Born and raised in Nashville, ERNEST came up as a hit songwriter before stepping into his own spotlight.

Barroom poet with Nashville roots

His sound leans classic-leaning country with modern hooks: steel-soaked ballads next to easy-groove bar songs. Expect a set that pivots between heartache and grin, with likely anchors like Flower Shops, Some Other Bar, and Miss That Girl. He often slips a short writers-round moment mid-show, previewing pieces he penned for others, maybe a verse of More Than My Hometown or Big, Big Plans.

Likely songs and who shows up

The crowd skews mixed: songwriter die-hards, couples on a night out, and younger fans who found him through collaborations, all trading lines on the choruses. Fast facts: he co-wrote Diplo and Morgan Wallen's Heartless, and he hosts the no-frills Just Being Ernest podcast with Nashville insiders. Production tends to stay warm and human, letting pedal steel and harmonies carry the emotion rather than big effects. Consider the set choices and staging notes here as informed guesses that may change show to show.

The world around ERNEST

You will see pearl snaps, clean boots, and a lot of caps with farm and fishing logos, but also floral prints that nod to Flower Shops.

Roses, boots, and barroom manners

Couples slow-dance during the big ballad and then high-five strangers when the bar songs hit, a small-town bar vibe brought into a venue. Chants of E-R-N-E-S-T pop up between songs, usually starting from the rail and spreading only when he leans into it.

How the room behaves

Merch skews practical: hats, koozies, and a rose-and-script design that shows up on tees and tote bags. Fans swap favorite songwriter credits as much as favorite cuts, which makes the acoustic segment feel like a shared secret rather than a break. Expect plenty of phones for the singalong hooks, but the loudest moments still come from unamplified voices when he drops the band out. The culture is warm and a bit self-aware, mixing TikTok babies with folks who grew up on 90s radio without either group drowning out the other.

The sound behind ERNEST

ERNEST sings in an easy baritone with a grain that roughens on the edges when he pushes, which suits the bittersweet stuff.

Music first, room second

Arrangements stay simple but smart: acoustic guitar up front, Telecaster fills answering the vocal, and pedal steel drawing out the vowels. He often starts verses a notch slower than the record so the lines breathe, then lets the band lift the choruses without speeding up. Listen for a stretched outro on Flower Shops, where the steel player takes a long melody and the harmonies come in like a church bench.

Small choices, big feel

Mid-set, he likes to flip into an acoustic mini-round, sometimes stitching a verse of songs he wrote for others into his own. Capo'd acoustics and drop-tuned Tele parts keep his voice in a comfortable pocket while adding low-end thump without overdriving the mix. Lighting tends to be warm amber and rose to match the themes, changing mostly on section cues rather than every bar. The band supports the stories by leaving space, trading short licks instead of long solos until the final run.

Who rides with ERNEST

Fans of Morgan Wallen will connect with the mix of conversational lyrics and Southern melody that ERNEST favors.

If this is your lane, here are neighbors

HARDY overlaps on the rowdy-to-reflective swing, with guitars that punch but leave room for story. If you like the big-chorus sincerity of Luke Combs, this show mines that same plainspoken heart, just with a looser, honky-tonk tilt.

Why these names fit

Koe Wetzel fans may show up for the rough-around-the-edges bar energy and singalong tempos that feel built for Saturday nights. Listeners who drift between these artists tend to chase songs that feel lived-in, where the hook lands because the details sound true.