Jaelee Roberts explores love and shared ruin on “If I Go Down With You,” arriving Friday, Nov. 13, through Mountain Home Music Company. Written by Jeff Partin, the single takes her into territory she describes as different from her earlier recordings.

“This is a dark love story and very different from anything that I have recorded before,” Roberts said in the label’s announcement.

Roberts sought the song herself. She asked Partin to send her material, and this one immediately caught her attention. Its words and haunting melody suggested a story she could picture unfolding like a film.

Inside ‘If I Go Down With You’

According to the announcement, the song follows two people whose devotion carries the prospect of going under together. Roberts’ account of discovering it centers on that combination of storytelling and atmosphere.

Her father, Danny Roberts of The Grascals, produced the recording. The musicians include Justin Moses on mandolin and resonator guitar, Michael Cleveland on fiddle and Ron Stewart on banjo. Tony Wray plays guitar, Alan Bartram handles bass and Zack Arnold supplies harmony vocals.

The label identifies Moses’ resonator guitar as a central part of the song’s darker mood.

Following ‘White Liar’ and an IBMA Win

The single follows Roberts’ bluegrass version of Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar,” released in September. That recording revisited a song she performed during her high school years. For this release, however, she turned to Partin for something unfamiliar.

Other recent singles include “Memories on the Moon” and “I’m Putting You Out of My Misery.” Together, the releases continue her solo work alongside her role in Sister Sadie.

Roberts also enters the release week with a recent award. The International Bluegrass Music Association named her Female Vocalist of the Year at its Oct. 22 ceremony in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Find “If I Go Down With You” on your preferred music service.