Ashley McBryde Reveals Details for New “Wild” Album

photo: Nathan Chapman

Ashley McBryde has never been short on critical acclaim. That’s the one thing she’s had in spades. She’s been nominated for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, and other such awards, and from the CMAs, ACMs, and Grammys. Translating that into commercial success and widespread acceptance has always been the challenge.

McBryde’s enjoyed mainstream label support as well, and champions in the business like Eric Church. You can certainly do worse for yourself than what Ashley McBryde has assembled for a career. But after her super critically-acclaimed 2022 album Lindeville barely raised a blip on the charts, and her frankly more commercially-oriented The Devil I Know also failed to break through, you can understand why she might have been rendered a little crestfallen. In fact, she thought about quitting music altogether.

But instead of worrying about sales and stats, Ashley’s decided to double down on what she does best, and what brings here the most meaning: unflinchingly brutal and honest songs that burrow deep into the emotional reservoirs of life. That is what you can expect on her new album Wild to be released on May 8th.

McBryde officially announced the album a week or two ago, but has finally revealed the track list and further details. Though she still co-wrote most of the songs, she also selected five that she felt fit the boldness of the project better than her own. It also includes songs she’s been performing live for a while.

“At the time I was told I needed to be more palatable than what those songs were offering,” McBryde says. “I’ve kept them in my live show over the years, and I’m so thankful that I never cut them before this album. When I hear myself playing them now, I can finally believe the woman who’s singing.”

Instead of going with the often controversial Jay Joyce again as producer, she instead chose to work with John Osborne of Brothers Osborne who produced the critically-acclaimed Lindeville. Instead of recording with session musicians, she worked with her live band Deadhorse. Co-writers include Lori McKenna, Randall Clay, Matraca Berg, and Jon Randall. McBryde’s sobriety also played a role in how the album came together.

“We brought an entirely new approach to the studio every day, where we cut what spoke to us in that moment,” McBryde says. “No plan for an album, no timeline, no pressure – just me, John, the boys and a feeling. These songs that have lived with us for years, and new songs that found their way to us and immediately felt like mine, they all started to outline the shape of a story I knew too well. They fell together to tell my story; I think that’s what happens when you let the Wild back in.”

Ahead of the album, McBryde has already released the tracks “Rattlesnake Preacher,” “Arkansas Mud,” “What If We Don’t,” and most recently the well-written “Bottle Tells Me So” (listen below).

Wild is now available for pre-order/pre-save.