ABC/Image Group LA In the process of writing and recording the song “Hold the Light” for the new film Only the Brave, Dierks Bentley has seen the movie close to half-a-dozen times.
But he says watching the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots never gets old.
“As much as it’s painful to watch and it stirs up a lot of emotions,” he tells ABC Radio, “I look forward to seeing it every time. Because there’s so many things they’re cuing on. Obviously, the story is so powerful and moving and emotional.”
In the film, actors like Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Connelly recreate the story of the elite team of Arizona firefighters who lost their lives protecting their community.
“… The craft, I just get blown away,” Dierks remarks. “I’m used to being around singers and knowing my world pretty well. But to be around actors and actresses… The performances they put on, I’m just like, ‘How do you do that?’ I have so many questions… I’m like, ‘How do you recover from that scene? Like what do you do to move on?’ It’s a great film and hopefully it’ll have a large impact on people, educating them on what these wilderness firefighters do.”
Dierks’ theme song expresses the uncertainly the first responders face every day.
“Man, you think about these guys, their lives they live, it’s dangerous,” he says. “So you just never say goodbye. You never know when could be your last day… What they do lives on, that act of service and sacrifice lives on, and four years later, it still lives on. And their story will now live on forever. I just feel so grateful to be associated with a really powerful, worthy, awesome, important movie.”
Only the Brave is in theaters now.
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