Overview
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.