Ashley McBryde pays tribute to an old friend on the song “Rattlesnake Preacher,” written by her late collaborator and pal Randall Clay.

“I’ve written nearly every song on all my records, so when I cut one I didn’t write, it means something,” McBryde said in a statement of Clay, who died in 2018. “Randall was part of a group of songwriters that helped me write some of the most formative songs of my career, and his songs will always find a home with me to continue his legacy.”

“Rattlesnake Preacher” has long been featured in McBryde’s set lists, but the singer decided to officially record the track after years of fans’ requests to get a studio version of the song. For the recording, McBryde enlisted producer John Osborne, the Brothers Osborne guitarist with whom she previously worked on 2022’s Lindeville.

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“‘Rattlesnake Preacher’ has been a staple in our live show since the bar days, and we’ve constantly been asked by fans when it’ll make it onto a record,” McBryde added. “As we were gearing up for my second year of co-hosting CMA Fest, it felt like the perfect time to finally get this one out there. It’s my way of saying thank you to the fans who have shown up, listened and gave this song life long before it was ever recorded.”

In addition to her recent performance at CMA Fest, Doctor McBryde — she recently received an honorary doctorate of music from Arkansas State University — will spend the rest of the summer on the road. McBryde’s most recent LP, The Devil I Know, arrived in 2023.