Early career and songwriting
Bentley moved to Nashville at the age of 18 with the goal of pursuing a career in country music. During his early years in the city, he discovered a passion for bluegrass after visiting the Station Inn, a notable Nashville venue. [6] This experience shifted his focus from mainstream stardom to a more roots-oriented musical approach, and he began performing regularly in Lower Broadway honky-tonks. [7]
Bentley also played at local venues such as Springwater and Market Street Brewery, progressing from unpaid performances to paid gigs. To support himself financially, he worked in the tape library at The Nashville Network, checking out archival footage for documentaries, deepening his exposure to the genre and its history of country music. [8]
Recording and production
The album was recorded between 1999 and 2001 and marked Bentley’s first commercial release. It was independently funded and released through Bentley's own label, Dangling Rope Records. [9] Bentley co-produced the project with songwriter Mike Ward, with whom he began writing in 1999. [10] The two collaborated regularly for over a year, resulting in the majority of the album’s songs. Bentley wrote or co-wrote nine of the ten tracks. The song "Bartenders, Barstools, Barmaids" was inspired by a night at Springwater where Bentley performed to an empty room aside from the staff. [11]
The project was recorded at BNA Studios in Franklin, Tennessee, and featured a number of respected country and bluegrass musicians, including members of the Del McCoury Band, whom he paid $8,000 USD to play on the album. [12] Notable contributors included John Hughey on steel guitar, Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, Charlie Cushman on banjo, Ray Flacke and Boomer Castleman on electric guitar, and background vocals by Carl Jackson, Jennifer Haley, Lona Heins, and Terry Eldredge. The album was mixed by Luke Wooten at Station West and mastered by Denny Purcell at Georgetown Masters. [13]
According to Bentley, the recording process emphasized feel over precision: "We picked out the players we knew would give us the sort of sound we wanted and then told them ‘play it how you feel it’." The resulting sound blended traditional and contemporary country with bluegrass elements.
Several songs reflect Bentley’s personal experiences and musical influences. "Midnight Radio" references the Grand Ole Opry and 650 WSM, while "Lonesome Why Do You Love Me" explores themes of emotional distance. Early versions of “Whiskey Tears” and “Bartenders, Barstools, Barmaids” appear on this album; the latter was later reworked and released under the title “Bartenders Etc.” on Bentley’s 2003 major label debut with Capitol Records. [14]
Although Bentley self-released the album, he did not heavily promote it due to signing a publishing deal with Sony/Tree Publishing shortly after its completion. At Sony, he met songwriter and producer Brett Beavers through song plugger Arthur Buenahora. Although Beavers did not work on Don't Leave Me in Love, the two began collaborating and recording demos that generated interest from several record labels. [15] A showcase performance led to a deal with Capitol Records, and the two developed a strong creative partnership that would shape Bentley’s future work, with Beavers going on to produce Bentley’s major label debut album with Capitol Nashville in 2003. [16]
[2] 