Ashley Mcbryde

Ashley Dyan McBryde was born on July 29, 1983, in Waldron, Arkansas, and raised in Saddle, Arkansas. She grew up in a strict household where she was exposed to various musical styles, inspiring her to write her first song at the age of 12. Initially studying French horn at Arkansas State University, she began performing in clubs in Memphis, Tennessee. A professor’s suggestion to pursue music full-time led her to drop out and move to Nashville in 2007 to establish her music career. In Nashville, she performed with the band Deadhorse and took on any available gig, including biker bars, while also working at Guitar Center and playing open mic nights. She gained early recognition by winning the Country Showdown talent competition in 2009 and 2010, and her band won Tennessee’s “Battle of the Bands” contest. During this period, she frequently toured, opening for artists such as Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton, and Chris Cagle, which helped build her performance experience and audience.

McBryde self-released an eponymous demo album in 2006, followed by her second demo album, “Elsebound,” in 2011. A turning point came in 2016 with her extended play (EP) “Jalopies & Expensive Guitars,” released on Road Life Records. This EP caught the attention of Eric Church, who invited her to perform her song “Bible and a .44” on stage with him. The video of this performance went viral, leading to increased concert bookings and a management deal with Q Publishing. Her debut studio album, which she had already recorded, was heard by Cris Lacy of Warner Music Nashville, who signed McBryde to a recording contract in September 2017. Later that year, Warner Music released her debut single, “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega,” which achieved commercial success, charting on Billboard’s Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts. The song was recognized by The New York Times and Rolling Stone as one of the best country songs of 2017.

In March 2018, McBryde released her critically acclaimed debut studio album, “Girl Going Nowhere.” The album reached number seven on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 49 on the Billboard 200, receiving praise for its authentic sound. The title track also charted in the Country Airplay top 40. Her growing prominence was marked by her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in 2017 and a Grammy Award nomination. She was awarded “New Female Artist of the Year” by the Academy of Country Music and “New Artist of the Year” by the Country Music Association. She embarked on her first headlining tour, the Girl Going Nowhere Tour, in the fall of 2018, and performed with George Strait and Little Big Town in 2019. Her second studio album, “Never Will,” released in April 2020, also achieved critical and commercial success, with its lead single, “One Night Standards,” becoming her first top 20 single in the US and reaching number one on the Canadian country chart. In 2022, she was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Garth Brooks, solidifying her place in country music.