Ernest is a name country music fans have known for several years now, but he’s finally putting a face with that name by touring with superstar Jelly Roll. They play Heritage Bank Center on November 4.
“It feels like we’ve been planning this for so long, so I’m happy it’s here,” he says. “Cincinnati is one of the first weeks of the tour for us, and our band has already been working on the set list and everything for the show. I’ve known Jelly (Roll) a long time, and so being able to get out on tour together, especially after the year we’ve both gotten to have, is such a highlight.”
The creative partnership between Ernest and Jelly Roll has been long and winding, as they’ve found themselves creatively intertwined through the years. “When Jelly Roll put out his album Whitsitt Chapel in 2023, we had already done both ‘Son of a Sinner,’ which I was a co-writer on, and ‘I Went to College, I Went to Jail,’ which is just an autobiographical and uniquely us tribute that I still love,” says Ernest. “Getting to work with him again on his new album, Beautifully Broken, it’s been incredible to see how these songs resonate.”
Ernest, who was born Ernest Keith Smith, burst onto the country music scene alongside Morgan Wallen on their double platinum hit song “Flower Shops” in 2022. The two followed up with another hit song, “Cowgirls,” that appeared on Wallen’s album in 2023, One Thing at a Time.
And while Ernest has come to be known for his collaborations, his solo work is finally demonstrating the musical perfection he’s capable of, especially on his first-ever solo single, “Would If I Could.” “Getting to be able to put out my first radio single as an artist after years of writing for others is something I’m still so thankful for,” he says of the song written more than a decade ago by legendary songwriters Dean Dillon and Skip Ewing that’s featured on Ernest’s new album, Nashville, Tennessee. “This song holds up just as well today as it did back then. Heartfelt stories, genuine emotions, and just three chords and the truth really stand the test of time. This song just proves that truth again and again.”
His year looks to have the chance of getting even better as, just a few weeks after stepping off the stage in Cincinnati, Ernest will find himself hoping to be on the stage in Nashville to accept his CMA Award as a songwriter for Song of the Year nominee Post Malone’s and Morgan Wallen’s megahit “I Had Some Help.”
“For ‘I Had Some Help’ to have gone on and broken records and have gotten the nominations it has gotten even to date is wild to think about,” says Ernest, who already has a slew of No.1 tunes as a songwriter for artists such as Sam Hunt and Kane Brown. “But I also think the song is something fans have really gravitated toward in such a fun way. The reaction to it has been something I’m really proud of.”
It’s yet another moment on the incredible timeline of the kid from Tennessee, whose life could have taken such a different turn following a heart attack when he was just a teenager. “I think for me it was this invitation to not take time for granted and to live life to the fullest,” he says. “Sometimes people get caught up in all the reasons they can’t or shouldn’t try things, and I just think it’s made me know to be grateful for all the things you have. I’ve also come to know that you shouldn’t hold yourself back if you’re passionate about something. Make the most of every opportunity and every moment.”
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