THINGS TO KNOW

Fast rising singer and songwriter Jaelee Roberts has released a video for her latest single, “Think Again,” after a premiere by The Bluegrass Situation (press play above to watch on this post).

The song, penned by a couple of veteran Music Row hitmakers, Marla Cannon-Goodman and Shane Stockton, is a well-crafted excursion into the country side of bluegrass that suggests once again that Roberts has a rare degree of interpretive conviction and depth for a singer just emerging from her teens.

Produced by Balsam Range’s award-winning bassist, Tim Surrett, the ballad features a top-shelf group of musicians—IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year Alan Bibey, Steve Martin Prize-winning banjo player Kristin Scott Benson, veteran country and bluegrass fiddler Jimmy Mattingly and guitarist Tony Wray, plus Surrett himself — who provide subtle, sympathetic backing. Still, it’s Roberts herself whose emotionally complex performance stands front and center, as she reels off a series of warnings to a newly minted ex, starting with the song’s devastating opening lines: “If you’re thinkin’ that the lights that you’re seein’ down the road comin’ ’round the bend / Belong to me, better think again.”

“I heard ‘Think Again’ for the first time a couple of years ago and I knew immediately that I had to record it! I love how the songwriters (Marla Cannon-Goodman and Shane Stockton) told such a vivid story… songs that you can ‘see’ and ‘feel’ are my favorite!” Roberts told The Bluegrass Situation. “I had so much fun during the filming (I really loved driving the convertible and the drone was awesome) and I am SO excited to be able to bring this song to life in my very first music video. There are a couple of lines in the lyrics where the video and the song really connected: ‘If you’re standin’ at the screen door, heart laid open out in your hand’ and ‘I’m gonna find a spot to pull off on the shoulder’—watch for those scenes in the video. I’m just really thankful I got to record ‘Think Again’ and I sure hope everyone enjoys the video for it!”