Bentley's "Riser" drops Feb. 25

"I named the album 'Riser' because the lyrics in that song perfectly articulate who I want to be, who I try to be," Bentley said. "There's a lot of really intense material on this record, but there's also a lighter side that is equally important in telling the story of the last two years of my life. When I first started writing for this album, I was in a place of grief over the loss of my dad, but over the course of the next 18 months, my wife and I had our son Knox, and I ended in a place of real joy and gratefulness. Both sides of that coin are what country music has always been about, and I hope that my fans can feel how much of myself I put into this project. It's all out on the table, for sure."

Bentley enlisted producer Ross Copperman and executive producer Arturo Buenahora, Jr. Together, the trio mixed the immediacy of old-school live recording techniques with new technologies. Buenahora matched Bentley with the co-writers and songs.

The lead single is "I Hold On," written by Bentley and Brett James.