The mystery behind the name of Dierks Bentley’s Broken Branches tour finally makes a little more sense with the announcement of his highly anticipated 11th studio album.
With 20 years in the industry under his belt, Bentley shows no signs of settling for a slowdown. Earlier this year on February 17, he announced his Broken Branches summer tour, which quickly generated buzz thanks to exciting supporting acts like Zach Top. It was essentially only a matter of time before he dropped the corresponding album.
Bentley has a track record of releasing albums every two years, and he’s right on schedule—his last release, Gravel & Gold, came out in February 2023. While the featured hits like “Gold,” the Billy Strings collab “High Note,” and “Same Ol’ Me” have kept fans satisfied, the arrival of a new project feels perfectly timed. And from the sound of it, the past few years have allowed him to craft a deeply personal, character-rich album that feels like a musical scrapbook.
Set to release on June 13, Bentley is keeping it short and sweet with this 11-track album, which whether intentional or not is a clever nod to it being his 11th studio project. The tracklist promises a concise yet impactful listening experience, with standout collaborations that span generations featuring Riley Green, Miranda Lambert, John Anderson, and Stephen Wilson Jr.
There’s a wave of great music set to drop these next few months, but based on what we’ve heard so far, I’m banking that the album will be one of the top releases this summer. So far, two singles have already been released including the angsty clever hit, “She Hates Me,” which dropped in March, and the more recent “Cold Beer Can,” featuring Stephen Wilson Jr.
Bentley co-wrote four tracks on the album, while the other seven were penned by outside writers, many of them new collaborators. The shared name between the tour and album holds a deeper meaning tied to country music’s rich and staggered family tree. It’s also the title of one of the tracks so it’ll be interesting to hear this concept lyrically explained more.
“The country music community has a lot of broken branches in it. That’s why we’re all here,” Bentley explains. “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.”
Bentley’s known to deliver an eclectic number of sounds, from the rowdy early 2000s energy of “What Was I Thinkin’,” to the necessary summer playlist anthem “Somewhere on a Beach,” and the fiery intensity of “Burning Man.” This album is sure to hit on all of those vibes with promises of him going back to his bluegrass roots as Miranda Lambert’s track is set to be a banjo-forward sound. The title track on the other hand will reportedly bring a light-hearted jukebox beat to the lineup. Another stand-out that I’m excited to hear is the apparently alternative-sounding, heartfelt gospel-inspired, “Jesus Loves Me.”
Full Tracklist:
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
The “5-1-5-0” singer has been coming in hot this year with one of his most exciting recent appearances being at the long-awaited Cross Canadian Ragweed show Stillwater, Oklahoma. Not only were fans amped to see them perform after a 15-year-hiatus, but they were blessed with a surprise collab with Bentley on their 2001 track, “42 Miles.” Watching the clips (and living vicariously through that lucky crowd) definitely reignited my craving to see Bentley live.
Thankfully, fans who feel the same way won’t have to wait long—Bentley’s Broken Branches tour kicks off on May 29, hitting 30 cities across the country. It’s safe to say the new tracks will be the stars of the show, but fingers crossed he also delivers a healthy dose of the classic hits that made us fall in love with the country legend in the first place.
TOUR DATES:
- 5/29 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
- 5/30 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavillion
- 5/31 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
- 6/5 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
- 6/6 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
- 6/7 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
- 6/12 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
- 6/14 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
- 6/19 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
- 6/20 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
- 6/21 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
- 6/26 – Los Angeles, CA – Intuit Dome
- 6/27 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
- 6/28 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
- 7/10 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
- 7/11 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
- 7/12 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
- 7/18 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
- 7/19 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
- 7/31 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
- 8/1 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
- 8/7 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
- 8/8 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
- 8/9 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
- 8/14 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
- 8/15 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
- 8/16 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
- 8/21 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena
- 8/22 – Birmingham, AL – Coca Cola Amphitheatre
- 8/23 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
- 8/28 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
- 8/29 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
- 8/30 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre