Dierks Bentley, OneRepublic Team Up for ‘Crossroads’

In what might be one of the most memorable 'CMT Crossroads' tapings since the series began in 2002, Dierks Bentley is teaming up with rock band OneRepublic. The episode, which marks the first time the two acts have performed together, will premiere in mid-March on CMT.

The 'CMT Crossroads' pairing falls only a few weeks after the release of Bentley’s highly-anticipated album, ‘Riser.’ The record is his first since the tragic loss of his father in 2012, followed by the birth of his third child last year. The 38-year-old says those experiences changed how he made his new project, choosing to record the entire album in the home studio of producer Ross Copperman.

“It’s the sound in my head that I hear when I’m playing a live show,” he explains. “You have one ear monitor in, one ear out, and the crowd’s there and your voice feels really great. There’s a certain amount of gravel to it because you’re tired, but you’re all jacked up on whatever you’re drinking and adrenaline, and the crowds and the fans are there and there’s this feeling, fists in the air -- it’s that thing that’s hard to transfer into a studio environment. There’s a rawness.”

The Arizona native will also release a new film, ‘Dierks Bentley: Riser,’ which follows the singer throughout the making of the album, showing both his personal highs and lows from the past two years.

“The two phrases ‘touring musician’ and ‘family man’ were never meant to go hand-in-hand…it’s just hard. It really hurts your heart to walk out the door on your kids. It’s like the two loves of your life pulling at you – your family and your love of music,” he notes. “I wanted this album to be that deeper look at who I am and who I try to be, and so I guess it’s the same with this film too. The first time I watched the rough edit, I actually got physically uncomfortable because it’s all in there…my whole life right there on the screen for the whole world to see.”

‘Dierks Bentley: Riser’ will premiere on Palladia at 9PM ET on Feb. 22. The new album, ‘Riser,’ is set for release on Feb. 25.

OneRepublic’s third album, ‘Native,’ was released last year. The five-member band have seven Top 40 singles, including their 2013 multi-platinum selling song, ‘Counting Stars,’ which peaked at No. 2.

Bentley will kick off his Riser Tour later this year, with shows all over the United States and Canada. He will likely give a sneak peak at the tour’s set list when he headlines at the Tropical Nights Boots in the Sand getaway, which runs from Feb. 23-27 at the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Billy Currington, Brantley Gilbert and Jana Kramer will also headline separate nights of the luxury country music getaway.