New York, NY (Top40 Charts) After more than 20 years on country music's family tree, Dierks Bentley's own branch has grown strong and solid, and with his upcoming 11th studio album BROKEN BRANCHES out June 13 (Capitol Records Nashville), he comes to appreciate the knots and gnarl more than ever. Whittling down his essential sound to its rooted and most resolute, it finds a proud broken branch celebrating the outliers of country life - and of country music. The eleven songs embrace unruly characters wherever they're found, ultimately adding beauty to the whole.
"The country music community has a lot of broken branches in it. That's why we're all here," Bentley explains. "We want to do something a little bit different, and I think everyone sees themselves like that - certainly in country. This is the people's music and it represents that spirit of individuality so well - it's just about doing it our own way."
Bentley spent months listening to songs, often driving around the backroads of his Tennessee home, spinning raw demos with no names attached to the songs. Then he chose a mix of tracks with deep meanings and distinctive quirks, centered on the imperfect perfections of community spirit. Executive Produced by Mary Hilliard Harrington, each song grew from acoustic-guitar foundation in whatever direction felt right, and Bentley calls that a testament to producers Jon Randall and Ross Copperman, plus musicians like Charlie Worsham, Jedd Hughes, Rob McNelley and Bryan Sutton. Co-writing just four tracks himself and securing seven from outside writers (many for the first time), Bentley dug deeper than ever before into Nashville's thriving songwriting community.
"I think that's what's special about country - we're still making music in the studio with our buddies," Bentley says. "We're still getting together and talking about the songs and letting the musicians have a big say. It's a good team - maybe a little messed up - but that's the whole idea behind broken branches, so it just works."
"Broken Branches" became the anchor track as a grounded (but good-timing) anthem with a mood-boosting jukebox stomp in honor of nature's black sheep, featuring multiple generations, the living legend John Anderson and rising hit maker Riley Green.
Others like "Cold Beer Can" shows a different way of looking at a frosty 12-oz. and the heartwarming banjo-led "Never You (feat.
Miranda Lambert)" tribute the essential companion in each life. Bentley returns to his bluegrass beginnings with the feverish "Well, Well Whiskey," tracks like the propulsive acoustic jam "Something Worth Fixing" celebrate life as a work in progress, the grungy alt-country of "Jesus Loves Me" explores a heartbroken "gospel truth" and "Off the Map" looks to quietly escape a relentless reality - whether on the beach, or a barstool. Meanwhile, the blazing heart of "Standing in the Sun" burns with the simple, life-giving power of true romance, while "For as Long as I Can Remember" tributes the Sequoia-like shelter a father provides and "Don't Cry for Me" brings the project full-circle.
BROKEN BRANCHES Track List:
1. Cold Beer Can
Written by Jon Randall, Luke Dick, Stephen Wilson Jr. and Dierks Bentley
2. Jesus Loves Me
Written by Adam James, Ben Stennis and
Allison Veltz Cruz
3. She Hates Me
Written by Ashley Gorley, Chase McGill, Ross Copperman, Jimmy Allen,
Wesley Scantlin and Dierks Bentley
4. Something Worth Fixing
Written by Stephen Wilson Jr., Luke Dick and Dierks Bentley
5. Standing In The Sun
Written by Kyle Sturrock
6. Well Well Whiskey
Written by Seth Ennis, Devin Dawson and Jordan Reynolds
7. Broken Branches
Written by Zach Abend, Beau Bailey and Graham Barham
8. Off The Map
Written by Jeremy Bussey,
Lauren McLamb and Adam Wood
9. Near You (ft.
Miranda Lambert)
Written by
Scooter Carusoe,
Ross Copperman and Ben Williams
10. For As Long As I Can Remember
Written by Devin Dawson, Connie Harrington
11. Don't Cry For Me
Written by Jim Beavers and Dierks Bentley
The multi-Platinum superstar recently released the biggest debuting song of his career with BROKEN BRANCHES' debut single "She Hates Me," which features his "trademark humor" (Billboard) while blending elements of Whitley and Weezer, adding a playful edge to Bentley's signature country sound. He counts eight Number One albums, 22 Number One songs, and over nine billion global streams to his credit - plus 15 Grammy nominations and membership in the historic Grand Ole Opry. A global headliner and against-the-grain torch bearer for country's organic roots, Bentley will launch his 30-city BROKEN BRANCHES TOUR on May 29 with
Zach Top and The Band Loula. Continuing the path built from the ground up, as an entrepreneur, he has opened four locations of the gastropub and live music venue "Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row," has a Flag & Anthem lifestyle collection "Desert Son" and recently released ROW 94 - a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey crafted with only "three ingredients and the truth" at Kentucky's Green River Distilling Co. For more information on new music and upcoming tour dates, visit Dierks.com.
