Dierks Bentley Shares Incredibly Touching ‘Riser’ Music Video

What if you lost everything and had nowhere to go? Dierks Bentley's newest "Riser" music video tells the story of formerly homeless single mom, Amy, who rises above her bleak circumstances to make a better life for her family.

“I really wanted this video to reflect the ‘risers’ among us,” Bentley tells the Guardian. “So, when it came to casting, it was important to me that the storyline follow something real – no acting."

Bentley was inspired by a 60 Minutes segment on families living out of their cars, and with the help of video director Wes Edwards, the clip features Amy who was in that exact situation. Edwards met her through Safe Haven (a Nashville-based program providing housing to needy families), and Bentley decided to tell her inspirational story.

"The first thing I thought when I met Amy was you would have never known that she had been living out of her car with two kids and nowhere to go," he says. "Hearing her story is such a solid example that there are people we pass all around us every day who are going through tough times. It's dedicated to all the 'Risers.'"

The black and white video chronicles Amy and her children moving out of their home into their car and trying to carry on normal life in those extremely tough circumstances. Homework was done in the vehicle, the family washed up in public bathrooms, and Amy fought to find a roof over her children's heads.

With the help of Safe Haven Family Shelter, Amy was able to return into her own home and receive critical education, support and guidance. Bentley plans to use "Riser" to promote the non-profit in coming weeks.

"Riser" is certainly different than other hits that include "Drunk on a Plane" and "Am I the Only One," but it resonates with Bentley on a deep level. “The whole time I worked on this album, the goal was just to get to this song as a single,” he says. "Riser" balances out the more raucous and irreverent songs for a well-rounded show, in Bentley's opinion," and he adds, that the more lively songs "... are needed in your live show to keep things loose and fun so you can come back with a song like 'Riser' halfway through your show and really hit people hard.”

Though "Riser" has been slower in commercial radio success, Bentley is proud of the song. “All you can do is hope it gets heard,” he says, jokingly adding, “And if not, I will immediately start working on Drunk on a Boat.”

The singer is wrapping up his 2015 Sounds of Summer Tour and in November, he'll hold his 10th annual Miles & Music for Kids motorcycle ride and concert. Last year’s Miles & Music for Kids event raised more than $335,000 and to date, Bentley has raised over $3 million for Nashville’s Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

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