Dierks Bentley’s 10 studio album is due out next month.
Announced last week, Dierks says Gravel And Gold is “the best country music I ever made,” and added that he scrapped two different records while trying to get to this point now where he’s happy with the final product to put an album out to fans.
He also revealed that he called in a few favors from his “heroes and friends,” likely for a few collaborations, so needless to say, it promises to be a really interesting project and I’m excited to find out more:
He put out a song with bluegrass star Billy Strings in November of last year called “High Note,” as well as a stand-along single called “Gold,” and this past Friday, dropped another single in “Same Ol’ Me.”
Written by Dierks along with Luke Dick and Jon Randall, the song is all about how even though it’s been a wild ride over the past 20 years, he’s still the same guy he’s always been.
And today, he’s releasing new music for the single, filmed at the iconic Nashville venue Exit/In, which is a perfect setting for the video.
With the recent news that the Exit/In will be closing (and possibly reopened under new management sometime this year), which has hosted legends like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, to Billy Joel, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jimmy Buffett, Tyler Childers, Post Malone, and more recently, Miranda Lambert, it’s a neat way to preserve some of the history there which has played such a big part in his career and so many others.
Dierks wanted to pay his respects to the place he cut his teeth so long ago, saying he opened for Asleep at the Wheel there long before he ever had a manager or a record deal, so it holds a very special place in his heart:
My first time playing Exit/In was just as meaningful to me as playing the Ryman and Bridgestone Arena. I opened for Asleep at the Wheel before I had a record deal or anything.
A manager was supposed to come watch me play, but they didn’t show up. I had a few too many Busch Lights and passed out under a bench. The last thing I remember hearing was Ray Benson’s booming voice.
I woke up around 4:00am and realized I was all alone! It was bittersweet to be in there during the last days of December as they were closing it down. I felt honored to take a shot with the guys and toast to the history there and turn the lights off.”
Here’s to the Exit/In, small country music venues everywhere, and hoping this isn’t the last music video that ever gets filmed at there …
“Same Ol’ Me”
