The 2019 ACM Awards had definite "light" moments for Dierks Bentley, including a performance that's being talked about across the country.
The night kicked off in the most perfect of ways, with the ACM social media pages announcing an early win for Dierks and Brothers Osborne. They walked into the event having already won the Music Event of the Year for their "Burning Man" collaboration.
While this doesn't come with an official acceptance speech, Dierks and the guys were quite grateful for the win, and sent out a tweet to say thank you!
(This win is extra sweet after Dierks' earlier interview where he noted his kids always remind him he never wins anything. Not tonight!)
Speaking of the red carpet, Dierks and his wife, Cassidy, looked absolutely stunning (thank you to CMT for this wonderful photo of the Bentleys (right) with Catherine Shepherd and Brandi Carlile (left))!
While Brandi is a Grammy award winning singer, songwriter and producer, many might not have known there were ties between her and Dierks. For those of us who have had The Mountain on repeat for the better part of the last year, her voice is a familiar one gracing our speakers. And DB Congress members were elated to have the chance to see their duet "Travelin' Light" live at the awards show, which Billboard said, in the most positive of ways, that it was "almost as if they were having fun at a karaoke session with friends--just with all-star vocals!"
Brandi's newest collaboration, Highwomen (a play on the 80s and 90s supergroup Highwaymen which includes Maren Morris, Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna), even gave a Twitter invite to Dierks as an honorary member!
They sound so good together ❤️ @DierksBentley you wanna be a Highwoman?
Based on the banter between Dierks and Brandi before the show, it was clear the two love to perform together and they embrace a live show audience. In another interview, they discussed the evening itself was light. As Dierks noted, "There isn't a lot of heaviness to this show. It's just a fun place to be. It's Vegas. It's springtime. It feels pretty good."
As Brandi said of "Travelin' Light" and of Dierks, "I wanted to sing it because I felt [the song] and I felt Dierks' voice so much. I'm a big fan of his humanity, the kind of dad he is, the guy he is, the kind of husband he is. He's just somebody I want to spend a lot more time with."
Perhaps Brandi will "lay it down" again on a future Dierks album? We're ready!
Bonus: This "light" photo was captured at the event, and our DB Congress friends across the pond had a little fun, seeking captions. How would you caption this photo?
Can you believe it's already the end of another year (the 15th year of Dierks Bentley’s career!)? This was a powerhouse year for our DB Congress President. A new album, number one songs, tours, music videos, even his own clothing line and music festival—2018 brought what some would call the year the general public got to know the man behind the music (the Dierks we all know and love).
Every mile(stone) was a memory in 2018! Here are the highlights:
January 10
Dierks started the year in epic fashion. After two months of silence on his social media channels, clues finally started to be leaked, resulting in what we’ve all been waiting for: a new album! This social media campaign revealed the title, logo, preorder information (including the beloved keys!), a live interview, and the announcement of the first single off the album: “Woman, Amen.”
January 17 “Woman, Amen” was officially released as the first single off the anticipated album The Mountain. Throughout the year, the song made it to number one in just a few months!
January 18
Dierks and the guys had the opportunity to perform "Woman, Amen" on Ellen, where she introduced him as "one of the biggest names in country music."
January 23 The Mountain High Tour was announced in a very unique way, pulling in tour mates Brothers Osborne and LANCO. The tour kicked off in Columbia, Md., on May 18 and stopped at more than 30 cities, including the sold out Madison Square Garden in September.
February 5
As stated on The Boot, "Dierks Bentley received the 2018 CRS Artist Humanitarian Award in a special ceremony. The award was given in recognition of Bentley's substantial charitable work, including his Miles & Music for Kids concert and motorcycle ride, which occurred annually over the span of 10 years and raised over $4 million to benefit children's hospitals across the country, and the Country Cares concert he organized and hosted in support of those affected by wildfires in his home state, Arizona." Watch his full acceptance speech here.
February 10
As if we didn’t already feel like we were shouting from the top of a mountain with the excitement of the year so far, Dierks announced he has partnered up with Flag & Anthem to create a new clothing line, Desert Son. Fit for a son of the Arizona desert, this “authentic” clothing line is truly a representation of the desert son himself.
April 5
Dierks revealed the Seven Peaks Music Festival would be held over Labor Day weekend in Buena Vista, Colo. Guest artists already announced included Miranda Lambert, Brothers Osborne, LANCO, Elle King, Del McCoury, Sam Bush and The Cadillac Three, with more announced in the coming months.
April 10
In the style of his “Riser” music video, Dierks used this medium to share a real story of a mother-daughter super duo with the hope of inspiring others to action in "Woman, Amen" music video.
April 12
We finally received a release date for The Mountain! The album will be released June 8. This announcement included a downloadable track and the entire track list of the album. Dierks wrote 10 of the 13 new tracks “that are unified by themes of presence and positivity, and range in style from textured rock to acoustic folk, feeling both rooted and expansive at the same time.”
April 15
Dierks’ “Black” music video was nominated for Video of the Year at the ACM Awards where he had the opportunity to perform “Woman, Amen." This performance earned solid airtime through various platforms because of the kiss he gave his wife, Cassidy, at the end! This was also the evening where #WomanAmenACM submissions were featured during the performance (and those same photos have been used on tour ever since!).
April/May
Dierks created four "Mountain" music videos, sharing stories of people overcoming their personal mountains. Teaming up with Apple Music, these videos highlight “fans’ stories of resilience, perseverance and hope set to picturesque performance footage shot in Colorado.” Songs include "Woman, Amen," (see April 10) “The Mountain,” “Living,” and “You Can’t Bring Me Down.”
May 20
The Mountain High Tour kicks off in Columbia, Md., with many DBCers in attendance! It was clear Dierks hadn’t been on the road for a while--he was so excited, he didn’t even stop to talk until he was nine songs into the night! With tight transitions and a stellar setlist, it was the perfect opener for the six-month tour!
June 7
In the hours leading up to the long-awaited album release of midnight on June 8, Dierks and the guys performed the entire album top to bottom at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. He also included a couple extra recent hits along with older country covers.
June 8 The album has arrived! “The Mountain just might be Dierks at his strongest—this just might be the summit of the mountain of a career he’s been climbing. … [It’s] inherently Dierks. It’s rugged and rock-tinged, but still undeniably country. It has a heart.”
June/July
The law enforcement lip sync battle that took over the country has gone, well, country. A chance to show these men and women in uniform are real people, they took the opportunity to lip sync to whatever songs inspired them … and Dierks’ “5-1-5-0” naturally was a perfect fit for many.
July 2
A personal message from Dierks arrived exclusively for the DB Congress. “I cannot even think of where to start when it comes to thanking you guys for, man, all the support all you guys do, all your enthusiasm … especially with the new album release, and just playing new songs and knowing that you guys are gonna be down front supporting us means so much to me and the guys in the band.”
August 22
As stated in Rolling Stone, Dierks received "the ACM Merle Haggard Spirit Award in recognition of a career that has spanned eight albums and blazed a unique trail with his artistry, just as the award’s namesake did during his lifetime."
August 31 - September 2
Dierks hosted his first-ever music festival, Seven Peaks! Drawing thousands to Buena Vista, Colo. (including many DBCers), Dierks took the time to walk through the camp to ensure he had the chance to meet everyone in attendance. Save the date for next year-there's no way he'd miss doing this again!
October 14
The “Burning Man” music video, featuring Brothers Osborne, was released, and it’s pure fire! Though a few team members actually experienced a heat stroke from the literal heat when filming, the result was perfection. “Dierks’ heart, passion, contemplation, and joy radiate throughout the video, continuing the 2018 trend we’ve seen from Dierks in his introspective year.”
October 22
Though we do not yet know the title or even the air date, we do know Dierks is slated to produce a new comedy show on Fox along with his manager, Mary Hilliard Harrington. This dynamic duo has teamed up with Jack Burditt, best known as the creator of the hit shows Last Man Standing and Modern Family. “The untitled series is set in a Nashville bar, where singers and songwriters go to chase their dreams, or maybe just to fall in love if only for a night.”
October 26
The Burning Man Tour will be hitting cities in the U.S. and Canada in 2019! This time, Dierks will welcome back Jon Pardi, and is adding Tenille Townes to the team (with the Hot Country Knights kicking it all off for each show!). Tickets are on sale now (if you haven't snagged them already!).
Those Hot Country Knights ...
November 14
Dierks performed “Burning Man” live on Good Morning America ahead of the CMA Awards later that evening. From where did he perform? His own Whiskey Row in Nashville, naturally! That evening, he was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year (The Mountain), and Musical Event of the Year ("Burning Man" with Brothers Osborne).
Also November 14
It was announced that Dierks stepped down from the Metro Nashville Airport Authority Board of Directors, citing work being more time consuming than he anticipated, resulting in him not contributing as much as he would have liked. He was appointed in April 2017.
November-December
Those visiting Dierks' Whiskey Row in Nashville (along with other Lower Broadway restaurants) between Thanksgiving and Christmas had the opportunity to purchase items off the menu with a percentage benefitting Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital in Vanderbilt. For WR, if you purchased their legendary mac and cheese, some of the proceeds would have been donated on your behalf. A win-win!
December
Through the month of December--well, 12 days of it--DB Congress held a unique Twitter campaign: The 12 Days of Dierksmas Giveaways! For those who retweeted the 12 daily tweets (well, there were actually 13 because we were quite excited!), their name was entered to win the item of the day, ranging anywhere from beer koozies to meet and greets! Special thanks to BubbleUp, Dierks.com, Red Light Management, and Flag & Anthem for providing the giveaways!
December 1
This day saw gifts aplenty for Dierks and DBCers! In the last show of 2018, Dierks brought 10-year-old daughter, Evie, on stage to perform “My Religion” together. This was a priceless moment that many will remember for years to come! Also, before the show, Dierks had the chance to open his belated birthday gift from dozens of DB Congress reps, which included a customized guitar strap, giant fold-out birthday card, and a donation made to Jumbled Dreams on his behalf … to which he replied, “Best fans ever!”
December 5
In true Dierks fashion, he took the time to handwrite notes to his team, giving personal thank yous to the band and crew.
December 10
A favorite tradition for Dierks and Cassidy, the couple attended the Safe Haven Family Shelter annual fundraiser and joined a team to match 100 percent of all proceeds. With their contributions, the event raised more than $56,000 for the shelter—one very near and dear to the Bentley family.
December 18
Dierks had the opportunity to perform on the season 15 finale of The Voice, bringing “country to L.A. with a rendition of his hit, Burning Man.” Everyone agrees, it was an incredible performance! Even his family got to attend.
It's no surprise a music video with a song title of "Burning Man" would be filmed someplace hot, but even Arizona native, Dierks Bentley, wasn't prepared for what the Palm Springs, Calif., desert held for the video team in the July heat.
"I’m from Arizona, and this was hot. I felt bad for everyone involved,” Dierks said when reflecting on the video shoot.
Several members of the crew experienced heat stroke, vehicles got stuck in the sand; there was even a rattlesnake tamer with them at all times.
But ... anything less and this video wouldn't be fitting for the song itself. And the video turned out exactly how they wanted it.
After the sun went down, though, the energy shifted, and the team soaked up the desert air. With the stars out and nothing else in sight, the other side of the burning man came to light.
“We went absolutely crazy,” Dierks said. “It felt so good—we had the music cranking, we were in the middle of nowhere and the stars were coming out. The fun we were having was true to a fault, we didn’t have to fake that at all.”
Joined by Brothers Osborne duo--T.J. and John--"Burning Man" is a reflection on Dierks' life, where he's come from and where he wants to be.
"I live in these two completely different worlds,” Dierks said. “I’m in my house in Nashville right now and I’m about to fly to San Francisco to do a show. And it’s not just physical, but also mentally I am always switching gears and trying to be successful in both of them. One day I’m doing something with [my] four-year-old with a bunch of their moms and the next I’m on stage ... I’m knee-deep in adulthood. I thought it would be fun to sing [this] with someone who doesn’t have three kids and isn’t as far along as I am or as old as I am.”
Directed by Wes Edwards (who also directed "Black," "5-1-5-0" and "Riser"), the video pulls in elements that Dierks fans will recognize from his career journey. It includes footage from every era of his music career, clips of his family, even a subtle nod to his Riser logo.
Dierks' heart, passion, contemplation, and joy radiate throughout the video, continuing the 2018 trend we've seen from Dierks in his introspective year.
"I wanted [this video] to be about my own journey in music--how many nights I’ve been on stage and the years I’ve put into this—who I am," he said. He added in a different interview, “This song is a personal reflection and it was important to me that you feel that with the video."
Photo Credit: Mary Lou Greene Cassady Feasby, Ben Helson, Dierks Bentley, Steve Misamore, Dan Hochhalter, Tim Sergent, Opening Night, Mountain High Tour, 5/18/18, Merriweather Post Pavillion
Dierks Bentley was nine songs into his opening night of the Mountain High Tour before he drew a breath.
"I didn't get a chance to introduce myself....Hi, I'm Dierks Bentley, I'm your lead singer tonight and you guys are amazing. You guys are so incredible I cannot believe ...just blows my mind you guys are all here, everywhere, alright! up top!"
The Merriweather Post Pavillion was a gorgeous setting, and the fans in Columbia, Maryland on Friday, May 18, 2018 didn't seem to mind the rain to have the chance at the Dierks Bentley Mountain High experience.
All six 'Team Dude' members managed four costume changes (and wigs) in record time from the VIP 'mountain-clad' acoustic set, to 15 minutes later opening for LANCO in overalls as "The Maryland Monroes," then the new set, and a psychedelic '70's-themed encore--complete with platform shoes, bell bottoms and oh, yeah, a pilot's uniform.
The VIP acoustic set started out with stripped down versions of 5-1-5-0, Up On the Ridge, Drunk On A Plane and new from The Mountain album, "You Can't Bring Me Down." Fantastic fiddle playing by Dan Hochhalter! At one point, someone in the crowd was face-timing and Dierks took the phone and introduced the band to them. Dierks on the mandolin was having a blast, then traded with Ben Helson for the guitar. Thank God for the versatility of this skillful group of musicians! Check out the VIP acoustic videos on our DB Congress Facebook page!
It's 9:20 pm and the lights go dark. The intro music starts..."Well I bet my soul on a six string gamble, and I climbed like hell through the brush and the bramble. Even though I had my doubts, told myself, don't look down, and I turned that hill into a pile of gravel. It was only a mountain, nothing but a big ole rock. Only a mountain, it ain't hard if you don't stop. It just took a little step, a right then a left then a couple million more, who's countin'? Hell, it's only a mountain, Hell, it's only a mountain...then BAM! An explosion --90 seconds of electricity and elaborate new lighting (compliments of Chris Reade), and live electric guitars, drums, bass, and banjo. Dierks, Ben Helson, Cassady Feasby, Dan Hochhalter, Steve Misamore and Tim Sergent rocked 'The Mountain' hard, straight into the next song--I Hold On.
Transitions were tight--they never stopped playing. Ending each song on the same note the next one began--seamless. Before Somewhere On A Beach, Dierks quipped, if you want to climb a mountain, you gotta start at the bottom, you gotta start at sea level before you reach that altitude. The wild drum sound of Woman, Amen was augmented with LANCO and Brothers Osborne drummers in addition to Bentley's own Steve Misamore and perfectly positioned Black as the chaser.
Burning Man brought Brothers Osborne to the stage again--a much anticipated number since the Brothers are featured on the album cut. And many DB Congress reps heard it live first in Vegas in December 2017. Ben Helson and John Osborne killed it while Dierks, jumped up and down excitedly:
Up On The
Ridge took a turn to Hillbilly Shoes (a nod to Montgomery Gentry), spotlighting the vocal talent of bass player, Cassady Feasby. "You think you know me, but you ain't seen nothin' yet. Til you walk a while, a country mile in my hillbilly shoes, he belts out while Bentley harmonizes with background vocals:
During 5-1-5-0, LANCO lead Brandon Lancaster returned to duet with Dierks on the 90's throwback, "Sold" (Grundy County Auction).
So how did the tour name come about? Dierks tells us.
"Ah man, we've been off the road for a while...this is our first night of the Mountain High Tour. I got a record coming out called The Mountain, so me and the guys we're responsible for the "Mountain" part of the name, Brothers Osborne are responsible for the "High" part of the Mountain High Tour. Pretty good, right? We're just so relieved to be back on the road, this is where we love to be. We had to take some time off to try to make the best record we could, but we missed you guys, miss being around you guys."
"It was a crazy year last year, it was a hard year for a lot of us in country music, in the country music community and a lot of difficult times out there that we all went through together. I was meeting earlier tonight with a girl who was here with her family and its her first concert back since Route 91 and I want to recognize her and her family--thank you for coming out tonight and letting us be your first concert since then--really means a lot to me and the guys that you guys came here."
"I know everybody here, you all have your own mountains you're climbing, your own personal battles, and I tell you the one thing I know is that country music fans have more perseverance and determination than any people I've ever met in my life and we're gonna send this song to all you risers out there tonight--this is for you guys, you are risers, there's nothing you can't do, nothing we can't get through together. Isn't that right?"
Am I The Only One? allowed the guys to all sit down for a minute (whew!) on the new stage with a U-shaped set of lighted steps, and Dierks introduced each of them, then strolled out to the B stage for Tip It On Back--a perfect fit for the fans on the lawn- and Say You Do, before heading back to the main stage for Living, Thinking and Sideways.
When darkness comes to town, I'm a lighter...the stage goes dark for a short time and then a 70's clad crew come back for the lively Drunk On A Plane encore and suddenly Dierks is maneuvered high up in the stage clouds for the Mardi Gras tune in a make-shift plane.
As if our clear eyes weren't even blinking, it was over, leaving us with a heart full of grateful for all Dierks and his crew gave us tonight, an uplifting evening, allowing us to feel that fire we've been missin', we were living!
Don't miss the Mountain High Tour tonight in Camden, NJ. See all tour dates here.
On April 12, those who follow Dierks Bentley's social media channels were given some very important news we've all been waiting for: The Mountain album will be released June 8!
That same day, those who pre-ordered The Mountain were notified of an extra special surprise: a downloadable title track!
Oh, it's an amazing week for Dierks fans, isn't it?
After we set up yet another Dierks countdown timer on our phones (54 days, 15 hours, 23 minutes as of the writing of this blog), we can now see what's been hinted at over the last few weeks. All song titles are available (and we have clips of many of them!).
As stated by Dierks' PR team, "Reaching a new creative high, Bentley co-wrote 10 of the 13 new tracks that are unified by themes of presence and positivity, and range in style from textured rock to acoustic folk, feeling both rooted and expansive at the same time."
Can I get a "Woman, Amen!"?
Here's what we know (click on the links for info about the songs):
1. Burning Man (written by Luke Dick and Bobby Pinson)
2. The Mountain (written by Dierks Bentley, Jon Randall, Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby)
3. Living (written by Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman, Jon Nite, Ashley Gorley)
4. Woman, Amen (written by Dierk Bentley, Ross Copperman, Josh Kear)
6. Nothing On But The Stars (written by Dierks Bentley Ross Copperman, Jon Nite, Jon Randall)
7. Goodbye In Telluride (written by Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley, Scooter Carusoe)
8. My Religion (written by Jamie Kenney, Ben Burgess, Michael Pollack, Rick Markowitz)
9. One Way (written by Dierks Bentley, Jeff Hyde, Laura Veltz)
10. Son Of The Sun (written by Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman, Jon Nite, Jon Randall)
11. Stranger To Myself (written by Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman, Heather Morgan)
12. Travelin' Light (feat. Brandi Carlile) (written by Dierks Bentley, Ashley Gorley, Jon Nite)
13. How I'm Going Out (written by Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall--a fun bit of trivia: Jessi and Jon are married!)
Collaborations on this album include songs with Brothers Osborne, Brandi Carlile, and world-renowned bluegrass musicians Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Tim O’Brien.
When reflecting on the tracks of this album, Dierks said, “For me it’s the best of both worlds, and it feels like something new. It’s powerful but also happy, with acoustic sensibility mixed in with the big sounds I like to have for the road. They are the songs I’d play for somebody to say, ‘This is who I am right now.’"
We'll take all the sneak peeks we can get until this album is released.
With "Woman, Amen" climbing the charts and flooding the airwaves, and now "The Mountain" available through major music services (and on repeat on our devices!), our Dierks playlists have gotten that much better, with the promise of mountain-sized talent to come.
Carrie Srebro
DB Congress Chart Reporter
@corbers
Jessica Borrelli
DB Congress Rep, WA
@AllTheWayToMe
While we eagerly await the release of Dierks' upcoming album, The Mountain, he's been teasing us with clips of new songs through social media channels. And while we are so #grateful for the hints, it's making the waiting that much more difficult! Here are the songs we know so far: Woman, Amen
This one doesn't need an introduction. "Woman, Amen" has been on the Billboard Hot Country Music Charts for seven weeks now and reached spot 16 on Mediabase, as well! (If you haven't yet, please call, tweet and message your local stations to request this song.) You'll be able to see Dierks perform this one live at the April 15 ACM awards!
The Mountain
For those who got their key to The Mountain, you can see Dierks' handwritten lyrics to the full song in the enhanced album experience. If this clip below is any indicator of what we can expect from this album, we could be on the verge of experiencing Dierks' best album yet (and that's saying a whole heck of a lot, isn't it, DB Congress?!).
Burning Man.
Heard twice in Vegas last December, this song certainly received Internet buzz when we posted this video and lyrics.Watch Dierks' and the guys' faces in this clip below. Oh, the energy this song carries (it's even more intense hearing it live!).
Unknown Title
"It's gonna be one way this time ...
She could be like a song.
The kind with the time always comes back home.
But something tells me she's gone.
There's no words, there's no rhymes ..."
There are seven songs/clips to keep you going for now!
Dierks "found a personal connection to the songs on The Mountain. 'It's the mountain that we’re all faced with every day, and the struggle to put one foot in front of the other even when things are hard, that we all have in common. Looking back now, I think we were all searching for hope and optimism when we were writing this music.'"
Sources have indicated this album could be available around June.
Am I the only one who has a countdown calendar going? We're ready, Dierks.
Jessica Borrelli
DB Congress Rep, WA
@AllTheWayToMe
If this week is any indication of how 2018 with Dierks Bentley will be, we're all on the ultimate ride!
After almost two rare months of silence on his social media channels, and a very sad, blank space where his profile photos used to reside, fans and media channels started to notice something was going on. Even his website, dierks.com, went blank except for the tour date listings.
Then the clues (and subsequent social media frenzy) began.
Jan. 2, fans caught a--no kidding--6-second clip of clouds.
Jan. 5, a 9-second clip of Dierks' feet and backside hiking up some rocks.
Jan. 7, almost 12 seconds of forrest ... and Dierks hiking through it.
Jan. 8, just shy of three seconds of Dierks at the top of a mountain, taking a moment.
Jan. 9, 11 glorious seconds of Dierks hiking once again, but this time, with one of the best shots I've ever seen (anyone else with me?) of him taking it all in. Seriously. This has album cover written all over it.
Was this teasing a new album? (It has been almost two years since the release of Black, so that made sense. Plus we knew he was recently writing in Colorado.) Was there a new single coming out? What was going on?
Then Jan. 10 hit. And what a day it was!
The following clip (with a minute and a half teaser of the title track) was released with a note that you can now preorder The Mountain at dierks.com:
Does anyone else have chills?
At the same time, all profile photos switched to a nature-inspired logo, confirming the title of the upcoming album, The Mountain.
Thankfully we didn't have to wait long for more. Just 30 minutes later, his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram announced he would be live in two hours and would be collecting questions for the following hour using #TheMountain. There's no doubt why the hashtag was trending by the end of the day.
As hundreds flooded the platforms with their questions, hundreds more rushed to dierks.com to pre-order their copy, only to find a unique, iconically Dierks, surprise. You can order "a key to The Mountain." It's not just the key code to download your copy of The Mountain when it is available (plus enhanced features and content), but you'll get a literal key necklace engraved with words inspired by the album itself. You can pick between Strength, Humble, Freedom, Grateful, Believe, Hope, Faith and Grace. (Some have questioned where Congress is, but that's for another blog!)
These positive, uplifting, full-of-heart words all describe the man behind the music. If these are words inspired by the album, this could very well be the most self-reflective album yet. #humble
(A bonus for those who have ordered their key--you can use the emailed code to watch a video message from Dierks and see a handwritten copy of the lyrics to the title track! Which lyrics resonate most with you?)
He confirmed the album concepts in the live interview (where he answered a dozen questions, a couple of them we know were from DBC reps!).
In this interview, while we don't get an album release date, he does confirm the first single, "Woman, Amen," will be out Jan. 17. Thank goodness we don't have to wait long! #grateful
"Family has always inspired me. I think the first single shows that. Life. Living. Just that feeling of not just being alive but of living, going for stuff. That's probably more of what the whole album is about. My family is obviously the core to that."
His absence, he notes, is because he's been busy #living the music. We can get on board with that.
As for his inspiration for the album, the same day, Dierks' team put out an incredible behind-the-scenes QnA article, fully diving into the making of The Mountain. It's definitely worth a read, DBC.
In the live interview, he adds this descriptor: "I'm trying to take a lot of sounds from Up on the Ridge and blend them with the sounds from Black. 'Mixing the bluegrass with the kick ass.'"
Don't wake me. I must be dreaming.
To sum up, here's what we know:
Now--You can pre-order The Mountain, and pick out your "key to The Mountain." (Bonus: you'll see the extra Dierks video and handwritten lyrics.)
Jan. 17--The first single, "Woman, Amen," will be released. (Which means call/message/tweet your local radio stations to request this song starting that day!)
Jan. 18--Tune in, as Dierks will perform the new single on Ellen.
April?--The Mountain is released. #hope
May--The tour will kick off, though we don't yet know dates or cities. #believe
We know of four new songs (all presumably on this album): Woman, Amen; The Mountain; Burning Man; and Living
"I've never cared less in my career, and at the same time, I've never cared more. I don't care about the success of the album as much as I care about it just has to be right."
We're ready to climb The Mountain with you, Dierks.
More than a dozen DB Congress reps traveled to see Dierks Bentley in not one but two concerts in Las Vegas last weekend. Knowing the crew was there for both nights, Dierks decided to change things up ... and give a gift to the DBC, just in time for Christmas.
The first night, he unveiled a new song, "Burning Man." With an incredible, unique melodic chorus, the song was instantly a hit in the theater.
The lyrics "are not coming from [my head], they're coming from my heart, from inside me."
Here's the "Burning Man" video:
Burning Man Half your life you struggle
Half your life you fly
Half your life making trouble
Half your life making it right
One day I’m the exception
Most days l’m just like most
Some days I’m headed in the right direction
And some days I ain’t even close
I’m a little bit steady
But still a little bit growing strong (rolling stone?)
I’m a little bit reckless
But Still a little bit flesh and bone
Little found and don’t know where I am
I’m a little bit holy water
But Still little bit burning man
Burning man
Always run the highway
I just don’t run it as bad
I still go wherever the wind blows me
But I always find my way back
I still don’t get it right sometimes
I just don’t get it as wrong
I still go a little bit crazy sometimes yeah
But now I don’t take near as long
CHORUS
Still Just a burn burn burning man
Just a burning man
Maybe I’ll go to the desert Find myself in the Joshua Tree
If we pass in the night then just hand me a light and
Tell me you burn just like me
CHORUS
Still Just a burn, burn, burning man
Just a burning man
Still Just a burn burn burning man
Just a burning man
After learning the DBC reps who were there the first night were in line and ready to go for night two, Dierks changed the set list to add a little something special.
"I was thinking of everybody here, but definitely these hardcore, hardcore fans standing down here--if I had to pick one song to give to you guys as a Christmas present, Hanukkah, or whatever you’re celebrating, this would be my gift to you."
The gift? "Living." And goodness, what a gift it is.
Looking at the reps lining the stage, almost all had tears in their eyes after hearing this one. Dierks was absolutely right when he said this song is so him. It's all heart.
"[Me and the band, we] try to live every day, no matter what we’re doing, we try to go out there and do something that makes us feel like we’re living. That’s how this song came about."
Here's the "Living" video:
Living This morning I woke up at 6:01 I walked out and saw the rising sun Then I drank it in, like whiskey I saw a tree I’d seen a thousand times A bird on a branch and I watched it fly Away in the wind, and it hit me It’s a beautiful world sometimes I don’t see so clear Some days you’re just breathing Just tryin to break even Sometimes your heart’s pounding out of your chest Sometimes it’s just beating Some days you just forget what all you've been given Yeah some days you just get by Yeah some days you’re just alive But some days you’re living Some days you’re living I went back in and fired the coffee up She walked in the kitchen likes she always does In my t-shirt, and it killed me Then I kissed her like it was the first time She laughed and looked at me like I’d lost my mind I said baby I love you, can’t live without you I know I don’t say it enough CHORUS Some days you’re just living Like you’ll never die Blues a little bluer up in the sky Your high’s a little higher Feel that fire you’ve been missing Some days you’re living It’s a beautiful world some days I don’t see so clear Some days you start singing And you don’t need a reason Yeah the world’s just right And your clear eyes ain't even blinkin' Got a heart full of grateful For all you’ve been given Some days you just survive Yeah, some days you just get by Some days you’re living Some days you’re living
Jessica Borrelli and Ronna Clark
DB Congress Reps, WA and FL
