thing of all.
EPR: I can’t imagine. And on your new album, you co-wrote every song. Correct?
Charles: Yes, ma’am.
Charles Esten On His Entry Into The Guinness Book Of World Records
EPR: And you also hold a record with the Guinness Book of World Records, right? And you wrote every one of those songs as well?
Charles: Yeah, back in 2016. At that point, I had been in Nashville for years working on the show Nashville, and it suddenly occurred to me that I didn’t feel as though I did as much as I could in Music City. I’ve been a songwriter all my life. And I’m finally here in my 40s and I go, “I don’t want to leave here and find that I didn’t do all that I could.” And so, I went out and did a video and posted it on my social media where I promised to release a brand new single every Friday. I called it the #EverySingleFriday Project. I figured I’d probably get about two dozen, maybe 20 or 24 [songs]. At the end of the year, I had 54 consecutive weekly singles that I had co-written or written on my own. And we had produced, we did all the artwork for then and posted them up on streaming services.
And about a year later I was in New York City on The Today Show, and the Guinness folks came along and said, “Yes, that is a world record. Nobody else has done that.” Now to be clear, one of the reasons nobody else has done it is because it’s a little insane. It makes no sense to do that. But for me it was just about making the most of my opportunity. If you want to be a bit creative, but you’re not moving forward, if you find yourself in cement, give yourself a deadline. That’s what this was. It was holding myself accountable to other people and saying, “Every week, I’m going to do this,” and that has a power. So when you’re stopping and overthinking something, a little bit of paralysis of analysis, it forces you to move through that. And I thought that was fantastic
EPR: So did you have the songs prepped before? Or were you writing them all along?
Charles: I had a handful, probably three or four, maybe five that were completed. And then I had a bunch where I had worked tapes on them or they were just written. I probably had like another 10 that were written or 12. So, I had about 20 that had some degree of preparation, right? But the other 34 were created during that year. And I really found that it just opened me up creatively. It’s almost like God says, “I’m giving you a shot and you’re never doing anything with it.” And as I started doing something with them, I started getting more as well. I always felt like I came to this city so late. Certainly all my contemporaries had already released multiple albums since they came here in their 20s. Here I am in my mid 40s. And so I just thought, “I’m just gonna do this.” So, on one hand, suddenly I have all this music that I can release, that I can play at concerts. And then, on top of that, it was really my 10,000 hours, my sort of graduate course in Music City. Working with all these great songwriters and players and producers really, I think, [took] my songwriting, and what I am as an artist, to the next level.
I waited a couple more years and took a bit of a break. And then of course COVID kicked in for a couple of years and didn’t make it a real great time to release an album. So, I started this album about two years ago. It’s been a joy ever since and I couldn’t be happier. The albums are sort of what I grew up on. None of those singles necessarily define me. Some of them do, some of them don’t. Some of them are just songs I wrote. The album itself is more of a statement, I think, about who you are as an artist, and it’s a journey that you’re asking your audience to take along with you. And so, I feel like the 54 songs really set me up perfectly to do this first debut album and I’m interested to see what comes next.
EPR: You just came back from overseas. The show coming up on Friday, May 31st [Charlotte, NC, Neighborhood Theatre]…is that the first one in the American leg of the tour or have you already started?
Charles: Before we went to Europe, we had a couple of great days to warm up and get the show going in Florida and in Texas. But there was only just a couple. Now the bulk of this is happening right now. So I’m very excited. And we’ve already started adding other dates and getting started back in Charlotte, North Carolina. When I was in a band back in college, we were in Virginia, the Tidewater area, but the band started traveling all over and we went down through North Carolina and up to Maryland and all over Virginia and everywhere. And also, I’m on that show, “Outer Banks,” my family – even though the show wasn’t shot there – has actually gone to the Outer Banks and seen that North Carolina shore every year for like the last 20 years I think. I have a heart for North Carolina and I’m really looking forward to being there.
I don’t know if you heard, I’m going to be at the baseball game the night before that for the Charlotte Knights on May 30th. It’s such a great way for me to get to town a day earlier. First of all, I love these games. And just meeting the people, it’s so family oriented and I get to meet a whole lot of folks that know me from this show or that show and then they find out that there’s a concert the next night. It’s really a great combination and it just means that we get to spend just a little more time in Charlotte and get to know those folks just a little bit better.
How You Can Join Charles Esten & Team Addie
EPR: You were one of the few celebrities who made it to the million dollar question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? And and I just want to tell you, I would think that would be such a stressful thing – to decide what to do in that moment. How did you work through that? Because you’re trying to get money for charity. The pressure!
Charles: I think stress generally happens when you don’t know what to do. I had a plan. First of all, one thing that sometimes [happens], when you have no expectations, the stress sort of goes away. When I showed up there, I had been doing press in New York City for a couple of days. I was pretty wiped out and we had to get to the airport at like 6. I think it might have been like 1. So they said, “We’re gonna squeeze just one more thing in here.” They’ve asked me to appear on it and I kind of didn’t want to because I didn’t want to look like a fool. But no matter what, I would get $15,000 for our charity, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, so I had to say yes. So then I went in there and I said, Well, I’ll just make my 15 and go, but I just kept knowing the answers.
So now finally, I think when I got up to like $125,000 or something like that. Even maybe the line before, I forget whatever it would have been. Maybe it’s 75 or something like that. But I remember thinking to myself, “Okay, now this is some real money. This is not your money. This is money that belongs to people that are trying to cure cancer. So you’re not going to risk it. This would be very good to walk away with this money.” So I made myself a little rule. I said, “Unless you know that you know that you know this answer, you’re not going to guess. And what that meant to me is unless I knew the answer before they gave me the choices as the possible answer [then I wouldn’t risk it]. And then, if one of the four answers was my answer, then I would move forward.
So we get all the way up to a $250,000. If I don’t know the answer before they [show me they choices] then I won’t answer it. And then Cedric The Entertainer asked, “On the album cover of Abbey Road, there’s an automobile, what’s the license of that automobile?” And I said, “Cedric, I’m afraid I know this.” And he said “No way.” I just had gone down this Beatles rabbit hole and I just happened to know that there was a “2 8 I F” on that license plate somewhere in the numbers. So I said to myself, before I said it to Cedric, I said, “If there’s a ‘2 8 I F’ in only one of these choices, then I will guess it,” and sure enough only one came up. So I guess and we got to $500,000. So then, they started asking about old fashioned words for being drunk that Benjamin Franklin used and I don’t know this. I had not even a clue. So there’s just my guess [I didn’t feel good about] so I didn’t guess. And my guess would have been wrong. So I left feeling I made every right decision I could make.
EPR: That’s so funny because, I was thinking the exact same thing that you ended up saying. I was like, “Well, Buzzey looks like a new word.” But, of course, I had no clue and I, too, would have been wrong had I guessed. I was talking to the TV like, “Walk away if you don’t know it. Just walk away. That’s a lot of money for charity!” And that’s what you did. And I was like, “Yes!”
Charles: Honestly, that felt smarter than even knowing the other answers. Like The Gambler said, “You gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away and I knew when to run.” So I got on that airplane and none of it seemed real, that I just walked away with half a million dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
EPR: Tell us a little bit about your charity.
Charles: If you follow me on socials, especially in October as the summer ends, we start talking about Light The Night. My daughter, Addie, was diagnosed with Leukemia. She is now happy and healthy and has already graduated from college. She is 24 years old and we are just so blessed by who she is and how she is. We are just so grateful for the cures that we know came from fundraising, that we decided to give back ourselves as much as we can in that area. So, anybody can become a member and part of Team Addie. There’s a big walk here in Nashville. If you come join us, we’ll get to hang out all day or all evening on that walk. Or if you just want to join from afar and walk from your own city or if you just want to give to LLS.org, there’s so many ways you can do that.
Get Social With Charles Esten
Website / Tour / Music / Light The Night / Facebook / Instagram / X
Karen Morse says
This blog post seriously made my day! Everything Charles does is filled with passion, whether it’s on screen or through his music. Thanks for sharing this deep dive into his world – it’s always great to see artists being recognized for their multifaceted talents.
Beth says
Deacon has a new album out! I have to check it out! I’ve loved Charles Esten since Nashville, and he has such a great voice.
Claudia says
He has such an amazing voice, and I’ve heard a few of his originals before. I will definitely be checking out this album. He’s such a cool guy.
Tara Pittman says
I do love his style of music. I will have to check out his new album.
Catherine Kay says
Charles Esten’s insights on his new album, ‘Love Ain’t Pretty’ tour, and thoughts on ‘The Office’ reboot are fascinating! It’s always exciting to hear from talented artists about their creative process and upcoming projects.
Krystle says
How cool to hold that record! I hope he tours up north soon
Isabellita Pabalan says
Charles Esten’s journey from TV to music is inspiring. His new album and tour are must-sees!
Melanie E says
It was so long ago that I saw Nashville that I barely remember it. I’m going to have to check out the new album as I do love this type of music. Great interview!!!
LisaLisa says
I know of his career, but I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to his music. His portrayal of Deacon Claybourne in Nashville was impressive; it completely slipped my mind that he played that character. I’ll definitely need to give his new music a listen too.
Richard Lowe says
This musician has a great and very inspiring story. Thanks for bringing it to us.
vidya says
this was a great interview to read.. and i love The Office too.. will be cool to have a reboot.. i am going to give a listen to Esten’s music now
Beautiful Touches says
What a lovely transition into music! I’ll have to look into listening to his album now.
Tameka says
This is great stuff! So many people have been waiting for that album release and its amazing that it’s finally happening.
Lynndee says
Good to know all the things he had done through this interview. I saw him perform on TV one time and he has a great voice. I will have to check his album.
Lavanda Michelle says
I’m a huge fan of his work on “Nashville,” and it’s exciting to hear about his new album and tour.
Nikki Wayne says
This artist has amazing heart and story to tell to everyone that is why a lot of people like him and listens to his music.
Michelle says
I’ve never heard Charles Esten’s music before, but the Love Ain’t Pretty Tour sounds like it would be amazing to see! I’ll have to listen to the new album.
Kimberley Asante says
Your interview with Charles Esten about “Love Ain’t Pretty” is so engaging! I love how you’ve captured his insights and personality—such a great read for fans and music lovers!
Julie says
I had to read part of this about Charles Esten’s Guiness World Record to my husband because he’s also a singer/songwriter in 3 bands, but only one is his original music. I love how inspirational his story is. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m forwarding this whole article to my husband because he’s also a huge The Office fan!
Fransic verso says
First time to know about him but it seems interesting and would love to check out his album. You have some great questions and answers. Awesome interview.
khoingn | The Broad Life says
As I’m not really in music I don’t know who he is. But after your post I will listen to his songs.