Ashley McBryde's 'What If We Don't': A Song of Healing and Risk

Background

Ashley McBryde co-wrote 'What If We Don't' with Terri Jo Box and Randall Clay in 2015. The song reflects on the crossroads of deciding whether to risk a friendship for love. McBryde's live performances with her band, Deadhorse, helped refine the song's arrangement, leading to its re-recording with John Osborne.

Production

Osborne's production emphasizes McBryde's vocal range and incorporates elements of 80s power ballads. The recording session involved live vocals from McBryde and contributions from the Deadhorse band members. Osborne added mini-Moog bass, mellotron synths, and pizzicato stabs inspired by classical music to enhance the song's energy.

Lyrical Themes

The lyrics delve into the uncertainty and potential consequences of taking romantic risks within a friendship. The chorus captures the tension between the desire for something more and the fear of things getting 'weird if it don't work out.' McBryde explains that the song is about the moment of deciding to take a risk and living with the consequences, whatever they may be.

It's about the decision to risk a friendship by pursuing a romantic relationship and the potential consequences of that decision.

John Osborne of Brothers Osborne produced the track.

The song was co-written in 2015 by Ashley McBryde, Terri Jo Box, and Randall Clay.

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