Dierks Bentley Dierks Bentley originally planned to do a mainstream country album following his bluegrass CD, 'Up on the Ridge.' But now, the singer says he no longer sees the need.

"The original thought was I'd make a bluegrass record and a country record," he tells Billboard (quote via GAC). "Once I started working on the bluegrass record, I quickly became aware that this was the only record I'd be making, because we started breaking down the barriers between genres."

The record, filled with guest appearances by some of his favorite artists, including Miranda Lambert, Alison Krauss, Jamey Johnson and Kris Kristofferson, was a dream come true for the multiple-Grammy nominee. "I love bluegrass," he says. "I love acoustic music, so I've always wanted to make a record like this. Last year, I needed to slow the wheels down a little bit, take some time off to make this kind of record."

Wrapping up his Up on the Ridge tour with a performance at the historic Ryman auditorium last month, Dierks continues to devote his time to his charity, Miles & Music for Kids, which benefits various children's hospitals across the United States. More information can be found here.

'Up on the Ridge' will be available on Tuesday, June 8.

More From TheBoot