Flat River Band Releases New Single 'Wings of a White Dove' Inspired in Part by Naomi Judd (Exclusive)

A portion of the proceeds from the song will be donated to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness

Flat River Band is making a statement about mental health in the wake of a loss-filled year.

The Tennessee-based band — comprised of brothers Andy, Dennijo and Chad Sitze — were inspired to write their new single, "Wings of a White Dove," after losing their manager to suicide just days before learning of Naomi Judd's death last spring.

"We have personal experience with losing friends and family to suicide," Dennijo tells PEOPLE. "In the spring of 2022, we lost our manager, Doc. He was a one-of-a-kind guy whom we loved dearly. We felt he was in a dark place and wanted to do more for him. In the end, he took his life. Not long after Doc's passing, we received word about Naomi Judd. It was devastating to us."

The brothers were long-time fans of The Judds — the mother-daughter duo comprised of the country music legend and her daughter, Wynonna Judd — they say. "Only a mother and daughter could create a sound like that. Family harmony is exactly what we are and is the core of what we do."

Between the loss of their manager and the country music Hall of Famer, the band says they realized they wanted to do something in the wake of two devastating losses to mental illness.

"These events were big eye-openers for us," Dennijo adds. "We knew it was time to raise our voices for those who no longer have a voice. Mental illness is real and more people need to be aware."

In the music video, premiered exclusively by PEOPLE, the "upbeat love song," as Dennijo describes it, is flipped on its head in a satirical take on a modern married couple.

"With the over-saturation of content online we wanted to try to do something to make the viewer watch it again and listen to the lyrics."

The video sees a frustrated wife repeatedly take aim at her husband before he goes to work. She throws food, paper towels, a glass bottle, and even a frying pan at her partner while he sits on the couch, smoking a cigarette, expecting her to cook. "I am a big fan of dark comedy and wanted to bring the viewer to the extreme," Dennijo says.

Related:Larry Strickland on Late Wife Naomi Judd's Final Months: 'It Was a Very Chaotic, Hectic Time'

A portion of the proceeds from the song will be donated to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

"We are so appreciative of Flat River Band for shining a spotlight on NAMI," Jeff Fladen, executive director of the organization's Tennessee branch, said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. "It is important that people know that mental health impacts everybody and that there is help available."

The single was inspired by Ferlin Husky's "Wings of a Dove," says Chad, who originally got started writing the song. The "catchy melody and three-part harmony" had Dennijo sold quickly on his brother's idea.

"Watching the lives of people on social media and the hurt they face on a daily basis is attributed to the song," Andy says. "With the social media craze, our society no longer communicates. We believe it's important to verbally tell a person they are loved."

As for the brothers themselves, they attribute their own sense of hope and inspiration to their faith.

"In my life it's all about renewing the mind daily," Chad says. "And always saying to myself, 'This too shall pass.'"

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Her daughter, Ashley Judd, confirmed that her mother died by suicide. "When we're talking about mental illness, it's very important to be clear and to make the distinction between our loved one and the disease" the actress, 54, said in an emotional interview with Diane Sawyer for Good Morning America. "It's very real … it lies, it's savage."

For Wynonna, 58, the loss is still hard to comprehend. "I can't quite wrap my head around it and I don't know that I ever will," she told PEOPLE in October. "That she left the way she did. That's how baffling and cunning mental illness is. You have to make peace with the fact that you don't know. Sometimes there are no answers."

She added, "With the same determination she had to live, she was determined to die. It's so hard to comprehend how someone can be so strong and yet so vulnerable."

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

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