Dierks Bentley Shares Quarantine Update: ‘Just Kind of Living’

Dierks Bentley‘s fans know how much he loves Colorado, and the country music star has been able to spend months in the state quarantining with his family due to the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking to Taste of Country, Bentley admitted that his social media manager has been urging him to post more than the sparse amount he’s currently sharing, but he’s too busy enjoying himself to do so.

“[We’re] kinda just here indefinitely, I guess… happy to be out here right now,” he said, adding of his requested posts, “but I’m like, ‘Ah, I’m kind of just living right now… the world is taking a little bit of a break, and I think we are, too.’” Bentley jokingly referred to this period as a “mid-career retirement” but clarified that he’s not planning on stepping back from touring any time soon, noting that he has two dozen band and crew members on his payroll and is “looking forward to getting back out with the band and crew when I can.”

“I’m just concentrating on the things I can concentrate on right now, which is my family,” he said. “I’m writing a lot of songs… just concentrating on my family and my kids and my music.” The 44-year-old added that he is simply “play[ing] music for the love of playing music,” taking his time and “trying not to rush into anything.” He explained that he wants to “put music out that says something that’s important to me. I’m just trying to follow the muse, so I’m not working too much.”

While he doesn’t want to host his own drive-in show, Bentley did perform during Tito’s virtual Made to Order Music Festival, which took place on Thursday. His performance was featured during the “South” section of the show and included an acoustic, fully produced set outdoors near his Colorado home.

The performance was one of just a few Bentley has shared during quarantine, and he told Entertainment Tonight that he has no plans to record his own drive-in show like some of his peers. “I feel like, with music, there’s so much to do other than touring,” he said. “I miss touring and I can’t wait to get back out there again, but I just can’t imagine doing it without it being the way that we do it… I mean, I can’t imagine playing a drive-in.”

“I feel like my show is so geared towards this direct interaction, you know? My show is very physical with the fans and very high energy,” he continued. “This doesn’t feel like a lot of fun for anybody right now. I know we’re all missing touring, but I think there’s a lot of ways to be creative.”