Dierks Bentley’s Exclusive Preview
The location itself was historic. A couple months ago, Dierks Bentley invited a small group of reporters to hallowed ground. When you say “Studio A” in Nashville, there is only one place. It’s RCA Studios, built by Chet Atkins in 1965. This was where Waylon Jennings recorded his first records. Where Dolly Parton recorded “I Will Always Love You.” The building itself housed RCA Records’ Nashville Office for 20 years. It’s now owned by musician Ben Folds, and recent artists who’ve worked there include Kacey Musgraves and Kellie Pickler. But today, we’re here with Dierks.
We set up on a group of couches and chairs in the far corner of the room, surrounding a classic tube stereo system, to hear the advance of Bentley’s new album “Riser.” He had 8 songs ready, although they weren’t completely finished. He told us he recorded 15 songs for the project.
He then wheeled over a tall Leslie organ speaker cabinet, and we set our mics on top. It was a make-shift podium, where he took questions about the music.
This new CD shows you taking some big risks. Why? “Every CD feels like it might be the last, the way things are changing. It’s hard to find a CD player these days. You never know when they’ll stop making them, so I feel every one is important, I really want it to be a unified piece of work, central theme, all the songs have entanglement. So we took a risk, new producer, Ross Copperman, new team, but I’m proud of it, takes me back to Modern Day Drifter album, the songs, even the artwork is a unified piece of work I’ll be proud of for a long time.”
Talk about the instrumentation, which also seems different: “There are guitars that add a darkness to the tracks, but mandolin that’s the opposite in the sonic spectrum. It’s a country album, but it had some Up On The Ridge, no safety net, Ross has never done anything like this, it’s an experiment that worked because we went all the way. Lot of thought, work, and great songs. Working with players I’ve known, hoping we got some magic, lot of work, but also a lot of faith.”
Explain the album title Riser: “The Home record was a struggle, coming up with a title, tried every title possible. The song was so special, but this record, Riser came about, I heard this song was so well written, could be about anyone, just loved the song, and where I am in my life, with my dad passing away, and a baby coming in, this idea of perseverance developed in the writing. The Thurderbird image, these girls are the Junk Gypsy girls, they redesign things, they called and said we’re redoing Airstreams. On the back they put this Thunderbird image. It took me back to my dad who wore bolo ties, and it had that image on his bolo tie, because he’s a member of a group called The Thunderbirds in Arizona, raising money for charity. It kind of hit me at once, with him passing away, the song Riser, the Phoenix, where I’m from, it all came together, and the song and symbol became the centerpiece. The other songs have the same feel, even if they’re not about that. That song is the center of it.”
Your father passed away a year ago. How did that affect this songs on this album? “It’s something you process all the time, you want to call your dad, and he’s not here. It’s going to take a long time to process, it’s not really, it plays a role in the record, but when I think of my dad, he was 88 years old, the family was with him when he passed away. But Here On Earth, there’s not so much grief but opens a new portal, makes you open to loss and grief, and also looking at other forms of loss and grief, I don’t think I could have written Here On Earth without going through that with my dad, searching for answers, and faith. It’s a big part of the album, not something I dwell on, it’s definitely not an album that’s about him. The fact that the album has that image is a subtle tribute to him, but more about where I am in life. It’s weird, he died a year ago, and now I’m expecting a boy in October, so to be in that weird swirling point in life.”
Do you ever feel under-rated? “I get a ton of recognition on the road, but I’m competitive, struggled at different points in my career, but now I’m in a healthy point, I’m blessed to be doing it for ten years, playing for a lot of people, haven’t reached our full potential yet, it’s all connected, it’s life, so the music, the road is still growing, I feel like I’m out so much, I have that jeep, meeting people, have an appreciation for what I get to do every day. Then my personal life is successful too. I feel good about it, and I still want to go further. The most important thing is the music, make a record that stands the test of time.”
Talk about the new song I Hold On: “Lot of self discovery, what makes me me, my dad passing away, my truck is tough for 3 kids, I don’t want a new truck, I don’t want a new guitar, I don’t want anything, my dad & I drove that truck here to start this career, so much history there, I just hold on to things. Also marriage, the road, explaining the value I place on my wife, and I hold on to stuff. A country way of saying how much you love stuff. The things we hold on a bigger scheme, I sing it every night, and it feels good.”
LISTEN: 13-34 Dierks2
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