Dierks Bentley’s upcoming album, The Mountain, was written and recorded in the mountains of Colorado, but the inspiration for project came largely from Bentley’s own fans. The Arizona native says being intentional about spending time with them became the impetus for The Mountain.
“Being on the road for the last two years, every meet and greet I’ve walked into – I’ve spent three hours a day before the show just hanging out with the fans in some different form whether it’s an acoustic show or several meet and greets,” Bentley shares. “The stories you hear, everybody’s climbing some sort of mountain, right? Everybody’s just finding a way to put one foot in front of the other and just make it out to this concert tonight; the importance of that show to help them on their own journey, their own climb.
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“So especially after this [past] summer,” he continues, “it seemed like it was a hard year for a lot of people, not only in our country music community but just in general, and the idea of that mountain that everyone’s climbing really resonated with me.”
The “Woman, Amen” singer says that he, along with his co-writers, also 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,” he explains. “Looking back now, I think we were all searching for hope and optimism when we were writing this music.”
Bentley will hit the road for his 2018 Mountain High Tour on May 17 in Columbia, Md., with Brothers Osborne and LANCO serving as his opening acts.
“I’ve been friends with TJ and John [Osborne] for a long time and I have loved watching their career explode,” Bentley says. “I’m just getting to know the boys in LANCO, but I love their music and the energy they bring to the stage … I can tell you it’s gonna be game on this summer!”
Dates, as available, will be listed on his website.
Photo Credit: Instagram/DierksBentley
