Newcomer Dierks Bentley inches closer to the release of his debut album with a Top 20-and-climbing Billboard hit in his first single, "What Was I Thinkin'." The Phoenix, Arizona native co-wrote the song, which he tells us was based on a former girlfriend. "My inspiration, my contribution to the song came from a relationship I was in at the time with a girl that was a little younger than I was and had a dad that was a little overly protective. She lived with her parents. I used to have to go pick her up at her dad's house, which is something I hadn't done since high school. It's not a whole lot of fun. You're sittin' in the driveway goin', 'Oh, man, I can't believe I'm over here. I gotta go knock on the door. He's gonna be there!'"

While he was traveling down memory land, Bentley made sure to include a line in the song about his favorite television show as a child. "I had to get a Dukes of Hazzard line in there cause I grew up being a huge Dukes fan, so that's where that reference came from."

Bentley's self-titled debut album is set to hit stores on August 19th. "What Was I Thinkin'" sits at Number 16 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Bentley is currently performing shows at clubs and in conjunction with local radio stations around the country.