The future of country music is in good hands, according to Dierks Bentley, thanks to this one new artist. Bentley says it's Zach Top, who joins Bentley on his current Broken Branches Tour, who is keeping the genre safe.
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"Country music does not live in this town, but country music lives where you all come from," Bentley
says from stage, during his recent CMA Fest performance. "That's where the country music lives. You guys know the real deal when you see it. When this guy comes from through town, make sure you come out to a Zach Top show and support real country music. The future of country music is right there with Zach Top."Bentley and Top performed "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)" and "Mountain Music" during the recent CMA Fest TV special. The show is streaming now on Hulu.
When announcing his tour, Bentley praised Top for his love of country music.
"We had Zach out for a few shows last summer, and I knew right away that we had to do more together," Bentley says (via Audacy). "He loves the same kind of country music I do, and he's got the bluegrass chops to hang with the best of them in a jam. I've got a million ideas for the set list rolling around in my head. It'll be fun to figure out how to make it all come to life with a new album and new production."
Dierks Bentley's Broken Branches Album
Bentley just released his Broken Branches album. The 11-track record includes songs with Riley Green, Miranda Lambert, John Anderson and Stephen Wilson, Jr., plus his latest single, "She Hates Me."
"The country music community has a lot of broken branches in it. That's why we're all here," Bentley says of the project. "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."
A longtime proponent of country music, Bentley's Broken Branches is his way to celebrate the music he loves so much.
"This album represents what country music is to me," Bentley says. "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!"
