Ashley McBryde draws comparisons between herself and her late brother Clay in "Stone," a new song on her Never Will album (April 3). Clay died of suicide in June 2018.

The ballad explores the anger and sadness she's felt in dealing with the emotions of his death. Talking to Taste of Country Nights, she shares that the loss of a sibling is a strange kind of loss that she still hasn't come to terms with.

"That song started out from such a heavy place, especially when you're dealing with a subject as heavy as veteran suicide," McBryde says. Nicolette Hayford co-wrote "Stone" with the "One Night Standards" singer. Anger turned to laughter and then tears when the McBryde realized her laugh sounds like her brother's laugh did.

"She said, 'Hey, you're angry because you're sad and you're sad because you didn't realize how much you and Clay were alike until he was already gone,'" McBryde says. "'That's where we need to go.'"

Hayford suggested the theme of stones that led to the bulk of the first verse, the chorus and song title. During the second verse, McBryde draws the closest comparisons.

"I sway like you, when I get nervous / I'm shy like you but most folks couldn't tell / I get the same shade of red as you did when I'm angry / I'm red right now 'cause I'm mad as hell."

Ashley McBryde Never Will
Warner Music Nashville
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A clip from McBryde's interview where she talks about "Stone" with ToC Nights is above. She also shares a bit more about the rest of the family and their reaction to the song, if they've heard it.

Don't expect to hear the song at every concert this summer. The room and the audience will need to be just right, she says.

"It's not on there to remind you to hurt, it's on there to remind you that you are hurt."

Never Will is McBryde's second studio album on Warner Music Nashville.

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