Arden, North Carolina (April 22, 2022) — With the release of her full-length debut just weeks away, Mountain Home Music Company recording artist Jaelee Robertshas a new single headed to radio — one in which, as it happens, radio plays an important part. Penned by three writers (Chris Harris, Josh Matheny and Robbie Melton) whose careers have included turns as pickers, singers and songwriters in both country and bluegrass, “Sad Songs” feels tailor-made for Roberts — and for the musicians backing her: producer and bassist Tim Surrett, Kristin Scott Benson(banjo), mandolinist Alan Bibey, Tony Wray (guitar), fiddler Jimmy Mattingly and harmony singers Kenny & Amanda Smith. Set to a loping bluegrass groove, the lyric finds its forlorn narrator observing that “Everybody on the radio’s got a broken heart like mine,” with a hooky chorus that proclaims:
“I’ve had enough sad songs, he done me wrongs
I’ve been living those lyrics for way too long
All I need is a happy melody and a reason to sing along
All I get are these sad songs”
“I always joke about how happy sad songs make me,” laughs Roberts, before adding, “Well, it’s not really a joke, because I sure do love them. So when I had the opportunity to record a song with the title ‘Sad Songs,’ I just had to do it. My mom actually brought this song to me, because after she heard it, she knew that I would love it — and she was absolutely right! And really, ‘Sad Songs’ is NOT a sad song! It’s actually the anti-sad song; the lyrics talk about having had enough sad songs, and the melody is upbeat and happy. I think this is such a well-written song with cool plays on words and little rhymes and an awesome bridge — and I’m a sucker for all of that. I hope you love it as much as I do!”
Download “Sad Songs” for radio play HERE.
About Jaelee Roberts
Though she’s in her early 20s, Music City native Jaelee Roberts, is already more than a little familiar with — and to — the music industry. Born to veteran music professionals, she grew up backstage at the Grand Ole Opry and in the middle of rehearsals, business meetings and recording sessions, along with plenty of festivals and concerts. Roberts got her start singing in church at a very early age and began her journey as an instrumentalist at age 4 with fiddle lessons; since then, she has added guitar, mandolin and piano to her musical arsenal. Jaelee participated in and won numerous music and dance competitions, but as she began her teen years, she found herself drawn more to performance than competition. Soon, she was attracting attention for her rich voice and interpretative ability, recording not only with her father, the Grascals’ Danny Roberts, but with the Tom T. and Dixie Hall-backed Daughters of Bluegrass. By the time she finished high school, she’d been chosen in two consecutive years as a vocal track participant in the industry-leading GRAMMY Camp. Jaelee was an official Bluegrass Ramble Showcase artist at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass in 2019 as well as being a 2020 IBMA Songwriter Showcase artist. Within the last year, Jaelee released four singles after signing with Mountain Home Music Company, was invited to join the multi-award winning, all-female supergroup Sister Sadie on guitar and vocals, received the IBMA Momentum Vocalist of the Year and IBMA Vocal Group of the Year awards and made numerous appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. As the momentum builds for Roberts’ career, she continues to sharpen her knowledge and talent as she pursues her commercial songwriting degree in the College of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro, TN.