On August 25, 2015, Yelawolf was mired in controversy when he decided to defend the Confederate flag before reconsidering his stance and entirely rejecting the flag with a non-album track titled "To Whom It May Concern" on October 30, 2015. The single addressed his upbringings and his disgust with the Charleston church shooting, a racially motivated mass shooting. After the controversy was settled on September 22, 2015, Yelawolf announced his fourth studio album, "Trial by Fire". He alluded to the record being much darker than its predecessor, and also being produced entirely by himself and constant collaborators DJ Klever and Bones Owens, which were also members of his tour band.