Dierks Bentley has shared the music video for his spirited cover of Tom Petty’s “American Girl” via CMT. The video is for the lead single from Big Machine Records’ forthcoming tribute album, Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty.
The album opens with Bentley strapping on Petty’s own signature Rickenbacker guitar that was flown in from his archives in California for the shoot.
Shot at Nashville venue Clementine, Bentley and his band’s clubhouse jam is interpolated with Americana images, forward travel, and other articles from Petty’s archive, including cases and concert memorabilia.
“Holding an instrument that carries so much musical history and significance was surreal, you could almost feel the stories resonate from it as I played it,” Bentley shared. “Tom Petty’s lyrics and delivery were a huge part of what made his music so impactful.”
Long a Bluegrass-forward artist with a commitment to playing for the people and creating music that merges high spirits with the reality of living in today’s America, Bentley’s take on this classic hit (produced by multiple Grammy winner Jon Randall) delivers the grit and authenticity of the 15-time Grammy nominee and Rock & Roll Hall inductee, Tom Petty.
The official track list and release date for Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty will be announced in the coming weeks.
Dierks reflected on recording the classic song in a post on X/Twitter. He wrote, “When you get asked to reimagine one of the greatest rock & roll songs of all time by one of the most iconic American musicians of all time, the first thing you do is call up some of the greatest acoustic pickers of all time for the assist! My version of #AmericanGirl honoring @tompetty is out today!”
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