Dierks Bentley Sets Release Date for ‘Riser’

After months of anticipation, Dierks Bentley has announced a release date for his new album, 'Riser.'

The album is slated to drop on Feb. 25, 2014. Like all of his previous six albums, the new project has a distinctive sound that reflects the singer-songwriter's state of mind at the time.

“I named the album 'Riser' because the lyrics in that song perfectly articulate who I want to be, who I try to be,” Bentley explains in a press release. “There's a lot of really intense material on this record, but there's also a lighter side that is equally important in telling the story of the last two years of my life."

The album initially started off as a product of some hard times. "When I first started writing for this album, I was in a place of grief over the loss of my dad, but over the course of the next 18 months, my wife and I had our son Knox, and I ended in a place of real joy and gratefulness," Bentley reflects. "Both sides of that coin are what country music has always been about, and I hope that my fans can feel how much of myself I put into this project. It's all out on the table, for sure.”

Bentley worked with producer Ross Copperman and executive producer Arturo Buenahora, Jr. for the new project, which marries old-school live recording techniques with newer digital technology. The result is an album that takes Bentley to a new place artistically, as evidenced by the lead single, 'I Hold On,' which is currently climbing the charts.

The singer plans to announce more details about the new album in the coming weeks. He will likely debut some of the new material 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.

Check Out a Behind-the-Scenes Video About the Making of 'Riser'