Dierks Bentley has rarely, if ever, had as much time off as he does now. The Arizona native is self-quarantining with his wife, Cassidy, and their three children in Colorado, due to the coronavirus pandemic, where he is soaking up as much time with his family as he can.
“I’ve been with my family for a month, just the five of us,” Dierks told Rolling Stone. “No one else has stepped into our house. But corona with kids is a whole other level. And luckily my kids are at an age — 6, 9, and 11 — they’re at a pretty good age to be homebound. They’re self-sufficient but not overly missing their friends, as 8th graders and up probably would be and are. It’s been awesome family time, trying to find the silver lining for us, but super conscious of how hard this is for so many families out there, so many couples.
“There’s a dark side to this stuff too, with kids who are being abused at home,” he continued. “It can go to so many places. I just feel very blessed to be here with my family and I know it won’t be like this forever, so we’re just making the most of the time together, getting outdoors and doing adventures when we can, just staying safe.”
Dierks was among one of the first bar owners in downtown Nashville who vowed to help his employees out financially, even while his own venue, Whiskey Row, was out of business. While he is grateful for time with his loved ones, Dierks is also acutely aware of those who are struggling right now.
“I’m just worried about people,” Dierks acknowledged. “The stress, the financial stress that some people must be going through. Conversations around the dinner table worried about paying rent, mortgages and all that. I hope everyone is hanging in there, and hopefully we’ll all… my manager was working on a Nashville Rising event for the tornado and all of a sudden this hit. We’re gonna come together and try to help everyone out with our country family. I just hope everyone’s hanging in there.”
Dierks is also readying the release of the debut album from his ’90s cover band, Hot Country Knights. The record, The K Is Silent, will be out on May 1.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of UMG