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LISTEN: Dierks Bentley Drops Rowdy Bluegrass Jam ‘High Note’ Featuring Billy Strings

Dierks Bentley shared a new track, “High Note,” from his upcoming 10th studio album. The bluegrass-infused jam—with witty weed overtones—features a handful of top players, including Billy Strings (vocals and guitar), Jerry Douglas (Dobro), Sam Bush (mandolin), and Bryan Sutton (guitar).

“Bryan Sutton first tipped me off to Billy Strings about seven years ago mentioning that the future of bluegrass was in good hands,” said Dierks Bentley. “I was totally blown away the first time I saw him. I’ve cut songs like these since my first record. And I knew I wanted to have him on this one, I’m such a huge fan. It was a lot of fun to have him, Jerry, Sam and Bryan all passing licks around . . . having them all on this record means a lot to me personally.”

Produced by Dierks, alongside Ross Copperman, Jon Randall and F. Reid Shippen, the new track follows the upcoming album’s lead single, “Gold,” which is currently No. 21 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart after 16 weeks. Dierks’ new album is expected in early 2023.

Listen to “High Note” below.

Two Decades of Dierks

Dierks released his self-titled debut album back in 2003, so his upcoming 10th solo project represents an unofficial 20th-anniversary celebration. And it sounds like the pandemic allowed Dierks the chance to reset.

“2020 was a chance for me to give my guitar and the road a little rest,” added Dierks Bentley. “It gave me the chance to spend a lot more time adventuring outdoors with family and friends, but also alone. It also gave me time to reset and rekindle my love of country music and a lot of the types of songs and sounds that I fell in love with when I first got to Nashville. I think you’ll hear that in this first track, but it carries across the whole album.”

Dierks’ upcoming 10th album represents his first solo project since the release of 2018’s The Mountain. That album produced two No. 1 singles, “Woman, Amen” and “Living.” More recently, Dierks also found success on the country charts with a couple of singles. His 2020 release, “Gone,” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. And his most recent single, “Beers on Me,” featuring Breland and Hardy, topped the Airplay chart in April. Neither of those two singles has been officially attached to a larger project, so no word on whether they will be featured on the upcoming 10th album.