Dierks Bentley straps on Tom Petty’s own signature Rickenbacker guitar in the new music video for his free-spirited cover of the musical icon’s classic, “American Girl.”
Premiering today, the Wes Edwards-directed video finds Bentley delivering a bluegrass-inspired rendition of the 1976 tune that was penned by Petty and produced by Jon Randall. While strumming on Petty’s guitar, which was flown in from his archives in California just for this shoot, the country singer hones in on the message to maintain optimism throughout life while illustrating the journey of one woman’s fight to chase her dreams.
Filmed at Nashville venue Clementine, the performance-style video centers around Bentley and his band members which includes Charlie Worsham coming together just as the sun sets, thus creating the perfect golden-lit backdrop. Together, they offer a gritty delivery of “American Girl” that emulates the same kind of joy and warm energy that Tom Petty and his band, the Heartbreakers, had when playing their music. The jam session featuring sounds of the banjo, mandolin and guitar is intertwined with Americana images portraying travel adventure and traditions. Other iconic articles from Petty’s archive, including instrument cases and concert memorabilia were also featured in the scenes.
