Esther Rose’s ‘Want’: An Honest, Revelatory Journey Through Desire, Growth, and Transformation

Ester Rose has seen much success over several years, releasing albums consistently. Inspired by the great guitarist and songwriter-Hank Williams, her talent and artistry are always evolving while remaining true to herself. Her debut album, 'This Time Last Night' (2017), features songs written entirely by Ester. Recorded live to tape at Mashed Potato Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 11-track project unleashed her straightforward lyrics, simple chords, and vibrant voice. Rose blends traditional country vibes with the lively spirit of indie folk; even her most heartfelt tracks keep a solid rhythm.

15Questions.net: Can you talk about a breakthrough work, event or performance in your career? Why does it feel special to you? When, why and how did you start working on it, what were some of the motivations and ideas behind it?

Self releasing my first record This Time Last Night in 2017 was a breakthrough. There were many points on the way where I wanted to abandon it and thankfully my closest friends pushed me to finish it. I could not imagine something so extremely personal to me, just out in the world like that. I remember thinking everyone’s gonna laugh at me and indeed maybe they are, but I no longer live in fear of it. Moving through that first fear was very much a breakthrough.

'You’ve Come this Far', takes listeners back to her high school days in Columbiaville, Michigan. In one memory, she reflects on a typical school day, from her mom brewing morning coffee to waking her sister, the restless teens, the snowy roads, and the mundane day ahead. The aimless young characters in 'Lower 9 Valentine' are addressed directly in a straightforward love song named after the working-class neighborhood where she recorded the album with her small band.

You can tell that Rose values her surroundings just as much as the people around her: 'Every day’s a holiday when we’re walking on the levee,' she sings. With a hopeful tone, she invites you to join the celebration. In 'Only Loving You,' her band shifts suddenly between a moody refrain and an upbeat chorus, creating an aural jump-cut that gives the music a darker feel than her lovesick lyrics might imply.

In 'Always Changing,' she spots a couple sharing a kiss in the park and starts to think about what their life is like when they get home, just the two of them. In 'Sex and Magic,' she examines her own relationships, pointing out how similar they are to the performances in the title, and how they can feel cheap, fake, and desperate when they become routine.

The standout track on the album is its simplest one. The solo acoustic piece 'Don’t Blame It on the Moon' was penned just before the album wrapped up, and it’s the closest Rose has come to crafting her own classic. Outside a bar late at night, she reveals a series of intense moments between two lovers who are at their breaking point.

Her third album, 'How Many Times', dives into the aftermath of a tough breakup with tracks like 'Keeps Me Running' and 'Are You Out There.' These songs are tied to her hometown, but she experiences it in a new way now. She's more guarded, putting up walls. On the title track, she expresses a local's annoyance with the city's main tourist spot, singing, 'Walking through the Quarter with my hood pulled up/Don’t you stand beside me, boys, I got bad luck.'

In 'When You Go,' she confronts a wandering lover with, 'I think I might just let you go,' only to follow it up with, 'Can I come with you?' You might find it amusing if her anxiety and longing weren't so evident.

If 'How Many Times' is all about breaking up, then 'Songs Remain' serves as the resolution. Instead of pointing fingers, Rose reflects on their shared moments with a sense of appreciation, painting vivid pictures of their relationship—like those early mornings filled with 'black coffee and bacon fat'—and says a bittersweet goodbye to her 'inner city lumberjack' with, 'I’m glad it was you who broke my heart.' It's rare to hear breakup songs that feel this kind and heartfelt. 'Songs Remain' stands out as the core of this album and one of the best tracks in Rose's collection, illustrating how heartbreak can alter your perception of a city and how music can keep you moving forward.

'Safe to Run' showcases Rose's unique take on country music, blending her signature style with some self-imposed limits. Tracks like 'Handyman' from 'You Made It This Far' highlight a catchy swing rhythm. Meanwhile, 'Without You' from 'How Many Times' perfectly captures Rose's distinctive vocal nuances and phrasing.

Paste Magazine: “Honestly, it was really freeing to not be working with tape because you have to rewind it and work around a finite amount of tape,” she said. “I loved those constraints in the past, because I feel like it made all the musicians rise to the occasion. This time, I felt like I was ready to experiment.”

Esther Rose’s fifth album, Want, opens with a moment of whimsy—a wishlist of desires sung from the driver’s seat of her car during a solo road trip. “I want a puppy, but I don’t want a mess. I want to know where I’m going without GPS,” she muses on the title track, blending humor with existential longing. What begins as a playful riff soon unfolds into a profound exploration of human yearning, cementing Want as Rose’s most daring and emotionally resonant work to date.

The lyrics to the song-"Want" dives deep into the mixed feelings, wants, and weaknesses that come with being human, all while searching for realness in today's chaotic world.

Conflicting wants can be seen in lines such as “I want a puppy, but I don’t want a mess” and “I want real money, but I can’t play the game” highlight the struggle to reconcile idealized visions with reality’s complications.

The longing for realness: The chorus’s repetition of “Living real life” underscores a craving for unfiltered existence—embracing raw emotions (“bleeding real life”), imperfect relationships (“make-up sex”), and natural beauty (“real strawberry from the vine”).

The track also deals with the themes of life and how fleeting it is. “It passes so quickly, the blink of an eye” and “forever young.” This urgency fuels the desire to savor fleeting moments, like driving to the store or watching a sunrise.

Both emotional anchors and romantic lines are all over the place, for instance, a desire for “real conversation with my mother” and a father’s validation, touching on unresolved familial bonds. to (“asleep in your spoon,” “blow your mind”) blend intimacy with passion, illustrating love’s dual nature as comfort and chaos.

Her use of places like “Arizona plains” and “Alameda” root the song in nature, symbolizing healing and escape from urban artificiality. Or the closing shift to “surviving real life” acknowledges the exhaustion of navigating these complexities yet insists on resilience.

Recorded live-to-tape at Nashville’s Bomb Shelter with producer Ross Farbe, Want marks a seismic shift for the Santa Fe-based songwriter. Tracks like “tailspin” (co-written with New Orleans rockers Video Age) channel basement-punk energy, while the haunting duet “Scars” (featuring Dean Johnson) pairs raw vocal harmonies with pedal steel ache. Yet even at its grittiest, the album retains Rose’s signature gift for melody—a balancing act she credits to trusted collaborators like guitarist Kunal Prakash and drummer Howe Pearson.

Rose confronts rock-bottom moments, shifting relationships with substances, and the complexities of adult partnership with unflinching honesty. “There are things I’ve tiptoed around in my writing—and in my life—that I wasn’t ready to look at,” she admits. Tracks like “Had To” and “Rescue You” tackle distressing subjects with clarity, while love songs trade heartbreak clichés for nuanced reflections on accountability. “Baby, I’ve got scars that you cannot see / Love them for what they gave to me,” she declares in “Scars,” a mantra for embracing life’s fractures.

The album’s creation followed a near-breaking point. After touring Safe to Run, Rose considered quitting music altogether. “I felt exhausted, depleted,” she says. Therapy and sobriety became catalysts for renewal, freeing her to write without self-judgment. Early drafts flirted with electro-pop and acoustic minimalism, but she eventually funneled her scattered ideas into The Therapy LP—a working title that speaks to the album’s confessional core.

Want closes with a poignant full-circle moment. In “Want Pt. 2,” Rose revisits her old New Orleans haunts during Mardi Gras, watching a Rolling Stones cover band reinterpret “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” As friends’ voices rise in raucous harmony, she interpolates the Stones’ melody, tears mixing with laughter. It’s a scene that mirrors the album itself: chaotic, communal, and deeply alive.

For longtime fans, Want feels like watching a friend step into their power. For newcomers, it’s an invitation to ride shotgun with one of indie music’s most fearless storytellers. As Rose sings in “tailspin”: “Today is the greatest day of my life.” After this album, you’ll believe her.

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