On Jan. 4, Bentley invited his Sounds of Summer Tour performers along for a boat ride, but they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Kip Moore, Canaan Smith and Maddie & Tae joined Bentley as he jumped into the water, helping to kickoff the year and form an unbreakable touring bond.

"We don't start touring until the summer, but to already have had this bonding experience is pretty cool," Bentley told PEOPLE. "I just told them, 'Hey, we're headed out on a tour called Sounds of Summer, and to get in summer mode, I thought we'd meet at one of my favorite places and pretend like it's summer time."

The cities along Bentley's Sounds of Summer Tour include New York, Boston, Philadelphia, West Palm Beach and Cincinnati, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

"There have been tours in my career that I thought would be impossible to top, and the past 12 months certainly rank as some of the best and most fun nights of my life," Bentley said in a press release. "I expect 2015 to beat all of it. I've really loved having three other artists out there with us'just more fun on and off the stage and knowing that the fans are getting more music for their money is important to me. Kip, Maddie & Tae and Canaan are three of the hottest rising artists out there right now, and I feel fortunate to be spending the summer with them. If our first 'tour meeting' is any indication, they are up for anything, which is awesome. No one is going to have more fun this summer than us!"