It’s time to start giving Ashley McBryde the attention she deserves.
Now don’t get me wrong, Ashley’s obviously had quite a bit of success in her career already thanks to songs like “A Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega,” “One Night Standards” and of course the powerful “Girl Goin’ Nowhere.”
I was first introduced to Ashley in what I’m sure was the same way many of you were: When Eric Church brought her on stage back in 2017 to sing “Bible & a .44.” That same year she released her debut album, and it was immediately clear what Church saw in her: She’s a powerhouse vocalist and one of the most masterful songwriters in country music. And since then, she’s continued to shine on albums like Never Will, her Lindeville concept album, and her most recent project, 2023’s The Devil I Know.
Along the way, Ashley has continued to not only sell out her own shows but also tour with some of the biggest names in country music, including George Strait, Cody Johnson, Wynonna, and of course Eric Church. This year she’ll even open for Garth Brooks at Hyde Park in London and join Chris Stapleton on his All-American Road Show.
But through it all, it seems Ashley is consistently overlooked for the superstar she really is.
For my money, Ashley is easily one of the best vocalists in Nashville. And no, I’m not just talking about female vocalists: I’d put Ashley up there with just about anybody. And as great as her voice is, her songwriting may be even better, with so many songs in her catalog that never got the attention they deserved.
So I figured why not try to give some of them some attention, so maybe people will start to realize what an underrated artist we have in Ashley McBryde.
1. “American Scandal” – Girl Going Nowhere
This song from her debut album shows what sets Ashley apart from other artists. While it’s a “love song” by definition, it’s not your neat and tidy, picture perfect love story like so many country songs that never actually happens in real life: It’s messy. It’s a little wrong. And most of all, it’s authentic, like everything Ashley does.
2. “Livin’ Next to Leroy” – Girl Going Nowhere
Everybody loves singing songs about small towns until it comes time to sing about some actual small town shit. Small towns aren’t all American flags and waving to your neighbor on the front porch. And in this one, Ashley manages to capture one of the major problems facing a lot of small towns – drug addiction – in a way that feels authentic and compassionate, if not downright charming.
3. “Sparrow” – Never Will
“It ain’t fair, thoughHow you miss the ground when you’re out here in the sky”
Not only does Ashley’s songwriting shine through on this one about spreading your wings to chase your dreams but still missing home, but “Sparrow” really shows off what a powerhouse vocalist she really is. Chills every time.
Unfortunately it feels like this entire album, which was released on April 3, 2020, kind of got lost in the COVID madness that was going on at the time, which is a shame because it never really got its moment to shine like it should have.
4. “Ain’t Enough Cowboy Songs”
While this one never made it onto an album, Ashley once again finds a way to put a unique spin on a common theme in country music. As Ashley explained back in 2024 when the song was released:
“Instead of us saying, ‘Work ethic’s out the window, stick-to-it code’s pretty much dead, and idealism is gone,’ it was easier to say that by saying, ‘There is no wild out west. That’s all gone.’”
It takes a brilliant songwriter to come up with a new way to say something that’s already been said, and this song really shows off Ashley’s ability to do just that.
5. “Learned To Lie” – The Devil I Know
Ok, I’ll confess, this song is the one that made me want to write this entire article, because it’s just so damn good. It’s easily one of the most well-written songs to come out of Nashville in the last decade, and for some reason it flew under the radar.
The song is a powerful self-reflection on the generational trauma of growing up in a dysfunctional household:
“I learned to cry
Quietly I learned to pray
Silently inside a house where the Devil played
And I hate that it runs in my blood
I hate how easy it comes
I wish I learned how to love the same way I
Learned to lie”
It’s one of the things I love so much about Ashley’s songwriting: She’s not afraid to be vulnerable and raw in a way that we don’t often see from mainstream country music. Maybe that’s why it seems like she’s too often overlooked. Sometimes real shit makes people uncomfortable in a world where everything’s dirt roads and bonfires.
Ashley is dropping her next album, Wild, on May 8, and we’ve already gotten a couple of great songs like “Bottle Tells Me So,” “What If We Don’t,” and her latest release, “Lines In the Carpet.” It’s no doubt going to be just as incredible as her previous albums, and if there’s any justice in the country music world (there isn’t), it’ll be the album that finally gets Ashley the attention she so richly deserves.
