March 28, 2025 — After the delicious throwback of Jaelee Roberts’ 80s-flavored bluegrass hit, “Looking for Yourself,” and the traditional gospel of “He’s Gone,” the reigning IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year is back with a big change of pace in the somber ballad, “Heavy as a Stone in Her Heart.” Produced by bassist Byron House (Robert Plant, Nickel Creek, Sandra McCracken), the single keeps tightly focused on Roberts’ haunting voice and sensitive interpretation, underlining the unusual musical maturity of an artist barely out of college, yet already an acclaimed veteran.
“The first time I heard the demo,” recalls Roberts, “I was absolutely floored by the lyrics, melody and raw emotion, and I knew without a doubt that I had to record it. Slow, sad songs that tell a story always speak to me most, and this one absolutely stole my heart and broke it, too. ‘Heavy as a Stone in Her Heart’ is extra special to me, because it was written by two of my favorite songwriters and singers, who are also my mentors — Tim Stafford and Steve Gulley. I have looked up to Tim and Steve my entire life, and I feel so grateful that this song made its way to me!”
The track, which features House, guitarists Cody Kilby (Travelin’ McCourys) and Ron Block (Alison Krauss & Union Station), mandolinist Andy Leftwich and percussionist John Gardner, “came together so beautifully in the studio,” she adds,“with a very stripped down arrangement and without harmony vocals — all with the intention of focusing on the depth and feeling of the lyrics. I hope that it resonates with all of you the way it does with me.”
Built around the two guitars, with only delicate touches of ornamentation added, “Heavy as a Stone in Her Heart” is a restrained, yet powerful portrait from two master songsmiths — Blue Highway’s Stafford and the late Gulley — of a woman who can’t let go:
And he pops up in her head for the hundredth time today
She knows it ain’t right, but it happens anyway
She can’t stop this yearning, even if they’re worlds apart
He just lays there heavy
Heavy as a stone in her heart
“I’m SO glad that Jaelee Roberts is releasing ‘Heavy as A Stone in Her Heart’!” says Stafford. “Steve Gulley and I wrote this song back in 2007, and I know Stevewould be absolutely thrilled at the news and to hear the song done so beautifully. Jaelee is a special talent and I can’t think of anyone who could have done a better job with this song.”
“I so wish that Steve was still here with us,” adds Roberts, “but I know he’s listening from Heaven. This song is dedicated to him and his musical legacy.”
“Heavy As A Stone In Her Heart” is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to it HERE.
About Jaelee Roberts
Though she’s in her early 20s, Music City native and reigning IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year 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. In 2021, Jaelee signed with Mountain Home Music Company, was invited to join the multi-award winning, all-female supergroup Sister Sadie on guitar and vocals and received the IBMA Momentum Vocalist of the Year and IBMA Vocal Group of the Year awards. By 2022, she had released her debut full-length album Something You Didn’t Count On which became an immediate commercial and critical success. The album debuted in the Top Ten on the Billboard Bluegrass Album chart and peaked at #2 on the Bluegrass Unlimited album chart. The album won the 2023 Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) Album of the Year award, and Jaelee was also named Female Vocalist of the Year. In September of 2023, Jaelee made her solo debut at the Grand Ole Opry.