(Photo courtesy of CDA Publicity)

NASHVILLE — Billboard offers the “Exclusive Online Premiere” of “Rhinestone Rodeo,” the highly-anticipated song from independent Country/Americana artist Hannah Bethel, a Houghton native. “Rhinestone Rodeo” dropped on Friday and is 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,” said Bethel in a news release. “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

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 10 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’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 May 26.

Additional shows to be announced. Keep up with her tour schedule at www.hannahbethel.com. Bethel will be performing at the Orpheum Theater in Hancock on Sept. 28.