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Dierks Bentley finds himself face-to-face with a glass of whiskey — “and all the trouble it brings” — after swearing off the drink in the latest track to release from his 11th studio album.
Bentley delivered “Well Well Whiskey” on Friday (April 18), just a few days after he confirmed long-awaited details about his next project, Broken Branches. Songwriters Seth Ennis, Devin Dawson and Jordan Reynolds teamed up to write “Well Well Whiskey,” which features a solo by acclaimed guitarist Bryan Sutton, notes a press release issued Friday morning.
“When I first heard ‘Well Well Whiskey,’ it made me think of my Up on the Ridge album [2010], which leaned heavily on the power of acoustic instruments. I heard a lot of the same opportunity for the guys in the studio to contribute ideas and collaborate together in the same spirit of that earlier project,” Bentley said in a statement in the release. “There is nothing more fun than turning the musicians loose on a track like this and seeing what they come up with. I definitely see this one making it into our live show this summer.”
Bentley, who's kicking off his headlining “Broken Branches Tour” next month, paid tribute to them and other writers, producers and musicians when he announced Broken Branches earlier this week. He said at the time: “My whole career has been built alongside a community of other Broken Branches, in the writers rooms and recording studios across Music Row,” he said. “I’m more appreciative than ever for the songwriters, musicians, producers, artists and friends who helped bring this idea to life. Some I’ve known for a long time and a few who are just joining the family.”
“Well Well Whiskey” follows “She Hates Me” and “Cold Beer Can,” featuring Stephen Wilson Jr. The 11-track album will also include collaborations with John Anderson, Riley Green and Miranda Lambert. Bentley said Broken Branches “represents what country music is to me, a group of people and songs that come together in a way that’s imperfect, individual, and sometimes even a little messed up. They’re all a bunch of broken branches on one tree!
“The country music community has a lot of broken branches in it. That’s why we’re all here,” he added in a press release issued Tuesday morning (April 15). “We want to do something a little bit different, and I think everyone sees themselves like that – certainly in country. This is the people’s music and it represents that spirit of individuality so well – it’s just about doing it our own way.”
Broken Branches is set to release on June 13. See the full track list below, and watch the “Well Well Whiskey” music video here:
1. Cold Beer Can
Written by Jon Randall, Luke Dick, Stephen Wilson Jr. and Dierks Bentley
2. Jesus Loves Me
Written by Adam James, Ben Stennis and Allison Veltz Cruz
3. She Hates Me
Written by Ashley Gorley, Chase McGill, Ross Copperman, Jimmy Allen, Wesley Scantlin and Dierks Bentley
4. Something Worth Fixing
Written by Stephen Wilson Jr., Luke Dick and Dierks Bentley
5. Standing In The Sun
Written by Kyle Sturrock
6. Well Well Whiskey
Written by Seth Ennis, Devin Dawson and Jordan Reynolds
7. Broken Branches
Written by Zach Abend, Beau Bailey and Graham Barham
8. Off The Map
Written by Jeremy Bussey, Lauren McLamb and Adam Wood
9. Near You (ft. Miranda Lambert)
Written by Scooter Carusoe, Ross Copperman and Ben Williams
10. For As Long As I Can Remember
Written by Devin Dawson, Connie Harrington
11. Don’t Cry For Me
Written by Jim Beavers and Dierks Bentley