Dierks Bentley tackles change and reflects on accomplished career through latest album ‘Broken Branches’
After over two decades as one of country music’s most consistent hitmakers, Dierks Bentley collected the sounds of his career and took time to reflect on his 11th studio album, “Broken Branches.”
Although he isn’t quite sure why, the process of making a full-length record takes Bentley more time and, it seems like, more effort than it did when he first broke out with hits such as “What Was I Thinkin’” and “Come A Little Closer.”
“They’re all such a labor of love,” Bentley said in an interview with The Spokesman-Review. “It just feels like every album requires more and more labor to get to love.”
Bentley has never been afraid to wear his influences on his sleeve. His career has seen a wide range of sound, from bluegrass and rock to contemporary country and classic neo-traditional. Throughout “Broken Branches,” which was released last June, pockets of this array seep into every track.
“There’s the stuff that feels a little more traditional, there’s the stuff that feels a little more radio, there’s the stuff that feels, obviously, a little more bluegrass and acoustic based,” Bentley said. “So we were just trying to capture different sounds that have been part of my records over the last 10 albums, instead of a ‘greatest hits’ almost like the ‘greatest sounds.’ ”
The presence of multiple features also shaped the lyric and sonic direction of “Broken Branches,” from Riley Green and Miranda Lambert to John Anderson and perhaps most distinctly, Stephen Wilson Jr. For many years, Bentley has taken note of the rising singer-songwriter known for his lyrical storytelling, powerful themes and distinct guitar styling. Wilson Jr. and Bentley wrote multiple songs together, but he is specifically featured on the rooted-in-wordplay first track, “Cold Beer Can.”
“He really sticks out at the writing sessions. He was driving like an old station wagon and he had a donut for one of the tires,” Bentley said with a laugh. “He’s so humble and unassuming, but ridiculously thoughtful when it comes to a (Kris) Kristofferson-type lyricist … and I mean his guitar playing, no one plays like him because nobody tunes like him. You can’t even replicate what he’s doing because it’s some kind of mad scientist tuning he came up with.”
Although “Broken Branches” features its fair share of up-tempo tracks, the other side of the coin is represented just as well. The back half is particularly rooted in a somber, bittersweet sense of nostalgia that stems from Bentley attempting to capture the passage of time, coming to terms with the invincible father time and the slew of emotions that come from watching his three children slowly creep near adulthood.
“They’re kind of moving into a new phase of life at some point that’s not too far away, and you start thinking about it, like it’s kind of sad honestly, it’s a little sad,” Bentley said. “That doesn’t always reflect directly lyrically, like on the nose, into the song, but just that somberness and just thinking about yourself and your family and life and how things change.”
“Don’t Cry For Me,” the final track, directly tackles these themes the most. Co-written with longtime collaborator Jim Beavers (who normally assists with more jubilant hits like “5-1-5-0” and “Sideways”), the song acts as a method of reflection for a man who recently turned 50 yet is still in some disbelief that he plays music for a living and performs for thousands of people night after night.
“The only time you really look back, at least for me and my career, is when you’re writing songs and hanging out with your buddies and talking like that, and it’s just unbelievable to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry, to have the family I have and the band that I have, the crew and the fans that have supported us over so many years,” Bentley said. “A lot of gratitude, only gratitude at this point.”
Although more than grateful for his success and lengthy career, Bentley is open and honest about being able to keep a low profile in places like Nashville International.
“It’s worked out so well where I can go play some of these bigger venues but then I can walk through the Nashville airport with a guitar in my hand and not one person will recognize me sometimes, it’s amazing!” Bentley exclaimed “I always love taking pictures and signing autographs and all that stuff, but it’s also amazing just to be able to move fluidly through the world … if I go to Bass Pro Shops or somewhere like that it might be a little different, but the majority of my life I’m able to be what I want to be and do what I want to do.”
When Bentley brings his “Off The Map Tour” to Northern Quest Resort and Casino on Friday, the avid outdoorsman hopes to find time to enjoy the “beautiful” Pacific Northwest, whether that be fishing the nearby waterways, mountain biking or golfing. While in Missoula the day before, he’ll be searching for trout on the Bitterroot River.
“We don’t do a lot of fly fishing here in Tennessee,” Bentley said. “It’s hard to hold a beer in one hand and fly fish.”