Billboard offers the "Exclusive Online Premiere" of "Rhinestone Rodeo," the highly-anticipated song from independent Country/Americana artist Hannah Bethel. Watch the music video here. "Rhinestone Rodeo" drops on 5/31 and will be available on all digital platforms.

The music video for "Rhinestone Rodeo" was directed Dawson Waters, and combines live performance footage shot with Bethel's band on location at Springwater Lounge in Nashville (the oldest continuously operating bar in the state of Tennessee) and personal vignettes which combine to create a visually engaging and heart-tugging video.  

"Rhinestone Rodeo," from Bethel's forthcoming EP, was produced by the team of Brad Hill (Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne) and Lalo, and is an acoustic nuanced track with a strong melodic hook line and great story-telling lyrics that showcase Bethel's considerable Americana-influenced songwriting and vocal skills. The song was co-written with Nicole Witt, a member of Country group, Farewell Angelina, and Tiffany Goss, a well-established Nashville singer-songwriter (Brett Young, Clay Walker, Chris Jansen).

"I had the title for 'Rhinestone Rodeo' for a couple years before it finally made its way into a song," says Bethel. "I wanted it to be a song about my journey of navigating a life in the music business."

"Everyone's got stars in their eyes

It's easy to get blinded by the light

You can't always hear your heart over the rowdy crowd

But man it's worth it - took you years to find that sound"

"I pitched the idea in writing sessions several times, but no one wanted to touch it until the first time that I wrote with Tiffany and Nicole. I was tired, burned out and unsure of where to go next," recalls Bethel of the semi-autobiographical song. "Everyone chasing a dream has a 'mountain' to climb. For me, Nashville has been my 'mountain.' There have been many seasons during my ten years in Nashville, some beautiful highs and terrible lows, but I am grateful for every experience that has made me stronger, wiser, more certain of who I am as an artist and a human, and more determined than ever to move forward with great joy and optimism in my heart."

"Go for the Gold land in the dirt

You're kicked around and get knocked down 'til it don't even hurt anymore

Get back on your horse and on to the next show

You've got rollin' wheels and a million miles to go...Rhinestone Rodeo"

Once lauded by The Washington Post as "One of the hardest working artists in Nashville," Bethel's musical artistry is a reflection of who she is: a fierce, independent, wild, free and untamed spirit. Bethel's music captures the essence of her signature sound by blending elements of the many genres and styles that have influenced her writing and creative expression.

Being fearless and unafraid to bare her deepest feelings in her songs is a reflection of her lifestyle, from solo backpacking in the deserts of Arizona and the mystical Joshua Tree, to hiking snow-peaked mountains in Alaska, Bethel lives her life to the fullest. She has experienced deep love, great loss and the healing power of personal growth and redemption - and she translates those life experiences to listeners though her songs, music videos and live performances.

Bethel is excited to announce the "Rhinestone Rodeo Tour," which opened with an intimate acoustic performance at the famed Rockwood Music Hall in New York City on 5/26. Read the show review by NYCountry Swag here.

Additional shows to be announced. Keep up with her tour schedule at www.hannahbethel.com.

"Rhinestone Rodeo Tour" Dates:

May 26 - New York City, NY - Rockwood Music Hall

June 3 - Nashville, TN - The Basement

June 5 - Nashville, TN - The Beer Sellar (CMA Fest)

June 14 - Valdez, AK - The Opener Festival

June 15 - Valdez, AK - The Opener Festival

July 1 - Nashville, TN - The Wildhorse Saloon

June 21 - Bowling Green, KY - Tidballs

July 4 - Valdez, AK - The Opener Festival

July 13 - Nashville, TN - True Music Room

Aug. 11 - Valdez, AK - Eagles Rest RV Park

Aug. 24 - Nashville, TN - City Winery

Sep. 28 - Hancock, MI - The Orpheum Theater

"Rhinestone Rodeo" is the highly-anticipated follow up to Bethel's 2018 Rock Country single, "Train." The song and music video won accolades from fans and industry leaders alike and earned Bethel coveted career milestones. "Train" received airplay from multiple genre radio stations, including Lightning 100, Nashville's long-running independent station known for playing groundbreaking Indie Rock music, and WSM Radio, broadcast home of the Grand Ole Opry and one of the most famous Country music stations in America. Bethel and "Train" were featured as a CMT "Artist Discovery" across their broadcast, online, streaming and social media platforms, and she was invited by Leslie Fram, SVP Music & Talent/CMT into the CMT Mentorship program where artists network in monthly Q&A sessions with top executives from all areas of the music industry. The video also landed daily rotation on The Country Network where it remains in "Power Rotation," seven months after its release.

Everyone chasing a dream has a 'mountain' to climb. For me, Nashville has been my 'mountain.' There have been many seasons during my ten years in Nashville, some beautiful highs and terrible lows, but I am grateful for every experience that has made me stronger, wiser, more certain of who I am as an artist and a human, and more determined than ever to move forward with great joy and optimism in my heart."

ABOUT HANNAH BETHEL:

Hannah Bethel was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin where as a child she studied dance and appeared in theater performances. She attended elementary school in nearby Oakfield, before moving to Houghton, Michigan where she went to middle and high school. She grew up listening to Country and Seventies Rock music and spent her teenage years traveling the upper Midwest performing at fairs, bars, talent shows, coffee houses, shopping malls and Country Western shows. She self-released her first record at age 17, and the following year she moved to Nashville. Bethel released three more records after coming to Nashville, including 'No Stopping, Standing, Parking' in 2010, 'The Freedom EP' in 2012 (named Independent Country Album of the Year by Examiner.com), and 'Never Ending Sky' in 2015. Her music has received international airplay and her music videos have been featured on CMT Music, The Country Network, GACTV.com, CMT.com and hundreds of retail outlets across the US. Her well-developed and unique style has led her to receive acclaim from such renowned music industry publications including Billboard, Maverick Magazine, CMA Close Up, and others. Bethel was recently welcomed as a member of Nashville's prestigious Song Suffragettes, a trailblazing organization founded by Todd Cassetty and a leading member, independent artist, Kalie Shorr. Song Suffragettes is a collective of female singer-songwriters that performs every Monday night at The Listening Room Café in Nashville, TN. In just over four years, Song Suffragettes has showcased over 200 talented women out of over 1,300 who have submitted to play the showcase. With a mantra of #LetTheGirlsPlay, Song Suffragettes vocally combats wide-spread discrimination against women in the music industry by giving female talent a place to play, grow and evolve with fellow creatives. With musical influences ranging from The Eagles and Tom Petty to Willie Nelson and Patty Griffin, Bethel's original music translates to a wide and diverse range of audiences. Whether it's performing with just her guitar in the beautiful outdoor setting of the Under Canvas glamping property in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, or rocking out with her band in the legendary Indie Rock/Americana venue The Basement in Nashville, to festival appearances in Alaska, Bethel is at home wherever she is making the music she loves.

Photo credit: Gregg Roth Studios

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