Parade Magazine recently caught up with Dierks Bentley to discuss his family, his music, The Grand Ole Opry, and his involvement with the Wounded Warrior Project. Here’s what he had to say.

Inspiration of the Wounded Warriors pre-parties.
“It came about through my new single ‘Home.’ The song is open to interpretation and certainly one way of hearing it is about the guys and girls making a sacrifice for our country.”

His personal connection to the service.
“My dad and grandpa were in the army and as a country singer you’re constantly playing at military bases all across the country and meeting soldiers and their families and hearing their stories. I think about it a lot and talk a lot about it onstage every night. I’m just so thankful to the 1% of the country that actually serves in the military. And then you have these guys who are coming back and are wounded. They are coming back to a country with some uncertainty. They have issues about their healthy and are trying to reconnect with their families, finds jobs in this economy. It’s time to actually act on your patriotism and do something about it. It’s a great project to get involved with and anybody can.”

On fatherhood.
“It changes your life and as a songwriter it feeds into your music, though I don’t try to write songs like that. Some songs are very specific, but other songs I try so that they can be heard and interpreted in different ways. There are songs on this record that I wrote with my daughter in mind, but they could be a love song, could be a spiritual song, all depends on how you listen to it.”

Trying for a boy?
“Well, I got two boys. I got Jake and George, my two dogs, and I’m good. We’re really happy with what we’ve got. My brother has three girls so I think I’ll stick with two, but you never know.”

Click here to read about Dierks’ new album out next year and his connection with the Grand Ole Opry.

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