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Dierks Bentley’s Hot Country Knights Signs Record Deal With UMG Nashville

Hot Country Knights, Dierks Bentley’s ’90s influenced band, has signed a worldwide recording contract with Universal Music Group Nashville. The news…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

January 3, 2020

6:33 am

Hot Country Knights; Photo by Zach Belcher

Hot Country Knights, Dierks Bentley’s ’90s influenced band, has signed a worldwide recording contract with Universal Music Group Nashville. The news was announced Thursday (Jan. 2) in a press release in which the band promised to “to bring real ’90s country music back to a format that’s been drowning in male sensitivity, cashmere cardigan sweaters and programmed drum loops.”

The comedic group, which is fronted by Bentley‘s alter ego Douglas “Doug” Douglason, captured what they called the “greatest day” of their lives on camera. Watch them invade the UMG Nashville offices in the clip above.

Douglason said has big plans for Hot Country Knights in 2020.

“Some artists out there tried to put the ‘O’ back in country, that was a thing for a while…. but what it’s really missing is the ‘T,’” he shared in a statement. “Country music has Low-T right now…it could use a pick me up, if you know what I mean. Those record label people over at Universal finally realized that only the Knights could be up to a task this big and hard.”

Originally formed in 2015, Hot Country Knights is comprised of members of Bentley’s touring band and consists of lead bass player Trevor Travis, lead guitarist Marty Ray (“Rayro”) Roburn, keytar/fiddle player Terotej (“Terry”) Dvoraczekynski, steel guitarist Barry Van Ricky and percussionist Monte Montgomery. The group previously opened up for Dierks Bentley and has shared the stage with artists such as Miranda Lambert, Jon Pardi and Thomas Rhett.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.