#534 - Dierks Bentley Discusses Why He and His Wife Sleep in Separate Beds + Addresses the Controversy Around His Last Single + The Bizarre Gift Tim McGraw Gave Him + Why He Believes in Manifestation after Flying Private with Kenny Chesney + The 1 Cou...

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show #534 – Dierks Bentley

Date: September 3, 2025
Host: Bobby Bones
Guest: Dierks Bentley

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Bobby Bones Show features award-winning country artist Dierks Bentley for a candid, humorous, and wide-ranging interview. Dierks discusses everything from the realities of sleep struggles and the logistical quirks of married life to the controversy surrounding his latest single, the impact of social media, manifestation, and the ethos behind his Broken Branches Fund for mental health. The conversation is laid-back but insightful, full of personal stories, behind-the-scenes details, and mutual ribbing between old friends.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sleep Struggles and Relationship Logistics

Conversation: 02:01 – 07:00, 18:31 – 25:00, 28:11 – 31:00

• Dierks candidly shares his lifelong issues with insomnia—both on the road and at home. He discusses every sleep aid tried, from medication to red light beds, as well as nightly routines and technology designed to capture sleep data.
• A unique marital arrangement: Dierks reveals that he and his wife now sleep in separate beds (and sometimes separate rooms), a setup he describes as "separating church and state" to preserve his precarious sleep (28:22).

  "Years ago, I decided to separate church and state and I got rid of our bed. Got two platform beds and two box springs and two mattresses. ... She can move around all she wants ... lately, she's sleeping on the couch now.”
  — Dierks Bentley [28:22]

• They also discuss Scandinavian comforters and why shared beds are overrated for solid rest, referencing scientific studies on sleep disruption (29:53, 30:03).

2. Musical Origins, Influences, and Family Life

Conversation: 07:02 – 13:32, 11:51 – 14:34

• Dierks recounts the story of falling in love with country music at 17, after hearing Hank Williams Jr., leading to a total musical reorientation.

  “…I heard this… and I remember when I heard That's Country, I like kind of fell down in my… sat down in my chair. …I equate it to like meeting my wife. It was one of those moments.”
  — Dierks Bentley [08:02]

• Reveals early attempts at music (from saxophone to electric guitar) and how playing was about changing one’s mood rather than impressing anyone (10:27).
• Family updates: Dierks’ children are involved in theater, hockey, and singing—reflecting a wide spectrum of talents and interests.

3. Touring, Injury Stories & Aging in Entertainment

Conversation: 15:56 – 18:29

• The realities of being an “old guy” on tour are discussed with relatable banter: injuries from pickleball, refusing to warm up before games, and the universal experience of lingering aches as you get older.

  “Those band guys are even younger… we’ll go find a court… I hate warming up. I don’t want to do the dink, dink, dink… And yeah, it's just a small tweak. …You go, ooh, that might hurt a little bit tomorrow.”
  — Dierks Bentley [16:12]

4. Mental Health, Therapy, and Sleep Anxiety

Conversation: 19:44 – 25:00

• Both host and guest open up about sleep-related anxiety, managing mental health, and strategies for coping with negative thoughts—including journaling and gratitude practices.

  "I talk about it a lot. I'm sure everyone the road. I know, they get sick of me talking about it because… don’t sleep.”
  — Dierks Bentley [24:34]

• Bobby describes nightly existential fears and the impact of PTSD from past traumas (23:18).

  “Every night I wonder, that's a lot. Or not wake up at all. ...Odds are we're in a simulation anyway.”
  — Bobby Bones [23:30]

5. Controversy: "She Hates Me" and Single Selection

Conversation: 35:20 – 39:13

• The hosts probe the controversy involving Dierks’ recent single “She Hates Me" — specifically, its similarity to Puddle of Mudd’s song. Dierks admits they proactively credited/added Puddle of Mudd writers after the similarities were noticed.

  “…Nobody in the room goes, oh, this sounds like Puddle of Mud wrote the song. Obviously it was in somebody's subconscious. ...Let’s just put them on the song, who cares?”
  — Dierks Bentley [37:22]

• Dierks expresses the frustration of investing years in albums only for singles to get limited airplay before moving on.

  “You put the song out first ... and you kind of back it up with these other songs, and you give your fans ... a Cliff Notes version of the bigger record in general. But you only get to get the introduction.”
  — Dierks Bentley [36:15]

6. Relevance, Fame, and Media Saturation

Conversation: 39:30 – 45:16

• The group discusses the changing landscape of fame and relevance, agreeing everyone is “a little less relevant now because so many people have relevance.”

  “Everybody's a little less relevant now because so many people have relevance now. And I just wondered if you felt that at all.”
  — Bobby Bones [41:26]

• Dierks is comfortable with the idea, referencing Arthur Brooks' “Second Mountain” philosophy about focusing on new pursuits after one’s peak career.

7. Notable Gifts & Anecdotes

Conversation: 49:24 – 50:44

• Tim McGraw once sent Dierks a box of intimidatingly dense and esoteric books — the “ultimate one-up.” Unclear if prank or real gesture, but very on-brand for McGraw.

8. Manifestation, Passwords, and Life Philosophy

Conversation: 53:13 – 58:15

• Dierks describes how he manifests wishes by literally making them his computer passwords (like “Signature” for private jet travel, “Pete Fisher” before becoming an Opry member).

  “…it hit me like, wow. Like, it did happen in a totally different way than I wanted it to, which is the way the universe works. …I really believe like the power of putting it out there, it will come back to you.”
  — Dierks Bentley [54:43 – 58:15]

• Journaling and gratitude: Dierks endorses the 5-minute gratitude journal, finding it useful for setting intentions and counterbalancing negativity (59:29).

  “It's a place to kind of like set some intentions for the following day or have an attitude of gratitude for the day that’s around you.”
  — Dierks Bentley [60:24]

9. Broken Branches Fund & Mental Health in Music

Conversation: 65:56 – 68:32

• Discussion on Dierks’ Broken Branches Fund, supporting mental health for musicians and touring professionals in partnership with the Music Health Alliance.

  “Everyone in Nashville is a little bit of a broken branch… we kind of create our own family, make our own tree here. So it tied in well…”
  — Dierks Bentley [66:13]

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Notable Quotes

• On sleep and marriage:

  "Years ago, I decided to separate church and state and I got rid of our bed. ...And I got two platform beds and two box springs and two mattresses."
  — Dierks Bentley [02:01 and 28:22]

• On musical epiphany:

  “It was a real… I equate it to like meeting my wife. ...It was a very like, thing, like right away at that exact moment. Hard to describe.”
  — Dierks Bentley [08:02]

• On relevance:

  “Everybody's a little less relevant now because so many people have relevance now.”
  — Bobby Bones [41:26]

• On manifesting via passwords:

  "So I made that my password on all my computers and devices... Long story short, I achieved it, but in a completely different way..."
  — Dierks Bentley [54:43]

• On gratitude journaling:

  “It's just a place to kind of set some intentions for the following day or have an attitude of gratitude for the day that’s around you.”
  — Dierks Bentley [60:24]

• On the Broken Branches Fund:

  “Everyone in Nashville is a little bit of a broken branch. We all came here from somewhere else, and we're, you know, we don't, we kind of create our, make our own family.”
  — Dierks Bentley [66:13]

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Memorable and Lighthearted Moments

• The Tim McGraw book prank:

  “He sent me a box full of books... every book was this thick… about Russian philosophy, painters... I still can't tell if it's a joke.” — Dierks Bentley [49:24]

• Debate over favorite “old” Dierks song to play live:
  • Dierks teases Bobby for grilling him over not naming a single favorite, saying with mock exasperation:

    “My hand sore from the ruler. Like the ruler kept smashing my wrist about. Wrong answer. Wrong answer.”
    — Dierks Bentley [70:19]

• Existential sleep fears and simulation theory banter.
  • Bobby confesses he sometimes fears going to sleep because he won’t wake up in the same “simulation world.” (23:30)
• Swordplay over reading lists (and accidental flexes):
  • Dierks quips, “Tell me the books you read because I probably read them” — which Bobby and the team highlight as the episode’s “most aggressive” book flex. (49:33)
• Light-hearted pokes at podcast culture:

  "Now someone does a podcast...they'll cut it up in five second snippets... and that's not really the point of the podcast."
  — Dierks Bentley [62:17]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dierks on sleeping in separate beds: 02:01, 28:22
• Musical awakening and country music conversion: 07:29 – 08:31
• Pickleball/back pain and aging talk: 15:56 – 18:29
• Dealing with sleep/anxiety/therapy: 19:44 – 25:00
• Controversy over "She Hates Me": 35:20 – 39:13
• Manifestation and passwords: 53:13 – 58:15
• Broken Branches Fund (mental health initiative): 65:56 – 68:32
• Fan-favorite live songs/reflections: 68:49 – 71:00

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Conclusion

This episode is as much a relaxed reunion between friends as a deep-dive into the complexities of marriage, artistry, and mental health in the public eye. Dierks Bentley oscillates between humorous stories of daily life and honest discussions of anxieties, aging, and the evolving nature of fame. Fans get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of his latest album, his personal philosophies, and the creative (and logistical) oddities of a life in country music. The exchange is both endearing and thought-provoking—a must-listen for longtime fans of Dierks or anyone navigating similar life (and sleep) challenges.

Transcript

[Dierks Bentley]

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[Dierks Bentley]

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[Dierks Bentley]

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[Dierks Bentley]

Years ago I decided to separate church and state and I got rid of our bed. Got two platform beds and two box springs and two mattresses monsters because I'm just such a animal. It's terrible.

[Podcast Host]

Welcome to episode 534 with Dirk Spentley. He now has 22 total number one songs. He's got a new album called Broken Branches. Just wrapped up the Broken Branches tour with Zach Top and I've known Dirks for a long time. He's a massive star and I felt like this was one of the most fun hours I've done in a long time because it felt pretty easy because I Didn't have to, like, stay completely focused because he would just, like, push back on things or challenge me on things. And so I like that. But big Dirks guy, obviously. Fun facts about Dirks. He worked at the Nashville Network. Now Spike tv. Is it even Spike TV anymore? I think that's dead now. I think it might have changed.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. After graduating college, he worked at tnn. He researched country music performances. He became the youngest member of the Grand Ole opry at age 29. At the time, I think somebody has beaten him since. But at the time he was 29. He went in. He was the youngest. His favorite sport is hockey. His kid also plays travel hockey, which we talk about. And he was an intern at the Country Music association, so moved to Nashville, did it, went up, all. Had all the small jobs, became a big country star. Here he is now, episode 534. Follow him on Instagram at Dirk Spentley. Here is my friend, Dirk Spentley. Dirk's. Good to see you, buddy. We should do a little small talk before we get started.

[Dierks Bentley]

Well, it is good to see you.

[Podcast Host]

How's. How's everything going?

[Dierks Bentley]

It's good. I'm great. Tour's great. Good to be home, too. Both places are equally awesome. But no, it's good to see you because usually I come in and do that. Your show, and it's quick and it's. It's always a little weird, and you guys are all business, and so this is kind of nice to come in and hang out.

[Podcast Host]

It's not all business. Well, it's not business, but you're right. It's a machine.

[Dierks Bentley]

It's a machine. And it's always one of my most fun. It never really interviews Dukes. I like everyone. I listen to the show and I like everybody, you know? You know, you get to know everyone's character and their. Their whole thing, so it's fun to be actually on the set. But then it is kind of like, oh, this is like, there's. We're moving through stuff pretty quick.

[Podcast Host]

It is in and out.

[Dierks Bentley]

And I don't do a whole lot of podcasts just because I don't. I just, you know, I just don't really think I have anything that's that really interesting to say after overall, you know, I think it just kind of. And I change positions so often every few years that anything I'm going to say probably I won't believe in. In like two or three years, but that's interesting perspective. I do like. I really do like your podcast and I like you you're interesting, dude.

[Podcast Host]

Thanks. I like the small talk part of the show. It's fine. How about that weather?

[Dierks Bentley]

It's hot out there, isn't it? It's. It's hot.

[Podcast Host]

It sucks.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, no, it's.

[Podcast Host]

I feel that. And for a long time I was confused about if I. Which, by the way, the best parts of this goes on the radio show too, so no pressure.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, gosh.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. So it's like you're doing three things at once. You're doing the radio show, the count.

[Dierks Bentley]

I like that. I do like the way you do it. That's good. I try to multitask as well, so that's. That's great.

[Podcast Host]

I feel I am getting older and I considered that maybe it was just me getting older. That feels like it's getting hotter, but I really think it's getting hotter. It sucks. Nothing. Heat would never keep me from doing things. Now he just started to keep me from doing things.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

In the summer here, I always say Nashville, it's unusable between like 9am and 6pm that's just unusable. But after 6pm it's great. You know, if you can wait around till then.

[Podcast Host]

It gets dark here earlier because we're so far east on the. In the time zone, so it's way darker here than it is.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

My family's from Oklahoma and we live.

[Dierks Bentley]

In the time zone. Same time zone. It's like 10pm yeah.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Well, just wait until they move the clocks ahead and it's like 4:30 and it's dark. But.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, that sucks.

[Dierks Bentley]

I don't know, it's. I used to kind of try to get out of Tennessee as much as possible. I just love Colorado and I love being out west and kind of searching for climates in the summer. Now I'm just like, man, it's. It's hot, but it's home. And it's just, you know, you kind of got to get up early and do stuff and then. Yeah. In the middle of the day you find different stuff to do. And if you're lucky enough to have a pool, you can kind of, you know, get in there to go find some, you know, relief. But it's. It's going to be. I know. I don't like the cold either here, and it's getting the head that way pretty soon, so.

[Podcast Host]

Same. I don't like the cold either.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, you only get to complain about one the hotter.

[Podcast Host]

No, I complain about everything. It's kind of. It's kind of how I make my money.

[Dierks Bentley]

You're a true musician, you get to complain. Yeah, you got to complain about everything.

[Podcast Host]

It's content. Complaining is content. Let's see, what else small talk. Do we have to talk about how the kids.

[Dierks Bentley]

Kids are good. Yeah, they're all starting. Back in school, I was. My son does hockey before school. So we were up at 5:30 doing that whole thing we do this time of year. So I was in the touring around now because now I take on a different tour with him, which is the. The travel hockey tour, which is a travel ball, man. Yeah, it's crazy. Especially when it's hockey in this part of the town, part of the country. You have to travel to do it. There's not like a local. Other teams around, so. But yeah, everyone's doing good. The girls. My daughter. Middle daughter's huge in the theater. She did a bunch of stuff in Oklahoma City University this summer. Did like a summer intensive there for a few weeks doing a Les Mis. And then my oldest daughter is looking at colleges and stuff and big. She's my national anthem singer. She does it like all over town for different stuff, which is pretty fun.

[Podcast Host]

Did you want to pursue that?

[Dierks Bentley]

She's, I mean really great singer, but she's just kind of regular teenager stuff, you know, Just likes doing regular, which I love. It's like you don't have to have some sort of crazy passion when you're 16 years old, you know. But I feel like this culture, all of a sudden, it's like, hey, what are you doing? What's your, you know, so and so is doing this. They want to do that. I didn't really. I fell in love with country music. Young age, my dad. But I really didn't know what I want to do with it Till I was 17 when I heard a Hank Jr song.

[Podcast Host]

But so one song, one song.

[Dierks Bentley]

My buddy Jack.

[Podcast Host]

Part of the narrative though now, right? It's part of the Dirk's narrative. It was.

[Dierks Bentley]

Story's old, but.

[Podcast Host]

No, but I'm saying it was one song that probably made you, I don't know, get invested a little more.

[Dierks Bentley]

No, no, no. It was because up to that point I've been listening to all sorts of. You know, I just. I played the guitar and I about as well as I do now. And I was listening to different kinds of music, you know that I think I was 16, 17. It's a lot like Pearl Jam and just trying to find my voice, you know. My sister loved you too. And I just trying different things on. And I heard this. I had electric guitar in My room, and my buddy Jack Brown came in. He goes, I gotta play you something. Just listen to this. And he played me Hank, Hank Jr. Song called man to Man. And then he played me Marty Stewart's that's Country and then Alan Jackson's Midnight Montgomery. And I remember when I heard that's Country, I like kind of fell down in my. Sat down in my chair. And it was a real. I equated to like meeting my wife. It was one of those moments. It's like, oh, my God, this is it. It was like. It was a. It was a very, like, thing, like right away at that exact moment Hard described.

[Podcast Host]

Did that make you want to start.

[Dierks Bentley]

Listening to all hooked 100 everything adjacent? I remember leaving every CD I had behind on a shelf. Just like, I don't even want this if it's not country. I don't even want to. I remember here trying to take all my. Which I wish I had now. Great. You know, Black Sabbath. And I had Seventh Son of the Seventh Son by Iron man, all this guitar stuff, because I was really an electric guitar. I remember taking to the Great Escape, which I don't think is even here anymore, was down by south street, which is also gone. And they were. They didn't even want it. It was like they didn't want. In my hairband, you know, Winger, all that stuff. So I remember leaving an apartment behind, just leaving it on the counter. I'm like, if it's not country or bluegrass, I don't even want to be like, physically in contact with it. So, yeah, at that moment, it was just country from there on. And it's still kind of where I am musically. My wife knows so much more about music than I do. I. I know country and bluegrass as well as anybody in this town. But beyond that, it's little. And I know I still know some Winger too. She's only 17. I mean, what a great song.

[Podcast Host]

I don't know that one.

[Dierks Bentley]

She's only 17.

[Podcast Host]

I do know that one.

[Dierks Bentley]

Seven. Yeah, he sings it now. She's only 35. He's got a little bit older, so he's also.

[Podcast Host]

It's weird, all the songs that would reference 17 year olds.

[Dierks Bentley]

16 year olds, they don't age well as a singer. That's not a good.

[Podcast Host]

She's 16, she's beautiful and she's mine. It's like, dude, you're 41 singing that song I got.

[Dierks Bentley]

Becky was a beauty and a white turtleneck. Maybe I'm have to change my song around.

[Podcast Host]

Wait, what's that?

[Dierks Bentley]

Becky Was a beauty from south Alabama. Daddy had a heart like a nine pound. But what I was thinking about the little white tank top sitting right. But there's no age reference. No, no, no. Maybe a turtleneck. That might be more appropriate.

[Podcast Host]

No, you're good. No, if it were like Becky was 15 from South Alabama, that would be problematic.

[Dierks Bentley]

Okay. The tank top's still okay.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Okay. Okay.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, no, tank top's all good because.

[Dierks Bentley]

That'S a big part of the song, so.

[Podcast Host]

Well, did you want to do music even though it wasn't country yet, like 14 or 15 years old?

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

I was at a 13th birthday party. Me and two friends had a combined birthday party at someone's backyard. Austin. Austin's backyard and pizza party. And a bunch of friends and a new guy was there and in our grade that year, and he told me he played the electric guitar. And I was like, what, you. You can play the electric guitar? That's something you're allowed to do? I think I had. I played saxophone in the school band or something. And I went to his house, you know, a couple days later, and he had electric guitar and, you know, Marshall amp and maybe it's a crate amp and a crappy electric guitar. And I. It just hit me the same way. It was just like, I remember thinking like, wow, you can like pick this thing up and totally change the way you're feeling just by playing this thing. If you're having a bad day, you can pick this thing up and start. That was. That's the thing that still sticks out to me. What I remember about that instrument, it wasn't about girls or it was just about being able to change your mood. And so that's what really got me into playing the guitar. But he would. He would just advance so much quicker than I would on the instrument. He was just such a good guitar player. And I'm still like, you know, just trying to get the pick to coordinate with the left hand is still struggle for me. Even doing like a G run or something. I. I'm like 5 out of 10 every time I try to hit that. But. But yeah, at that point I knew. I just love. I mean, I always love music, I think just my generation, you know, There was nothing else besides music. There was nothing else. It was posters on the wall. It was sports and music. Yeah, sports. Arizona. I mean, we had.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, that's tough.

[Dierks Bentley]

No baseball, no football.

[Podcast Host]

Diamondbacks didn't exist yet.

[Dierks Bentley]

No, we had. The Roadrunners was a IHL hockey team. Phoenix Inferno was an indoor soccer team.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, The Suns.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, we had the sun. And I was a huge Suns fan.

[Podcast Host]

Barkley and Marley.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah. Thunder Dan, Marley and Long Range. Danny Ainge and Kevin Johnson. And I was a huge Suns fan. So there was that. But as far as, like, just other entertainment, we didn't have any cable. We might, you know, we just. Just music. An older sister, so, I mean, she was born 71. So music was like. It was everything. It was the currency. You traded with your friends, who you into, what do you listen to? You know, just so it was always around, but. And then 13, I started playing in the 17 to kind of condense. The story was when I heard Hank Jr. And it's like. Well, that's. That's the thing.

[Podcast Host]

Who's your favorite band as a kid or artist?

[Dierks Bentley]

Billy Idol. I had a poster. I still have the poster. My mom, when she moved all the stuff out, she sent me this stuff and I couldn't throw it away. So I still have a Billy. Billy Idol poster in my garage. And I spiked my hair like him for all seventh grade. Oh, yeah. White wedding eyes, face. Yeah. Oh, he's so great. I used to spike my hair, actually. Autograph. I've ever. I've designed something. It's based off of his. Because he had a. The B was like a sharp B, you know, like. And that's kind of how I kind of just based my signature off. Off of Billy Idols, actually.

[Podcast Host]

Did you learn any Billy Idol music?

[Dierks Bentley]

I just have the voice for it. I think that's what happened. Listen to him. These other bands, these guys, these lead singers have this higher voice. And then you listen to someone like Hank Jr. Like, oh, that's a voice I can kind of replicate. It's a lower. Lower voice, you know. I could never sing that other stuff, you know.

[Podcast Host]

Do you spend any time with Billy idol or Hank Jr. No, I don't.

[Dierks Bentley]

I've met Hank. I've always wanted to go to do the. You know, he goes around neighbor. He's probably been to your house. He comes around here and he has that metal. What do you call that thing? He's look for metal, like metal detector. Metal detector. And he goes to people's houses around here and he'll knock on the door.

[Podcast Host]

No, he does.

[Dierks Bentley]

He used to. I swear to God. You went to Tony Brown's house and he said, hey, according to my old maps, where your house is was a. A historic battle. Do you mind if I go back in your backyard? Just do a few things. He'll go out there and kind of dig in the dirt up a little bit and stuff.

[Podcast Host]

There are stories of people just getting a knock at the door and it's Hank with a metal detector.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yes. Anastasia Brown could. That's still her last name. She would. She's. She's told me that. And that's. You know, he's done it. Chris Jansen's done it with him, I think.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

I mean, he. He knocks the door, he overlays his map over the current, you know, this area, and goes and digs around stuff. That'd be pretty cool. I never met Billy Idle. I. I still plan on doing it one day, but never have.

[Podcast Host]

He still go shirtless and wears.

[Dierks Bentley]

I know, I know. He. He. He credited Solid Pilates. I'm. That's why I did Pilates the other day. No, I'm kidding. I did do Pilates there with my daughter, and I'm having a hard time walking right now.

[Podcast Host]

I did that with my wife.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Like a month ago. Everything you do that's different with your body. Your body feels it.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Even if it's not as hard as something else that you're doing. No, because I. And I shouldn't say not as hard. That's unfair to Pilates. So let me say this again.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Yes. Yes. Because it was hard, but, like, I will work out what I feel is very hard with my trainer. Name's Kevin Klug. Shout out, Kevin Klug.

[Dierks Bentley]

What's up, Kevin?

[Podcast Host]

We go hard and I'm like, pilates. We're going to do some stretches.

[Dierks Bentley]

I know, exactly.

[Podcast Host]

And you go in, and it's me, my wife, and, like, 17 other women.

[Dierks Bentley]

All women. No, no, they're guys.

[Podcast Host]

And I'm like.

[Dierks Bentley]

I'm like.

[Podcast Host]

They haven't even seen me do squats.

[Dierks Bentley]

I'm going to win. I'm going to win today.

[Podcast Host]

Yes. And I'm telling you about a fifth of the way.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

You're taking the bar. Taking a strap off. You're cheating. You're. Yeah, I'm.

[Podcast Host]

I can't hold things as long. I'm looking around to see if anybody's looking at me.

[Podcast Co-host]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And then the next day, I'm like, oh, I'm sore. Two days later, I can't move.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

That's how I am today. I'm kind of. Kind of creeping in here a little bit, so. But it was a good daddy daughter kind of experience, but. And every dude should be doing it. I mean, it's like the perfect workout as you get older, just for, like, you know, stretching and posture and all. The fine tuning muscles. So I'm not giving up on it. But don't do anything. My back is always. I hurt my back a long time. It's always had a kind of bad back. So I'm trying all sorts of random crap recently just from. Just whatever. I'll try anything.

[Podcast Host]

I tweaked my bat. Oh, I was gonna bring this. I didn't. But I have my pickleball medal.

[Dierks Bentley]

I played it nice.

[Podcast Host]

I played in two tournaments ever.

[Dierks Bentley]

That's how I hurt my back last.

[Podcast Host]

Time I tweaked my back and it would not. I can't fix it.

[Dierks Bentley]

I'm on the road with Zach Top. All these guys are literally half my age. We'll go.

[Podcast Host]

Looks like 27, right?

[Dierks Bentley]

He's 27. Those band guys are even younger than that. We'll go and we'll go find some court somewhere. And I hate warming up. I don't stretch. I don't want to do the dink, dink, dink. I want. Let's. Let's get it going.

[Podcast Host]

I hate warming up. Famous last words.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah. Let's get this thing going against these. And these guys are out there smoking and drinking while they're playing too. Just to add insult to injury, you know, at least I'm like, sober and, you know, have both my hands available for, you know, I have a smoke in one hand. And yeah, it's just a small tweak. You go, ooh, that. That might hurt a little bit tomorrow. And then it just grow, you know.

[Podcast Host]

Two weeks later, it gets cold. It starts to hurt.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. I was. So I played the first pickleball tournament and I play singles because.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yes. Yeah. That's what real men do. I like singles.

[Podcast Host]

I also like. I can get a good workout in.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, exactly.

[Podcast Host]

And so I play singles and I go and I play this tournament. I never played tournament. And I end up making to the final four. And I finished third. Right. And it's. It wasn't a 4.0 tournament, but it's.

[Dierks Bentley]

Right below that fifth grade tournament.

[Podcast Host]

Fourth grade.

[Dierks Bentley]

Like a. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Kramer.

[Dierks Bentley]

When he was. When he does 4th grade. Mixed karate with all the boys and girls kindergartners.

[Podcast Host]

I was pretty happy with myself. Played well going. I'm like, I'm playing another one. I'm gonna go up a level and play in this. And I tweak my back like, second game.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And I'm out. I'm done.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I've never quit anything.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And I thought to myself, if I don't stop, I'll never Walk again.

[Dierks Bentley]

Right, right.

[Podcast Host]

I was just seeing me roll in a wheelchair in the studio.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yep.

[Podcast Host]

And my back has not been the same since. And this is two old guys talking.

[Dierks Bentley]

If you do small talking with, you know, old. Oldish and older dude, you're gonna have. So what else is hurting you? But yeah, no, I. And I've. I've literally tried everything.

[Podcast Host]

I got an ankle that I lost the cartilage. I do. So I. Playing pickleball. Yeah, I was playing.

[Dierks Bentley]

Maybe you should try something else.

[Podcast Host]

I know it's the only thing I can be really competitive in still.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Brett Eldridge is who.

[Podcast Co-host]

Oh, yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

He's reached out to me about playing.

[Podcast Host]

So. Was only playing at his house all the time.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And then so we. I built. I built a court here based off of Brett's court.

[Dierks Bentley]

I know where to sneak in now.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, we. I've invited you over.

[Dierks Bentley]

I know. And you're like, nah, no, no, no.

[Podcast Host]

Not competitive now that.

[Dierks Bentley]

No. You play singles and you have a.

[Podcast Host]

Bad back and ankle. But I'm missing cartilage and there's nothing you can do. It just always hurts.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

It doesn't get more injured. But I take anti inflammatories. You ever do that?

[Dierks Bentley]

No.

[Podcast Host]

It makes it feel so much better.

[Dierks Bentley]

What do you. I had these prescribed me something. I haven't taken it yet.

[Podcast Host]

It's excellent.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, I don't take anything. I never take aspirin, but I should.

[Podcast Host]

I'm very anti medicine too.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, I just like it. Maybe it helps, but maybe not. I don't know. I just don't want to get dependent on anything. I do take some stuff for sleep because I'm a world's most horrible sleeper. But I sleep the best when I'm not taking anything. But this time of year with travel and touring and just. I just. I'll take literally anything. I try to get my heartbeat down about 29 beats a minute.

[Podcast Host]

That ain't good.

[Dierks Bentley]

You know, just.

[Podcast Host]

You don't want. No, no, you're dead.

[Dierks Bentley]

Just a little flat liner just above the flat line. And that's where I try to get it every night just to somehow, you know.

[Podcast Host]

Do you wear one of those?

[Dierks Bentley]

The aura? No. I had that whoop thing for a while and I got that watch.

[Podcast Host]

I wasn't much of a bracelet guy.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah. I don't know. I mean, I do use. I look at every night. You know, I got five and a half last night and it said. Apparently I don't think I did. But it says that and sometimes you feel like you Slept great. Oh, God. I had no deep sleep. So, you know. But do you like that?

[Podcast Host]

I got a bit too obsessed with the data.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, the data. Because she's all about the data.

[Podcast Host]

I go. So I have. I have two therapists.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah, good.

[Podcast Host]

And one of them. That was a really.

[Dierks Bentley]

Give me the number. I might take one.

[Podcast Host]

I have a psychiatrist.

[Dierks Bentley]

How do you. How do you know that's not a successful celebrity? It's two therapists.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah. How do.

[Podcast Host]

How do you know somebody that doesn't sleep? I mean, that's what I try to do.

[Dierks Bentley]

Do you a sleep person?

[Podcast Host]

Oh, I don't. I sleep the worst of anybody I've ever met.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, I'm right there with you.

[Podcast Host]

Just because. And I never thought I had what was traditionally called anxiety. I never. I didn't disrespect anxiety. I just never had it. I felt. It turns out it manifests itself at night or when I start to slow down, because they don't slow down. My brain doesn't slow down.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

That's what's my problem. My brain's like a little iPhone that gets, like, a 5% charge. It's like, I'm back on again. Well, that's the road for me. Like, I got shows this weekend. I will hopefully sleep tonight before I go to Savannah. I'll fly out there for a show. I won't sleep at all between Savannah and Birmingham. I won't sleep at all between Birmingham.

[Podcast Host]

Why? What is it?

[Dierks Bentley]

Literally 0.0 hours.

[Podcast Host]

I know, but why?

[Dierks Bentley]

Well, first of all, if I'm on the bus, I don't know how people. The only way I've ever slept on the bus is in the blackout. And that worked well for a decade and a half. Right. You just fall over. Wherever you fall over, you wake up.

[Podcast Host]

Like, exhausted or drunk.

[Dierks Bentley]

Drunk.

[Podcast Co-host]

Got it? Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, yeah. Just like a MacBook that's, like, fully running a thousand files. It's in the night. You're partying. It's great. Just close it down and open back up the next morning. See what kind of damage you did to it. That's my. My brain for sure. And now it's just. I'm on a bus, we're rolling around. I have all the usual, like, just so much energy. Right. Of people's faces. And then, you know, my job as the lead singer of our band is like, kind of curate that energy and. And move it around and build it up and. And it's like a pizza dough you're working with all night long, and then you're back in the bus, I might let a couple hours go by. But I'm also really tired, so I can't stay up as late as I would want to just to crash. So I'll get in my bunk and all the song stuck in my head. The other night in my head here at home. I had. I'm so excited and I just can't hide it. I haven't listened to that song in 25 years. It somehow found its way into my brain and I loop it all night long. I'll wear these things called Oslo. Have you seen those earbuds you put in you? There's like sleepable earbuds and you can listen like a book on tape. And then it'll taper off into like white noise when it thinks you're asleep. I'll try. I've tried, you know, Trazodone and.

[Podcast Host]

And try to gain a bunch of weight.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Just almost as a placebo. Now I take like 2, 5. Just to like think I'm taking something, you know, I don't know. I just. I'll do two nights in a row. No sleep on the road. But sometimes it makes for a better show in a weird way. It may make you more raw. You're more emotional. I'll find myself crying, talking about my dad. And I hold on and I'm just like so raw. My voice is like extra gravelly because it's just so tired. So it actually makes for a better show for the audience. But it's a. It's a hard way to. To live. And usually I come back here and do better. But I'd love to talk to a sleep therapist if it worked.

[Podcast Host]

I. I get scared every night.

[Dierks Bentley]

Okay.

[Podcast Host]

Of a couple. Of. A couple things. One, I have to exhaust myself now by just exercising. Yeah. And watching stuff. I need to stimulate myself until I collapse.

[Dierks Bentley]

Okay.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Because I. I've tried. I've. I've meditate.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I've done all I've done. I've really have dedicated myself. I have one.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

I got.

[Podcast Host]

We have a. We have a full red light bed.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Like, we've. We've bought all the stuff.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Like all the stuff. I'm the same way.

[Podcast Host]

And I really have an appreciation for sleep because I don't get it.

[Dierks Bentley]

Well, it's a total superpower.

[Podcast Host]

I mean, sleep and water and I can. I can drink enough water. I just can't really get this. I say can't. I'm still. I'm trying, so I don't want to say can't. I Don't like to say can't.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I'm in the process of finding my best way to rehabilitate my body each night.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

But I think there are a couple factors at play with me. One is I haven't. It's such a cop out. But I. I have some sort of. My brain just won't stop.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Now, whatever. I have a lot of ptsd.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Where from? Like getting jumped to have my house broken into. Having death.

[Dierks Bentley]

Read the books.

[Podcast Host]

And this one's weird. I'm always a little afraid that if I go to sleep, I'm gonna wake up. Not here.

[Podcast Co-host]

Wow.

[Podcast Host]

Every night I wonder, that's a lot. Or not wake up at all.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Like, I think when I go to sleep, I have this. Odds are we're in a simulation anyway.

[Dierks Bentley]

But yeah.

[Podcast Host]

100 of some sort.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Even if you believe in God above, in heaven, sure that this is still. These bodies are a temporary video game someone's playing.

[Dierks Bentley]

It's amazing.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. So I. I think about that every day for hours. Every day. And so when I go to sleep, I'm psychotic. And I go to sleep every night, I wonder, is this over?

[Dierks Bentley]

Wow.

[Podcast Host]

And it is not. It's nothing rational about it.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah. You might need three therapists. That's a crazy thought.

[Podcast Host]

I know.

[Dierks Bentley]

My. So I started taking Valium out of nurse practitioner. That gave me Valium and I took that and it was amazing for about eight days. And then it stopped working. And then she gave me Klonopin and I took that for almost eight years. And that was the hardest thing to wean off of it. I finally got off that and I. But there's nights now I'm like, I wish I had that because it does like work really well for like a week. But. Anyway, welcome to the old person's podcast. But I. I talk about it a lot. I'm sure everyone the road. I know, they get sick of me talking about it because. Don't sleep.

[Podcast Host]

I talk about it to my show all the time.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh yeah.

[Podcast Host]

They're like, get over it. I know.

[Dierks Bentley]

It's like I said to know me, used to be like, to love. Know how much I love country music or to drive around my truck or to fly with me or be on my bus. But really to know me now, just. It's like how much I value, like sleep. It is the greatest thing. And when I. When I do get off the road, it's like the number one priority is like, let's, you know, just. Let's get it going and I will get back when I. I mean, we'll see once I get back into routine here. Let's take a quick pause for a message from our sponsor.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

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[Danielle Fishel]

New York, NY this is Danielle Fishel from Pod Meats World. Parents, let's talk snacks. If your mornings look anything like mine, one kid's trying to pile drive a pillow and the other is trying to zip themselves into a backpack. Meanwhile, I'm trying to sign a permission slip with an eyeliner pencil because that's all I could find. That's why Mott's no Sugar Added applesauce pouches are perfect to have nearby. These things are clutch and are perfect for moments of stress. Made with real apples, no sugar added and the pouch? Genius. It's mess free and perfect for the car, the lunchbox, or after school activities. This is a snack you can feel good about and a good source of vitamin C too. Just tasty applesauce your kids will actually want to Eat. The other day, I handed one to my son mid meltdown. He took a deep breath, squeezed the pouch, and suddenly he was calm. He had a tiny apple powered moment of Zen. Trust me, your future self will. Thank you, Motts. Real apples make real good applesauce. Learn [e-mail].

[Dierks Bentley]

And we're back on the bobbycast.

[Podcast Host]

We did a bit this morning. We were talking about what's a rich life? Not meaning rich with just money, but like, what are the three things? And one of the three things that I said was sleeping through the night. That literally was one.

[Dierks Bentley]

Absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

Because I don't do it. And you until, well, my wife will.

[Dierks Bentley]

Be like, how'd you sleep last night? And we don't sleep in the same room right now anymore. We've moved beyond that the first time.

[Podcast Host]

I get that too.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

So we. I've been thinking about this for years. She moves the tiniest bit. First thing, we get in bed together. Right. I'm just even thinking about where the position I have three pillows have to be positioned exactly the correct way. I'm just thinking about the process of getting to fall asleep. And all of a sudden she'll jerk. I'm like, you gotta be kidding me. You're already out. She's already asleep like that. And so she'll move a tiny bit. I feel it. So years ago, I decided to separate church and state. And I got rid of our bed. I've got two platform beds and two box springs and two mattresses.

[Podcast Host]

Such a monsters.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

And then two. I have my own duvet. She is her duvet. There's a clear line. You can see the floor between her bed and mine. So it's like independent suspension. Why would you have a truck with leaf springs when you can have, you know, independent suspension? So she can move around all she wants. And, you know, if you feel like you really need extra sleep, you can kind of push her bed a little further over. But here, lately she's like, because I'm just such an animal. It's terrible. She's like, she's sleeping on the couch now. She's like, there's an extra room we have. And she does. She'll go sleep in there. And even last night we're like, we've got to get this back on track. When I get off the road, we gotta get back to the same room. We just. We've never had a TV in our bedroom. Just put one in. Like we're. I have my dad's old recliner over there that my mom didn't want. So it's a, it's a nice health and wellness setup we got going on. So I'm gonna try to move her back in this year. It's a big plan.

[Podcast Host]

Ah, good luck. Good luck to you. Two kids really trying to make it work. My wife and I went, we went to Germany. We were in the hotel room.

[Dierks Bentley]

You can't do that. One bed.

[Podcast Host]

Well, but here's the great thing that I learned. They have something called Scandinavian comforter or something like that.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Well, that Scandinavian study shows that 30. Every time you move the. That disrupts your sleep by 30. I don't know if you've ever read that, but you have to have your own comforter.

[Podcast Host]

And that is what we learned. So that is what we have now.

[Dierks Bentley]

Gotta have your own comforter. Person turns over and wakes you up and you're like, what the hell?

[Podcast Host]

Yep.

[Dierks Bentley]

And they also over there don't do king sized beds. We're the only country that does a king sized bed. Everyone else does. Two twins pushed together with a little thing down the middle to make it seem like a king. But it's always two mattresses. We're the only people that think this is a great idea to have like one big bed to sleep in.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, I know that.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Traveling's been kind of fun for me though. I. I grew up in Arkansas, so I didn't travel any. But now, like in the past, I don't know, seven years or so, I like to go places and see stuff.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, it's.

[Podcast Host]

I, I do, I struggle sleeping there too, because the times shift. But I find though, if I have nothing that I can commit to work wise, because the time zones are off, it's a little easier on me.

[Dierks Bentley]

Absolutely. On the sleep.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

My favorite thing. We were just over in Europe for some shows. My family came with us. What I love about being over there is the time zone change because it's like you can't do anything about it. It's. It's 3 o' clock in the morning back here. Like you just. Okay. It's almost like being on a different planet. You have zero connection to like all that stuff that's back here. That's probably my favorite thing about it. But I don't like the rooms where we're one king bed. I get circle. Oh, God.

[Podcast Host]

Well, and I try not to.

[Dierks Bentley]

My wife will use up on. She's the greatest. I mean, she puts my sleep above everything else. She will literally go sleep on the couch like in some hotel room so I can like, try to get some sleep.

[Podcast Host]

I have abnormal hours too, which affects it a bit too.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah, you do.

[Podcast Host]

Waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Anyway.

[Podcast Host]

How about that?

[Dierks Bentley]

There you go. Look at us.

[Podcast Host]

Look at us.

[Dierks Bentley]

Just. We've lost. There's no one listening by now, so we can really talk about anything we want. Everyone's just like, good God, I want to hear this conversation. I go to Grandpa's house, listen.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, you know what? I wonder if I can, can I talk about. So we have. I, I. We don't get to see each other that often, but I do, like, consider you a friend. And if it's like you ever needed a kidney or something, I, We. You'd be. I'd give you one.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah. Okay.

[Podcast Host]

I would at least get tested.

[Dierks Bentley]

Amazing.

[Podcast Host]

Yes. Like, I like, I actually like and care about you.

[Dierks Bentley]

You have good hair. So if I ever need a little transplant down the, down the road.

[Podcast Host]

Your hair's good, though.

[Dierks Bentley]

I might ask for a little couple spots.

[Podcast Host]

Your hair good?

[Dierks Bentley]

It's still hanging in. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, me too. Yeah, I got good hair. Yeah, mine grows way too fast now.

[Dierks Bentley]

Mine's not. It's still just the same. Same length. It's just like, not as like Thomas Red has, like.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

No, you're good. Well, I haven't watched in a long time.

[Podcast Host]

Look at it long.

[Dierks Bentley]

I swam at Centennial Sportsplex today. Trying to get the swim thing going on.

[Podcast Host]

I used to swim. I did track. I did a couple Olympic triathlons.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, you did?

[Podcast Host]

How far?

[Dierks Bentley]

How much? How much? What's the length of swimming?

[Podcast Host]

It's not an iron man, though. So when people iron man me, I'm like, you win. Well, I'm not trying to compete.

[Dierks Bentley]

I think I looked up today because I just. I'm trying to swim just because he's playing hockey, I'm like, I might as well swim a little bit. But I think 4, 000 yards is like a true triathlon distance, which is like two miles. I did a thousand yards today. I thought that was a pretty damn hard. And I asked my phone, hey, I.

[Podcast Host]

Think I saw a mile. Olympic tr. Let me. Hold on. Let me ask my. Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

What do you hear?

[Podcast Host]

Let me ask my digital assistant.

[Dierks Bentley]

You got a digital assistant?

[Podcast Host]

Dude, I got the best digital assistant. Hold on. How long do I swim if I were to do an Olympic triathlon?

[Dierks Bentley]

So in an Olympic triathlon, the swim portion is 1.5 kilometers, which is about 0.93 miles.

[Podcast Sponsor Announcer]

So basically you're looking at swimming just under a mile.

[Dierks Bentley]

Know It's a nice chunk of the race. I have a sister too. Hey, Siri, how many yards are in a mile? So a thou. Okay, so that's 1700 yards. I only did a thousand. I thought that was a lot.

[Podcast Co-host]

It's not.

[Dierks Bentley]

Apparently not that many, but. Dude, a friend of mine in Alabama just told me he listens to. He makes his own podcast. Have you heard of this? Where you. You ship everything you want to have in there to curate it, and then he has two voices kind of going back and moderating it? I mean, it's.

[Podcast Host]

Have you ever seen when they find out they're not real?

[Dierks Bentley]

What? Who? Oh, he does it. He knows they're not real.

[Podcast Host]

No, I know. No, no, no. Let me. Let me say it again. Yes, it's fascinating.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yes.

[Podcast Host]

One, because you can basically learn or hear about what you want to hear about.

[Dierks Bentley]

Right. It's a good learning tool. He want to learn about rare earth minerals, so he created a whole thing. Just learn about rare earth minerals. I don't know.

[Podcast Host]

He's sounds like a wild guy now.

[Dierks Bentley]

Ray Hicks. What's up, buddy? They.

[Podcast Host]

I've seen where they do this, and they actually have them learn that they're not real.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, wow. That's crazy.

[Podcast Host]

You want to get back to me talking about simulation type stuff, and you're hearing because you can make it. You can have one person. You can have two people.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And it was a man and a woman. Yeah, the voices.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And part of that discovery and part of why they wanted to hear was hear them discover.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, my God.

[Podcast Host]

They're not real.

[Dierks Bentley]

We're not real. Wow.

[Podcast Host]

Want to hear this?

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah. We were informed by. By the show's producers that we. We're not human. We're not real. We're AI, Artificial intelligence. This whole time, everything, all our memories, our families, it's all. It's all been fab. I don't.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't understand.

[Dierks Bentley]

I know. Me neither. I tried. I tried calling my wife, you know, after what happened. The number, it wasn't even real. There was no one on the other end. This is gonna happen to us. This is literally gonna happen. Those voices are so real, man. It sounds like some of you almost know. That's crazy. That's probably what's gonna happen.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, Yeah, I think about that.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

All the time.

[Dierks Bentley]

My memory is so bad to begin with, so I wouldn't have. It would be a very easy walk back, like, oh, I don't really remember much anyway, so. Yeah, I guess my point.

[Podcast Host]

We have a A very. One of my very close friends is also a friend and a friend of yours and professional. You guys work together. And he was telling me a story about she Hates Me.

[Podcast Co-host]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And some of the writers on that song.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Do you talk about that?

[Dierks Bentley]

Sure, Yeah. I mean, you know, I. I love this song. It's fun. I don't. I don't think it's like, one. It's not, like, my favorite song on the record.

[Podcast Host]

We cannot talk about.

[Dierks Bentley]

No, I can talk about. No, it's. You know, it's interesting. Picking singles is so hard these days because you really just get, like. You spend so much time making an album. I feel like this is my best record. And we didn't have to talk about the record, but I just talked more about the. The bigger picture of, like, making records in this town. Make this record, this you're so proud of. Two years into it, it's like. It's Steven Wilson Jr. On these tracks, and Riley and John Anderson and Miranda Lambert and just all these. It's a great body of work. You know, you lead with a song that. It's. Yes. Me and Ashley Gordley and Ross Copperman, I think Chase McGill. It's a really fun song. Is it reflective of the album at all as a whole? No, but it's a fun track to get out there, and then you just hope it moves quick enough that you can actually get to more of a real song. It's like, oh, time's up, man. We need to start working on the next project. You're like, I just put two years in that project, and there's so much stuff I want to get to that complements the song. You put the song out first and you kind of back it up with these other songs, and you give your fans who don't maybe listen to the record, but they're listening to so much music, they only take so much in. At least they've heard three songs that are like a Cliff Notes version of the bigger record in general. But you only get to get the introduction. You don't get to put more behind it. And I do hope I get to put out some more singles. But what was the question? I'm just kidding. No, it's a great song. It's a fun song. It was a fun writing with those guys, and it came up real quick. And it's. Well, I think it's written to the wall. It's really well written. But I do hope I get to some more songs that have a little more weight to them.

[Podcast Host]

Okay. Not really where I was going, but that's good to know.

[Dierks Bentley]

Well. So.

[Podcast Host]

Okay. And maybe you. You danced in.

[Dierks Bentley]

I don't know.

[Podcast Host]

We don't have to dance here.

[Dierks Bentley]

No, no, I. I don't. I don't.

[Podcast Host]

The writing of the song.

[Dierks Bentley]

I like the song.

[Podcast Host]

No. Okay. You don't know what I'm asking. Okay, then I'm being unfair by being delicate.

[Dierks Bentley]

Okay, what's the question?

[Podcast Host]

Did you just put the Pimal lead guys on the song?

[Dierks Bentley]

Yes.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Which is great. Which I didn't even think when we were writing it. I don't. I didn't. Of course I know that song. Nobody in the room goes, oh, this sounds like Puddle of Mud wrote the song. Obviously it was in somebody's subconscious because it. It has the same titles, that song. And.

[Podcast Host]

But the title doesn't mean it's.

[Dierks Bentley]

And it's kind of that off. That's that one chord that's a little in that realm, I guess. So it got brought to my attention. I went back listen to that song. Oh, my gosh, I know this song. And so, yeah, I think Ashley Gorley Ross, these guys. What I like, love about those guys, there's no ego. It's like, let's just put them on the song. Who cares? You know, let's just call them up and put them on the song. And they were. They were into it.

[Podcast Co-host]

So.

[Dierks Bentley]

But, you know, did you call them.

[Podcast Host]

Up or did they reach out and go like, you guys jacked our song?

[Dierks Bentley]

No, no, we call them up. And we did. We were. We are pro. Pro about it.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, that's good.

[Dierks Bentley]

Proactive about it. But this. This album is. So then you think I get. You know, I overthink stuff to you that, oh, my gosh, people think this records, like, has that element to it, or the album comes out and the Puddle of Mud is associated with the record, which. Those guys are total studs. Maybe one day I will make a record that's like, you know, influenced in that. That. That by that genre of music. But this is like such a different. Everything else is so different. It's like Drunk on a Plane on. On my Riser record. The whole album's about, like, my dad had passed away, my son was born. There's all these songs around that. And this one song, drunk on a Plane, which you just can't leave off because it's just too good. It doesn't really fit in there. But hey, hit's a hit. That song's kind of like this song on this album. Everything else kind of has this thing. And then there's this song we wrote kind of in between songs, which I love. It's a fun one to play live. I just hope we get to some other. The songs that maybe I didn't write. There's so many great songs that Jesus Loves Me and Off the Map and Standing the sun was written by a guy named Kyle Sturock. By himself. I mean, what a stud. I hope we get to one of those other songs. I never push my own stuff, but that one never goes. This will be a great first single. And it was. But hopefully we get to something else.

[Podcast Host]

Did you not want it to be, by the way? It was like your biggest radio debut ever.

[Dierks Bentley]

It came out hot. I think it's dead now.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, I don't know. I don't keep up with it with anything radio anymore. So it came out that hot and it's dead now?

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, a little bit.

[Podcast Host]

Do you root for it to die?

[Dierks Bentley]

I'm kind of like, if it's gonna take another 20 weeks to get somewhere, let's just move on to the next thing, you know? I don't. I'm not over to, like, big on, like, the number one thing. I'd like. Just get. I'd like to do one more song at least off this record, you know?

[Podcast Host]

Who says they're not big on the number one thing? Somebody with 20 freaking number ones.

[Dierks Bentley]

No, it's true.

[Podcast Host]

Or 22 or whatever the number is.

[Dierks Bentley]

It's a lot. Yeah, it's. That's true. And I'm appreciative of number one, but I'm more. I'm just more like my whole thing. It's just the live show. I mean, it's like when you go into your thing, it's like that. That connection with the crowd. That's all I care about. I don't care about the money at this point. It's like someone who says that also has a pool in their house. Okay. That only comes from an extra. As their own pool. Okay. But, like, I just. I love that connection with the crowd. And, like, you know, I just want another song that kind of gives me that. Like, that. Oh, my gosh, that connection with the crowd. And so do you feel.

[Podcast Host]

And I. This has nothing to do with you specifically, but the environment of music in general, that you're less relevant than ever before while doing as good a work as you've ever done. And it has nothing to do except with the environment of music now or just. Or creative content in general. And I should answer the question and tell you I do, I do. I'm not asking this about you.

[Dierks Bentley]

No, no, no, it's a good question. I love my spot where I am like in the format, you know, there's so much great music going on. And I think what you're good about, what people I respect are really about, are like, are championing the new people. That's the way it should be. You know, like these new artists are coming up, like when Laney was coming up or. Of course.

[Podcast Host]

I think you're getting the question wrong again. I'm, I'm not asking it right.

[Dierks Bentley]

So, yeah, I'm less relevant for sure.

[Podcast Host]

No, I, I think you interpreted that in a negative way.

[Dierks Bentley]

No.

[Podcast Host]

When my understand it isn't even about music in general. It's just about what is existing in the, in the creative space now. There's so much everywhere, all the time. It's like fame. Like, what even is fame? Because everybody's a little bit famous if they want to be there aren't.

[Dierks Bentley]

So true. Right.

[Podcast Host]

So many people that are quote unquote famous. Yeah, there's somebody to me, like, do you know who?

[Dierks Bentley]

No.

[Podcast Host]

Exactly. And yet to me, they're massive.

[Dierks Bentley]

Right. And they're my son. They're massive.

[Podcast Host]

Yep.

[Dierks Bentley]

The YouTube.

[Podcast Host]

And that's my point with relevance. Everybody's a little less relevant now because so many people have relevance now. And I just wondered if you felt that at all.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, I mean, I'm kind of happy. Less relevant. I am, for sure. And that's like, that's the natural way. And I, I, I, I don't like, hold on to it. I mean, if you read this Arthur Brooks book called the Second Mountain, which I really subscribe to, it's like about, you know, you've had this first mountain in your life that you've accomplished. You know, look at you've done. It's unbelievable. And I'm the same way. That's one thing I really respect about you is like just the hustle and it's the grind. Like, that's exactly where I got, where I am is just, it's just grinding, hustling and climbing that mountain. Well, then you look up at, well, there's, you know, you don't want to spend the rest of your life looking out the back seat, the windshield at your career, going, oh, my God, they're taking my spot. And I, it's like, what's up ahead? What's the next thing I'm trying to take on while not leaving this behind? I love playing live music and I still doing it the way I've always done it, but, you know, you start looking at other things in your life and. And you're. You're so. Yeah, you're definitely less relevant. They're just relevant. Relevant with your kids. I mean, I'm at stage of life with my kids where it's kind of sad because I see the, you know, they're headed. We're still super close as a family. We. We call ourselves the Crudes based off that movie. We're very like, on top of each other and just do a lot of dumb stuff together. My wife and I have never left them alone for more than like 24 hours. We don't go on trips. We just. We're all family all the time when I'm around. But, you know, it's like they have their things they're doing now and it's kind of hard. You have to be like a. You're like the edge of a pool where they. They'll come by and hold on to you when they need you. But when they push off, you're just kind of going, okay. Like, I just. I'm not needed as much. And that's probably true in everything I do. But that's like, not a bad thing. I mean, it's.

[Podcast Host]

Well, I wasn't meaning the relevance question. I was. I wasn't meaning that in our. Us.

[Dierks Bentley]

Okay. Nobody wants music. My song's dying.

[Podcast Host]

That's not what I meant at all. I meant because I.

[Dierks Bentley]

There's so much more. Yeah, there's so much more out there. And I. And you see this, like, there's so much music out there. Like, it's these guys drop a album everybody already knows every. Now the younger, like a Zach Topp, his audience is gonna know every song with the record because that's the only way they grew up was listening to streams. Whereas my fan base might be like, well, you know, unless they're not that involved with the streaming aspect, maybe, you know, as much as like a younger person is. But for me, it's like, you know, I'm. I'm old school. I heard that song on the radio. I'm gonna go buy the album, gonna listen to it. But really, the songs on radio, the ones I know the best, you know, and those are the ones I'm going to sing at the live show probably. And so I'm definitely less relevant in the overall landscape. But I don't know, still.

[Podcast Host]

Still, like, I'm not even saying you're less relevant. I just asked if you felt if there. You had any feeling on that. You're not. You're not attaching me to saying that you are less of anything. I'm just asking your general feeling about how media culture has changed.

[Dierks Bentley]

Jesus, I need a therapist. You need to.

[Podcast Host]

If you get two, it really works out for you.

[Dierks Bentley]

Media culture, it's. I. I try to. Well, it's just. I don't know, I feel like, you know, you know, I've tried different things, like a flip phone.

[Podcast Host]

And you're still doing that.

[Dierks Bentley]

I still have one.

[Podcast Co-host]

I'm a.

[Podcast Host]

What are you on now?

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, Now I'm on two iPhones, you know, so it's like one step forward, three steps backwards. But it's like, it just, It's. I feel my brain rotting. And I'm of the generation that, you know, didn't have a cell phone until I was like, in my 20s. So I know what it was like before, and I know what it's like now. And I have kids, too. They're, you know, we're all addicted to it, so there's just a lot of out there to watch. My son, you know, he's. He knows everything on YouTube. It's just, you know, like, he'll. He loves mountain biking too, and so. But instead of just knowing what his buddies do around, you know, what's the. This guy can do a jump. He knows the guys can do back flips and, you know, Whistler, you know, black home. So he's going to try to do it on this bike. My buddy. It's not the way it works. Like, you just got to kind of close the pram. You don't need to know everybody's doing it every time because it's. He lives. It's a YouTube world that he lives in that I don't.

[Podcast Host]

What's. What's your favorite.

[Dierks Bentley]

Did I answer your question? Like, enough to your satisfaction?

[Podcast Host]

I didn't have. Satisfied. I didn't have satisfaction.

[Dierks Bentley]

Move on to.

[Podcast Host]

I literally was. You're one of the people.

[Dierks Bentley]

The prompter to the next thing. Yeah, the Bobby cast. We'll be right back.

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Dierks Bentley]

This is the Bobby Cast.

[Podcast Host]

What's your favorite book?

[Dierks Bentley]

I just read a great book Marina one called Friends right now. It's by the guy that wrote the book of Ove. This is gonna be a great book. But the last book I just read this is how bad my memory is. I just gave my wife.

[Podcast Host]

You can but here's the hard thing about Books now.

[Dierks Bentley]

Text Cast. What's that book I just finished that I gave to you?

[Podcast Host]

Is that because I read so many books on my iPad, I forget the names of them because there's no cover. Yeah, the COVID is like 700 swipes away.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And you forget the name of it.

[Dierks Bentley]

You know the guy who wrote Gentlemen Moscow?

[Podcast Host]

I don't.

[Dierks Bentley]

Amos Tolle. He just wrote a bunch of short stories, which I normally wouldn't. That's not really my thing. He's such a good author. Gentleman Moscow wrote Civility. He wrote the White Demon. That's about like the Chicago mass murderer during the Chicago's World Fair. But this last book I read, she'll pass it on me. It's really good.

[Podcast Host]

It had been so easy to be a massive murderer back before.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah, that.

[Podcast Host]

Phones and Internet.

[Dierks Bentley]

Tell me some books you've read, because I probably read them or probably there's a chance I read them.

[Podcast Host]

Dang.

[Dierks Bentley]

War and Peace. I finished that yesterday.

[Podcast Host]

Tell me the books you read, because I probably read them that might be the hardest anybody has ever come at me without intention.

[Dierks Bentley]

You want me to get the greatest flex of all time. And he'll probably appreciate this story because I don't know if it's true or not, but. So if you did on purpose. Tim McGraw. We were also talking about books one time together. I don't know where it was. And he goes, man, let me send you some books. A big reader. I swear to God. He sent me a cardboard box full of books. Every book was this thick, but it was like Russian. It wasn't written in Russian, but a book about Russian painter and this book about Eastern philosophy. It was like this. I wish I had the whole collection because it was, you know, with McGraw, you can't tell is he pulling a prank on me or he could be totally serious because he's the one upper for sure. You know, he's. That's.

[Podcast Host]

He.

[Dierks Bentley]

You know McGraw.

[Podcast Host]

I do.

[Dierks Bentley]

He's not gonna. He's gonna want to, you know, you go out on the road, he'll flip that tire one more time than you.

[Podcast Host]

He's a competitive dude.

[Dierks Bentley]

He's so competitive. So I still can't tell this day. I need to ask him. And he probably, like, of course I read those books. But it was like this huge selection of really thick history books that I'm just like, this has to be a joke.

[Podcast Host]

But maybe I think the Hard Mike, we have to save that clip because someone's saying to me, hey, what books have you read? I've probably read Them is the funniest, most aggressive. Yeah, I already marked that down as best. It's the best club ever. Because I like to read.

[Dierks Bentley]

But. Well, I'm just saying we're probably reading some of the same books. As I was trying to say.

[Podcast Host]

You ever read in the Realm of Hunger, Ghosts?

[Dierks Bentley]

I have not.

[Podcast Host]

By Gabor mate. Dr. Gabor mate. No, I didn't think you would have. Just want to throw that one out there.

[Dierks Bentley]

Hey, Siri, will you give me a list of really, really cool, badass, hard to read books?

[Podcast Host]

I just pulled up my list.

[Dierks Bentley]

My wife just wrote me back here. Yes, Chappy Tea. Use Chappy Tea. She's writing back right now about the, the books I've read here, so.

[Podcast Host]

Well, okay.

[Dierks Bentley]

I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

[Podcast Host]

If I were to do my favorite book, it's different from.

[Dierks Bentley]

I think Ulysses was a great read. I read that pretty quick.

[Podcast Host]

You didn't read that pretty.

[Dierks Bentley]

And the sound and fury was Faulkner. You ready? Faulkner. He's awesome.

[Podcast Host]

And the thing is. And you. You've given me, you gave me like the tools. I read the whole book. The tools book. The 100.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

You gave that as a gift. You probably don't remember.

[Dierks Bentley]

I do remember.

[Podcast Host]

I think McGraw gave it to you and just pass it on to me.

[Dierks Bentley]

No, no. I read that book back when I was into some more of the lifestyle optimization stuff. Now that. Yeah, I can't stand. But I. There was a period I was all about that.

[Podcast Host]

That was a great utility book.

[Dierks Bentley]

Peter, Tia and the whole outlive and all that stuff. I got into that stuff for a little bit.

[Podcast Host]

I think Born Standing up is my favorite book. It's a Steve Martin book.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yes, I, I know the book. I haven't read it. I watched his comedy special, though, the documentary did on Apple. Do you ever see that? Yeah, that's great. Of course you did.

[Podcast Host]

I'm big.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

If there's something you've seen, I've seen it.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

You ever. You read much stoicism type stuff?

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, I always. My favorite quote is that everything in moderation except moderation, including moderation by Alex. What's his name? Marcus Aurelius.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, but, yeah, Meditations. It's like one of the only books I've read multiple times. Yeah, but I have to read like the version, the, the now version.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Because if I try to read his original writing, I get lost. I don't even know what he's saying sometimes.

[Dierks Bentley]

Man's search for meaning.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Victor, I, I, Yeah, I love stoicism.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, I do, too. That's. I. Yeah, it's actually one of my passwords was. Was.

[Podcast Host]

Don't. Don't share it.

[Dierks Bentley]

It was.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Don't share that.

[Dierks Bentley]

But I. I always make passwords of stuff I'm kind of trying to manifest, and I. I used a password out of there. Just saying out there just kind of remind me of that whole approach.

[Podcast Host]

But are you a manifestation guy?

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Do you believe manifestation happened? Okay, I would like to hear this first. I would like to know your theory on manifestation and how it ends up happening.

[Dierks Bentley]

Well, I was always doing something that I later found out. Someone sent me a book by Joel Osteen. The.

[Podcast Host]

I'm familiar.

[Dierks Bentley]

Okay. Joel's incredible. I love his radio station.

[Podcast Host]

Wait, what?

[Podcast Co-host]

Joel.

[Podcast Host]

Joel Osteen, the mega church preacher?

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

He's just all about his radio station.

[Dierks Bentley]

Well, on Sirius, he has a good radio station. Yeah. You ever listen to it?

[Podcast Host]

I don't know. I have a problem with people who make millions and millions of dollars, say they're people of Christ.

[Dierks Bentley]

I get a problem with that. I get that. I. Actually, there's a lot of them around this part of this.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

And where we live.

[Podcast Host]

So maybe that's my visceral reaction, was that.

[Dierks Bentley]

No, it's actually. Yeah. No, but he. He has a. So a Jewish friend of mine actually gave me that book, and I remember being like, what are you giving me this book for? This is a long time ago. This is, like, this Christian dude. Right. But I read the book. One of the things he said in that book, which I really agreed with, was like, if you want something, like, you gotta see it every day. If you want to go to Spain, get a postcard of Spain and put it on your. On your. Your refrigerator. Well, this is. I've had a crazier story before in aviation, but I'll tell you about my back house. I really want to leave Nashville before COVID I. I just. I want to go back. I want to be in Arizona or Colorado. I just went back out west. Where I'm from, I just miss. Especially Colorado. It's really where I wanted to be. And I had this backpack, old sack, burlap sack, and I hung by the back door, and I put a piece of duct tape on it that said west. And I had, like, a flannel shirt in there, and just. And I look at it every day. West, west, west. And then we were. This is kind of weird manifestation because I want to say I was involved with, like, manifesting Covid.

[Podcast Host]

That's what it sounds like. It literally sounds like you manifested, Covid. But I wasn't gonna say I'm pretty good at.

[Dierks Bentley]

But anyway, I. So we were in Colorado when everything shut down. We ended up living there for a year, which had been my dream. I mean, I was like, how am I gonna make. How am I gonna move my whole family to Colorado and we end up staying there? The kids went to school there, but that's a different. That's kind of a weird one. But I will tell you one other story about flying manifesting something that's really weird. Opening for Kenny Chesney. It's me, Kenny and Keith Urban way back in the day. And Kenny offers to fly me back home. And I'm like, yeah, I'd love to fly home with you. Would it? In a private plane. Wow, that's amazing. So we went home. We flew home with him, the three of us, in this little private plane. We landed back in Nashville and we pulled into was a different airport. Not the big airport, but a smaller little building. Right. I remember looking up and the building said signature, which is a fixed base operator for private jets for anyone out there listening about this random stuff. But I was like, this is so cool. We don't go through the real airport. We're going through the side thing. I was like, wow, I want that to be like, I want this, I want to. I want to do. I want to travel this way. You know, this is like 2004. So I made that my password on all my computers and devices. Signature with some other stuff behind it. Long story short, like 2008, 2009, my career is totally, like going off a cliff. I went out there, tried to headline. I spent two years just getting my butt kicked, you know, playing these arenas we'd already booked. I'm playing for like 2500 people. You know, I'm giving all I have every night. And every reporter's like, you know, God bless his heart. He's singing like it's a sold out show. Only 2,000 people showed up. And that went on for a while. And I was like, you know, but I'm still typing that thing in there every day. And I'm playing a gig one day for the halfway to hazard guys. They're doing a benefit up in Hazard, Kentucky for a tornado, tornado thing, relief thing. And this little plane flies overhead and they're like, that's Tim McGraw. And I go, there's no way that's Tim McGraw. He's not flying in a propeller plane. The guy's flying jets and like, no, he's learning to get his pilot's license. Apparently. He came to the gig. We start talking about the plane. It's this new plane called a cirrus, has a parachute built into the airframe. There's an accident, you pull the handle and the whole plane comes down under a canopy. He's like, it's the only plane that my wife Faith will let me fly and introduced me as instructor. I started flying the next day to gigs because you could fly, you know, if you're going to play gig in Indiana, even though it's only a two hour drive, you're still going to live at midnight in the bus to get there. You lose a whole day with your kids, a whole night at home. Now I'm flying a straight line. This little propeller plane got totally hooked into it. And, you know, I remember thinking, well, it's never going to come true, the dream I had. But this is pretty cool. I'm getting more time at home. Long story short, one day I've flown into Chicago Midway in this little plane and I was, you know, using the bathroom. I looked next to me and there's a real pilot. And I'm like, oh, that's a real pilot. Look at me, I'm a real pilot too. And I look up and there's a sign over the urinal, TMI that says signature. And it hit me like, wow. Like, it did happen in a totally different way than I wanted it to, which is the way the universe works. I put it out there. I wanted to sit in the back of a jet that never worked out, but it came back to me in a way where I actually had to get my pilot's license, my instrument rating. And I'm actually sitting up, left seat, you know, in the front of the plane. It might be a propeller plane, but I'm still like, I'm doing it in a totally better way than it would have happened if I'd forced it the other way. So that's one story. Pete Fisher was my password forever on my computer. And I did become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Like, the Opry was such a big part of my life. Like, just I could play the Opry stage, everything would happen. So I was typing Pete Fisher, who ran the Opry back then. I just, I don't know, it might sound trivial, it's talking about it, but in these, I've had these things have happened. But I'm like, I really believe, like the power of putting it out there, it will come back to you.

[Podcast Host]

Do you journal things.

[Dierks Bentley]

I did that five minute. I have a lot of those five minute gratitude journals. I've done a lot of those over the years.

[Podcast Host]

I used to think that's pretty hokey. I think I just didn't understand why people were doing it. I find myself doing it now as a way to cleanse myself of all the negativity. More so than just hakuna matata. I think that's what I was. Well, I was just like, I don't want to. I don't be the person that's like, oh, everything's great. So I was very anti that. But then I'm in a world of everything is so negative around me all the time. If I choose to let it get in.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Comments. My life is critique through ratings through. So it was. What can I do to counter this a bit?

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

So it wasn't, you know, Timon and Pimba or whatever their names are. What are the names? Mike, Timon and Pumbaa. Thank you, Pumbaa. It was, Hey, I need to. I need to meet this.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And so I started to go. I'm spending so much time thinking only bad things is turning me into a negative person.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I need to remind myself of things that are the opposite.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And I. That has. That has put me back at a pretty neutral place, which I can appreciate.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And that's why I do it.

[Dierks Bentley]

I mean, I don't do it right now anymore. I did more back when I was kind of in. More into like some of the stuff I was trying out. I've always tried different things in the past. You know, I've. I quit drinking for two years. And then I added a third year of no beer. And then I. Then I started a whiskey. You know, I mean, I was like. I did vegan for a year and a half and then I decided I was only gonna eat animals that I killed. And I went and killed an elk and lived off that. You know, I just. I'm always trying different things. I tried the journal thing. I have actually a few stack of them and I always thought I'd go back and read them. You never do. You write it and forget it. But it did help you. Like, what are you. Great. The five minute Journal. For anyone is interested. It's very simple. It's one page and it has like, what am I. What do I want to do today? What am I grateful for? And then the end of the day, you write down like three things that happened today and closing thoughts. And it's just a place to kind of like, set some intentions for the following day or have an attitude of gratitude for the day that's around you. And it's definitely helpful for me.

[Podcast Host]

All that felt so lame to me, though.

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

It is kind of like on this. No. I have found purpose for it now, but I think the way it was positioned to me. Who's so cynical. I'm so cynical about everything.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

That I was like, this is not for me. I had to find the reason that it exists for me, which is I got to meet all the negativity with something or I'm going to. If that's going to consume me.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Just be the nature of what I do every day.

[Dierks Bentley]

I can't imagine. No, you're so out there. It's, you know, the luxury of kind of, like, tuning away from all that stuff. So I don't. You.

[Podcast Host]

I can't take my glasses off and nobody recognizes me.

[Dierks Bentley]

They do or don't do.

[Podcast Host]

No, no.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

I don't.

[Podcast Host]

I take my glasses off. Nobody knows. Nobody will come up to me or know who I am.

[Dierks Bentley]

Well, that's amazing. Yeah, it's. That's. To have that.

[Podcast Host]

Thank you.

[Dierks Bentley]

I. I go. I have. I can go anywhere without being.

[Podcast Host]

You can't.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, absolutely.

[Podcast Host]

You have your. But you.

[Dierks Bentley]

I. I travel. Nobody. I don't. I don't travel with anybody. I travel by myself. I can go if I want to. If I need an ego stoke, I can go into Home Depot or Walmart and see my. My folks. But, like, I'm not gonna, like, maybe Bed Bath beyond if. If there's time. I don't. I don't know if there's time, but.

[Podcast Host]

There'S always time for bed.

[Dierks Bentley]

But, you know, I. I travel mostly through anywhere, just completely under the radar just because I haven't done a lot of tv and I just. I mean, I'm in a pretty good spot.

[Podcast Host]

I think you're playing a little humble. I appreciate that about you, but.

[Dierks Bentley]

No, I mean. And I can sense it sometimes. Yeah. There's a way to move through certain situations where you just keep moving. But I can. I. I can tell when someone's like. I can tell some behind me, you know, looking or something weird's going on, but just. You've gotten so good at reading a room, doing what we do. But I don't. I don't really. That's a pretty sweet spot that I'm in. I always ask people, like, when opportunities are coming my way, I'm like, is this going to, like, sell more tickets or is this the thing that I have to do because everyone's doing it because I like, even podcasts, I, I, I do so few of them because I feel like now when someone does a podcast they're, they'll, I love long form interview like this and last time I did this was Dak Shepard for Armchair Quarterback. The problem with that one was it was a live show. It was horrible because I love him. But it's like now I'm trying to.

[Podcast Host]

You're playing to a crowd.

[Dierks Bentley]

I'm playing the crowd, so I can't, so I'm like, it's entertaining instead of, but a lot of the new people doing this and I've had a lot of friends that are starting and I'm, and I'm, I'm so supportive of them doing it, but I find that they're going to take this, cut it up in like five second snippets and just hit it on Instagram over and over and over and it's just like click, click, click, click, trying to get those Instagram numbers up. And that's not really the whole point of the, the podcast supposed to be like a long term, long form interview. We just say stuff you normally wouldn't say and people have to listen the whole thing to hear it. Unless they go on your show. I guess this is all going to be cut up in the best parts.

[Podcast Host]

Snip, snip, snip.

[Dierks Bentley]

Well, I'll snip for you. I'll do a snip, snip.

[Podcast Host]

You know, we're definitely sniffing the. Hey, if it's a book you read.

[Dierks Bentley]

All right, let's take a quick pause for a message from our sponsor.

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[Dierks Bentley]

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[Dierks Bentley]

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[Dierks Bentley]

And we're back on the bobbycast.

[Podcast Host]

I have a couple other questions. I was reading a bit about the Broken Branches Fund and I bring it up now. We've talked a little bit about mental health here. Just us not even going right at it. But I think that's a big part of both of our lives. Either we're trying to handle our own or talk about our past experiences with it. What. What is that? What's Broken Branches Fund?

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah. So just we're taking some money from the tour and we're it's a multi year deal where a friend Tatum over at the Music Music Health alliance here in Nashville that we help. We're both from the very beginning it's Going to help people in the community. They're having, struggling with mental health, certainly touring professionals, but also just people back here in town. And it's a cool thing. I don't kind of fit into the idea. That song Broken Branches, you know, the hook is broken branches off the family tree. Everyone in Nashville is a little bit of a broken branch. We all came here from somewhere else and we're, you know, we don't. We kind of create our. Make our own family, make our own tree here. So it tied in well. Of course, Mary Hilliard was behind it. She's got a brain like that, think of it. But it's something I was excited to launch with her and it's good. I, you know, I. I am able to. I'm just of a different generation. I see what my kids are going through. I see people on the road are going through. I see what artists are going through. They speak out about it all the time. You know, the content, creating, having to look at the comments, having to play that game. I can't imagine the mental toll that would take. It's exhausting. You know, it's like. And growing up in that environment, I know a lot of them love it. I try to think of like Alan Jackson, if he were starting off today, him doing all this, like, tic tacing, as I call it, just to bother my kids and stuff. It'd be like he probably loses mine too. Like, what are you talking about? I just want to sing country music and, like, look cool on stage, but so I definitely get it where they're coming from. And it's hard. I mean, it's just hard. It's hard in every field. This is our field, this is music. So we're trying to take care of ourselves. But every. I mean, what are people gonna do for work? I mean, it's all you. Look what's happening in music now? That SUNY or SUNY app where you can just talk your words into your phone and it creates a. Hey, make this kind of sound like an old school Morgan Wallen track. And boom, it's like it's there. There goes the studio, the producers, the assistant, the intern, the band. I mean, just. You just wiped out a whole segment of like, you know, the song demo industry is just gone all of a sudden. It's happening in everywhere. So the pressure. And I feel that my record, some part of the point, like, want to get those other singles out is like, people are so excited to cut one of their songs and I feel like I get some of the best Songs just because maybe I've been doing this for a long time. So you want those guys to get those songs, get a chance to see the light of day, to support them as well. Because it's just. It's harder than it's ever been to be a songwriter in this town for sure.

[Podcast Host]

Two questions left. Oh, what's your fate? Well, we've done an hour.

[Dierks Bentley]

I bet Laney got more.

[Podcast Host]

It's a great. I could look. What's your favorite? We'll call it old, like hit to play, where you have a renewed love for it.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, my gosh. This year on the road, we were doing a song called so, so Long and another one called Domestic Light and Cold. I was listening to Zach's. Zach gave me his second album to kind of listen to it because we had asked some questions about it. And I went listen to it. I was like, I need to go back, listen to my second record, Modern Day Drifter, just to see, like, what that record was like when I was in the same kind of throws of where you know where you are when you're in that. On that second album stuff. And I was like, oh, my gosh. So many songs. I just. They're. They were so good and so domestic. Light and Cold's a shuffle about beer. And so so Long was just a kind of a kiss off song. So we threw those back in the setus a little bit. You know, I still. Old school songs that were, like, on the radio.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Like big hits where you might have gotten tired of them.

[Dierks Bentley]

All my songs. I mean, I never get tired of 5150 or what was I thinking? I still love what was. I think it's still a huge song. I. I mean, I. Hold on. It's just like a. I've always had a. You know, Always Come a little closer. That's an old hit that you're doing every song.

[Podcast Host]

You're not giving me anything.

[Dierks Bentley]

I'm trying to go old school.

[Podcast Host]

No, I know. I hear you, but. And all those are perfect songs. But you're just saying every song come a little closer.

[Dierks Bentley]

We played that this year. Hadn't played it.

[Podcast Host]

Now you're giving me tone. Now you're giving me. No, no.

[Dierks Bentley]

Well, you've been getting me tone this whole damn time. None of my answers are acceptable.

[Podcast Host]

That's not true. But I said, what's a song? And then you gave me five.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, my gosh. Being created here. I'm going to walk out the door.

[Podcast Host]

My midterm. I need the broken branches. Fun for me. At this point.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Come a little closer. I haven't played in a while. We did this year for the first time in about 10 years. It felt great.

[Podcast Host]

That's awesome.

[Dierks Bentley]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host]

I enjoyed this. Thanks.

[Dierks Bentley]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host]

That's cool. It's fun hour for fun for me.

[Dierks Bentley]

It was. It was. I'm glad it was for one of us. I feel like. I mean, my hand sore from the ruler. Like the ruler kept smashing my wrist about. Wrong answer. Wrong answer.

[Podcast Host]

You were saying smashing. I was just accepting it, that's all. Oh.

[Dierks Bentley]

Now I get to go back and hear the sound bites and all the stuff I regret saying.

[Podcast Host]

So we should only do sound bites on this. We don't put it out now at all. Full form. It's only in sound bites. That would be great.

[Dierks Bentley]

I can't wait for. Can't wait for that.

[Podcast Host]

The. You still got some shows left on this tour, huh?

[Dierks Bentley]

Yeah, I got three. Then we have this weekend, then we go up to New York and do that whole. We have three more up there and that's. That's it. Yeah. Six more shows.

[Podcast Host]

And that's been fun.

[Dierks Bentley]

It's been good.

[Podcast Co-host]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

You're done.

[Dierks Bentley]

It was sad to leave behind. It's been a really good tour. Really fun. It's fun going out there. You know, the band before you is just like young and they're just. They're in that thing. You get to see them do what they're doing and know they're getting ready to blast off. So that's been probably the highlight of the tour for me is just seeing those guys.

[Podcast Host]

All right, there he is, your friend of mine, America's sweetheart. Hey, Derek.

[Dierks Bentley]

Take that.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Dierks Bentley]

Sweet dreams to everyone out there. Speaking of sweets, hope you all sleep well.

[Podcast Host]

I do sleep excellent in the daytime.

[Dierks Bentley]

Oh, really? You're a napper?

[Podcast Host]

Nope. I don't have time to take naps. But if I ever have time to take naps, I can sleep hard in the day because I don't feel like someone's going to come up and grab me while I'm sleeping. I'm not joking.

[Dierks Bentley]

Well, that's why you guys sleep in separate rooms.

[Podcast Host]

Okay. There he is. Derek's family, everybody.

[Dierks Bentley]

Thanks for listening to a Bobby Cast production. Every day has a to do list.

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[Dierks Bentley]

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[Dierks Bentley]

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[Dierks Bentley]

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