“Esquire’s” Music Issue Highlights Dierks Bentley

Photo by Danny Clinch for "Esquire"

Dierks Bentley appears in the latest issue of men’s magazine Esquire, in the publication’s annual Music Issue.

For the second year in a row Bentley joined other artists from all different genres on location for a photo shoot and songwriting challenge. This year took the group to the gritty streets of Detroit for a two-day fashion shoot with world-renowned photographer Danny Clinch.

At the end of the trip, each songwriter was challenged to write, perform and record an original song inspired by the phrase “Last Night in Detroit.” Bentley’s song “Line No. 7” grapples with the town’s struggling auto industry. The track is available on iTunes with proceeds benefiting Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Detroit. Click here to see a behind-the-scenes clip of the shoot and recording session.

Photo by Danny Clinch for "Esquire"

Bentley talks to Esquire about life on the road away from his family, and his acclaimed release Up on the Ridge. “That record really spread things out a little wider…To have people from outside the country-music world—folks like the Kings of Leon and the Black Keys—say they enjoyed it was amazing. And to have the bluegrass guys, the pickers that I idolize, embrace it too was more than I ever dreamt of.”

Bentley also contributed a guest column for the issue. In his article, “How to Write a Song (for a Woman),” he offers sage advice: “Specificity and originality beats cliché every time.” Read more.