Esther Rose Announces New Album Want, Shares “New Bad”

This morning, country singer-songwriter Esther Rose has announced her fifth album, Want, out May 25 via New West Records. Teasing the record’s release, she’s shared its lead single, “New Bad,” and an accompanying music video directed by New York Times bestselling author Anna Marie Tendler. In support of the album, Rose will also embark on a global tour, with dates spanning from this month through early June.

Rose recorded Want live-to-tape at the Bomb Shelter in Nashville, Tennessee, working with producer Ross Farbe (Video Age) and a host of talented collaborators, including singer-songwriter Dean Johnson and members from Video Age, The Deslondes and Silver Synthetic. Want is her first album since 2023’s Safe to Run, which Paste contributor Rayne Antrim wrote was, at the time, “her most-ambitious, resonant and fearless” release. Despite garnering critical acclaim, Esther Rose became so burnt out after touring in support of Safe to Run that she considered giving up music altogether.

After quitting drinking and experiencing breakthroughs in therapy, Esther felt rejuvenated and inspired to begin a new creative project. She toyed with multiple concepts when the album was in its embryonic stages, but she ultimately decided to cast her vulnerable lyrics in a multitude of musical aesthetics, resulting in her most diverse album to date. We can already hear her far-reaching approach at work on “New Bad,” and it’s absolutely enthralling: The thumping bassline and steady-going percussion of its opening verse promise a solid country-rocker, but the chorus unexpectedly nosedives into a cathartic, shoegaze-tinged spiral of electro-grunge distortion. The American country music scene has been an unprecedented hotbed of creativity lately, and I’m beyond eager to see how Esther Rose will continue expanding the genre on her new album.

“This record is introspective and internal,” Rose says of Want. “In these songs, I examine my thoughts and behavior patterns. There are other themes, fear being a big one. I write when I’m scared, and I was scared a lot, sometimes by external situations but mostly by deep-diving into my subconscious. Another theme is accountability. I’m still learning about this one.”

She continues, “I believe in the power of music to reveal and heal. Making this album was the most beautiful experience of my life.”

Read our 2023 profile on Esther Rose here. Watch the music video for “New Bad” and check out the Want artwork and tracklist below, along with her upcoming tour dates.

Want Artwork:

Want Tracklist:
Want
tailspin (ft. Video Age)
Had To
Ketamine
Rescue You
Scars (ft. Dean Johnson)
Messenger
New Bad
The Clown
Color Wheel
Want Pt. 2

Esther Rose’s Upcoming Tour Dates:
Feb 5 Austin, TX @ Sagebrush *
Feb 6 Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips *
Feb 7 Oklahoma City, OK @ Resonant Head *
Feb 11 Los Angeles, CA @ Gold-Diggers (sold out) *
Feb 13 San Francisco, CA @ 4 Star Theater (sold out) *
Feb 14 Ojai, CA @ Deer Lodge *
Feb 15 Phoenix, AZ @ Musical Instrument Museum *
Feb 16 Santa Fe, NM @ Tumbleroot Brewery *
Feb 27 Nashville, TN @ Blue Room at Third Man Records *
Feb 28 Little Rock, AR @ White Water Tavern *
Mar 1 Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge *
Mar 2 Columbus, MS @ Sunstroke House *
Mar 4 Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s *
Mar 5 St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club *
Mar 6 Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *
Mar 7 Newport, KY @ Southgate House *
Mar 8 Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar *
Mar 9 Asheville, NC @ Eulogy *
Mar 20 Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall *
Mar 21 Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java *
Mar 22 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
Mar 23 Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right *
Mar 25 Toronto, ON @ Garrison *
Mar 26 Montreal, QC @ Bar le Ritz PDB *
Mar 27 Burlington, VT @ Light Club Lamp Shop (sold out) *
Mar 28 Portland, ME @ SPACE Gallery *
Mar 29 Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s (sold out) *
May 07 Den Haag, NL @ Paard ~
May 08 Groningen, NL @ Lutherse Kerk ~
Ma 09 y Amen, NL @ Cultureel Café de Amer ~
May 10 Breda, NL @ Mezz ~
May 11 Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg ~
May 13 Kristiansand, NO @ Vaktbua ~
May 14 Oslo, NO @ Kampen Bistro ~
May 15 Trondheim, NO @ Bar Moskus ~
May 16 Östersund, SE @ Jazzköket ~
May 19 Glasgow, UK @ Glad Cafe +
May 20 Manchester, UK @ The Lodge +
May 21 London, UK @ Lexington +
May 22 Gothenburg, SE @ Nefertiti +
May 24 Stockholm, SE @ Echo Three Fest +
May 26 Copenhagen, DK +
May 27 Odense, DK +
May 28 Hamburg, DE +
May 30 Burghausen @ Jazzkeller +
June 02 Paris, FR @ Supersonic +
* Co-Headline Tour with Twain
~ Supporting Andrew Combs
+ Headline Shows

Esther Rose’s Paste Session from 2023: