Ashley McBryde is a country singer from Arkansas and although her first album, the self-released “Jalopies and Expensive Guitars” came out in 2016, it feels like she’s still the new kid on the block.
I first saw Ashley on the Spotlight Stage at the Country to Country ‘festival’ at London’s O2 Arena in 2018. I call it a ‘festival’ because its three day, 14 hour a day, country music event with stalls, food, drinks, free acts around the O2 in various places and then the big (paid ticket) arena show with 3-4 main stage acts and newer performers on the Spotlight Stage in between the main acts. This is where I first fell in love with Ashley McBryde.
She’s up there on that little stage and starts telling us about herself. How she was picked on in school for being different and wanting to be a singer when she grew up. A teacher said she needed her education and have a ‘Plan B’ because being a performer is a pipeline dream. Well, she takes out a flask from her back jean pocket, raises it up to the crowd and goes “here’s to Plan B”, takes a swig of the drink and starts to play her ‘namesake song’ if you will, “Girl Going Nowhere”
HOOKED!!
As soon as she left the stage, I was on my phones buying her two albums on iTunes. I was HOOKED!!! To me, Ashley is the ‘real deal’. She writes her own songs and collaborates with other singer/songwriters and tells stories through her music. One reason I love her music so much is because I can really identify with so many of her songs. It’s like she’s singing about me or just for me, about my life, my dreams.
Sometimes the stories are about her, her journey in life and stories about friends. For instance, “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” is about one of her bandmembers ‘worst day’ when he was driving home to Nashville from Atlanta and his car broke down. He’d no option but to stop off at a random bar at a random exit. But fate flipped it around when he met his future wife at the very same bar!
“That’s what you do with the worst day ever,” McBryde says. “You flip it on its back. You raise your glass.” (credit: theboot.com)
And some songs, like on her upcoming, third album “Never Will”, tell the stories of others. Be it, completely fictional, based on an event or things that happen in life that we all know happens but as Ashley said at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire during her headlining tour last September “I think I wrote this albums’ love song but a lotta people don’t think I should be singing about this” Now I am paraphrasing because it was a few months ago when I was at this concert.
Now she’s referring to “One Night Standard” which is the first single from the upcoming “Never Will” album and tells a story of two people who meet up for a one night stand. We all know it happens, most of us have done it and Ashley isn’t afraid to sing about ‘taboo’ subjects like this. “What if We Don’t” is about two friends who are debating whether or not to cross that line and become more than friends. Again, a very commonplace event but a lot of singers, in country genre anyway, won’t sing about such risks.
If you watch the video for “One Night Standards”, it is a bit different than the lyrics as it does show couples ‘shaking up’ at a motel that Ashley is the manager/owner of and she spots a friend’s father pull up with ‘a lady friend’ and drama insues. Ashley is telling a three part story here with the continuation being “Martha Divine” which is sung from the man’s daughter’s point of view. The concluding song is yet to be released.
Backed Up or Alone
Ashley’s songs are great with her Deadhorse Band jamming behind her or just on her own acoustic. Her music is just so passionate, I mean she really puts her heart and soul on the line in every song and you hear it in her voice and see it on stage. Oh and, why is her band called the Dead Horse Band? Glad you asked…because “you can’t beat a dead horse” I recall her saying as she introduced the guys last September.
McBryde is really turning heads lately with having won the 2019 ACM Award for New Female Vocalist of the Year and Breakthrough Video of the Year with “Girl Going Nowhere” at the CMT Music Awards. She was also nominated for Best Country Album with “Girl Going Nowhere”, Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program at the Daytime Emmy Awards for the CBS This Morning Saturday. Also, at the CMA Awards she won New Artist of the Year. The Grammy’s are also looking at her for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance this year.
One Night Standard Tour
The Deadhorse Band and Ashley are taking to the road once again with her “One Night Standards Tour” which will highlight her upcoming album “Never will” which will be available on April 3rd. I can not recommend this young lady enough. You can check her out on Jimmy Fallon’s YouTube from Friday, January 17th where she performed “One Night Standards” for the first time on television. Once you’ve had a taste, come back and comment with your favourite McBryde song, I’d love to know.
Tara is one of the latest article writers here in Blazing Minds, look out for more great posts from her only on the Blazing Minds website.
