Ashley McBryde

Summary

Summary of "On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer" Featuring Ashley McBryde

Episode Title: Ashley McBryde
Release Date: May 19, 2023
Host: Troy Vollhoffer, Country Thunder | Pod People

In this engaging episode of "On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer," host Troy Vollhoffer sits down with the acclaimed country artist Ashley McBryde. The conversation delves deep into Ashley's musical journey, her experiences in the music industry, touring life, mental health, and her future projects. Below is a detailed summary capturing all key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions from their conversation.

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1. Introduction and Early Beginnings

Welcoming Ashley McBryde

• [00:30] Troy welcomes Ashley McBryde, expressing gratitude for her frequent performances at Country Thunder festivals.
• [01:07] Ashley responds warmly, appreciating the opportunity to share her story.

Ashley’s Roots in Arkansas

• [01:43] Troy congratulates Ashley on her ACM nominations.
• [01:50] Ashley shares her origins from Mammoth Spring, a small town in northeast Arkansas, emphasizing her deep family ties in northwest Arkansas.

Musical Inspirations and Early Start

• [02:11] Ashley discusses her early musical inspirations, highlighting bluegrass and her initial foray into music with the mandolin at age three.
• [02:31] She reveals that she knew music was her passion from a young age, participating in band and choir, which later led her to a French horn scholarship in college.

2. Transition to Nashville

Deciding to Pursue Music Professionally

• [03:30] Ashley recounts her move to Nashville in November 2005, leaving behind her small-town life to immerse herself in the competitive music scene.
• [03:45] She describes Nashville as a "shark tank," highlighting the daunting yet exhilarating environment for aspiring artists.

Building Connections and Networking

• [04:38] Ashley emphasizes the importance of attending open mics and writer's nights to network and make connections within the industry.
• [05:10] She credits Lisa Carver for encouraging her to find her "tribe" in Nashville, which was pivotal in her career growth.

3. Breakthrough and Management with Q Prime

Securing a Management Deal

• [05:36] Ashley discusses meeting John Peets of Q Prime in 2016, a significant turning point in her career.
• [06:45] She narrates their first encounter on a plane, where John expressed interest in her music, leading to a management deal.

Collaborating with Eric Church

• [07:02] The partnership with Q Prime facilitated Ashley’s collaboration with Eric Church, another milestone in her career.
• [07:38] Ashley shares a memorable experience during the "Holding My Own" tour, where performing with Eric Church's band helped her gain substantial exposure.

4. Touring and Life on the Road

The Joys and Challenges of Touring

• [10:40] Ashley talks about her upcoming tours, expressing excitement about performing at multiple festivals and touring with great bands like Lone Star.
• [11:28] She describes the festival atmosphere as similar to "summer camp with all of your friends," highlighting the camaraderie and fun despite the exhaustion.

Improved Touring Setup

• [16:04] Ashley highlights the improvements in her touring setup, including moving to two buses to accommodate her growing team and enhance comfort on the road.
• [16:35] She explains the benefits of condo bunks, allowing band members to sit up and be more comfortable during long tours.

5. Health and Wellbeing on Tour

Maintaining Health on the Road

• [11:57] Ashley discusses the importance of taking care of her mental and physical health while touring. She attributes her disciplined approach to advice from friends like Terry Clark.
• [13:52] She emphasizes the role of proper nutrition, hydration, and regular exercise in maintaining her wellbeing, stating, "I think I'm in better health when we're on the road."

Support System and Friendships

• [14:25] Ashley shares the significance of her friendship with Terry Clark, who offers unwavering support, especially during tough times.
• [17:40] She mentions how being on the bus and having a supportive team contributes to her overall health and happiness.

6. Collaborations and Influences

Working with Legendary Artists

• [19:07] Ashley expresses her admiration for Wynonna Judd, describing her as "a building block of country music."
• [20:08] She recounts her collaborations with John Osborne and co-writing with Lainey Wilson, underscoring her commitment to high-quality songwriting and production.

Creative Freedom and Setlists

• [22:35] Ashley explains her approach to designing setlists, using "sentences" of three or four songs to maintain flow while allowing flexibility.
• [23:24] She shares her strategy for integrating new songs into her performances, aiming to test their resonance with live audiences.

7. Future Plans and Projects

Upcoming Album and Tours

• [10:40] Ashley reveals her latest album, "Lindyville," set for release on September 30th, and discusses her plans to promote it through extensive touring.
• [25:28] She talks about the joy of performing and the drive to continuously elevate her performances, comparing it to her brother's gaming excitement: "It's like a gamer leveling up."

Expanding Collaborations

• [24:08] Ashley praises the Brothers Osborne, highlighting their positive influence and the inspiration they provide through their enthusiasm for new projects.

8. Conclusion

Celebrating Success and Gratitude

• [27:03] Troy thanks Ashley for her time and acknowledges the challenges artists face when touring.
• [27:48] Ashley humorously mentions performing with one eye due to an injury but maintains her upbeat spirit, concluding with gratitude for her fans and the Country Thunder community.

Notable Quotes:

• Ashley McBryde [02:31]: "I knew music was my thing, period."
• Ashley McBryde [07:02]: "That becomes a real turning point for me because [...] Eric said, 'you're going to like this girl.'"
• Ashley McBryde [11:28]: "Like, when else am I going to see Luke this year? When else am I going to see Lone Star?"
• Ashley McBryde [17:40]: "I think I'm in better health when we're on the road."
• Ashley McBryde [25:28]: "We get to step onto a stage and live a dream."

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers a comprehensive look into Ashley McBryde's rise in the country music scene, her strategic moves in Nashville, the importance of robust management, and the balance between touring and personal wellbeing. Ashley’s candid insights provide invaluable lessons for aspiring musicians and fans alike, illustrating the dedication and resilience required to succeed in the competitive music industry.

Listeners are left inspired by Ashley's passion, her commitment to mental health, and her unwavering drive to elevate her music. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance, meaningful connections, and maintaining joy amidst the challenges of a demanding career.

Transcript

[Troy Volhoffer]

Odysee celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month by giving you tips for a healthy mindset in the workplace. As a part of I'm Listening Odyssey's commitment to more mental health conversations.

[Ashley McBride]

To get you ready for the upcoming week, make sleep a priority. 8 to 10 hours of sleep is ideal to keep your mental health at its best.

[Troy Volhoffer]

For more mental health tips from the American foundation for Suicide Prevention, go to I'm listening.org or download the free Odyssey Apply.

[Ashley McBride]

I want a road that just won't stop winding.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Welcome back. I'm Troy Volhofer and you're on the bus at Country Thunder. We're coming at you with backstage stories from the six annual Country Thunder music festivals held across North America. Get ready for real talk about the state of the music industry with thoughts, insights and stories from some of the biggest stars, executives and professionals in the music business. On this episode, Ashley McBride. Ashley, welcome. Thank you for coming out.

[Ashley McBride]

Thanks for having me.

[Troy Volhoffer]

It's awesome. So get to sit down here. We've met many times and thank you for being by playing the Country Thunders on numerous occasions, it's been a treat and an honor. We've seen your career just blossom into something that's so amazing right now. And let's start out with the ACM nominations. I mean, congratulations.

[Ashley McBride]

What a way to wake up.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah, I know. It's awesome, isn't it?

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah, it was really fun. A friend of mine texted and just texted the word album. And I was like, what are you talking about? She was like, oh, ACM nominations came out. And I was like, whose album are you talking about? And she was like, yours, man.

[Troy Volhoffer]

You deserve it. You totally deserve it. So let's go back to the beginning. Like, so you're from Arkansas. What city in Arkansas are you from?

[Ashley McBride]

Oh, there aren't any cities in Arkansas. I'm from a really small town called Mammoth Spring, which is just a few miles south of the Missouri line, so northeast Arkansas. And I'm also from the northwest part of Arkansas. I've got a lot of family over there, too.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Oh, very cool.

[Ashley McBride]

So in the Ozarks, in the.

[Troy Volhoffer]

So what was your original kind of inspiration musically?

[Ashley McBride]

I grew up listening to, I mean, all kinds of music, but bluegrass really, and grew up playing. I started playing. Mandolin was my first instrument, mostly because I was too small to hold a guitar safely. I was like three. And so they handed me the mandolin. Bang on this. And then they were like, oh crap, she can play it. So self taught. Yeah.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Oh, wow, that's super cool. Well, so from that point on when did you realize that maybe music can be your thing? Like, taking it to the next level of.

[Ashley McBride]

I knew music was my thing, period.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Okay.

[Ashley McBride]

And then, you know, I was in band, in choir, and do all the things.

[Troy Volhoffer]

French horn, Right?

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah. So I went to college on a French horn scholarship, and I loved it, but I wasn't in love with it. You know, I wanted to play the stuff I wanted to play. So I started driving to Memphis, was only an hour and a half from Jonesboro, where I went to Arkansas State. So I started going to Memphis. I started playing in places in Jonesboro, but it's in a dry county, as most. A lot of. A lot of the counties in Arkansas are. And so there's not. You can play, like, coffee houses and stuff, but there's not, like, a bar to play to really cut your teeth. So I have to go to Memphis for that. Well, then I started doing that all the time. So that turns into missing more class than I'm attending, and that turns into. I, like. I lived there for a while, and I was kind of commuting, going to school, and then coming back and playing at night. And then I thought, I just. If I want to know if I'm any good, I have to go to Nashville.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Wow. What year did you come to Nashville?

[Ashley McBride]

November of 2005.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Oh, wow.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Wow. So what was that like coming from a smaller town community to Music City where it's a shark tank?

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah. And you don't know anyone?

[Troy Volhoffer]

Nobody.

[Ashley McBride]

Right, Right. I had a friend that worked at. For a storage company. We lived in her little apartment at the. At the. Sure. Storage facility on, like. On, like Donaldson.

[Troy Volhoffer]

No way.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah.

[Troy Volhoffer]

So when I. I first came to Nashville, I had the same experience, but I was in a different little situation. I was. I knew my hockey career there before the Predators, and I lived in Antioch, and the whole team lived in this apartment behind the Old Hickory Mall, I believe it was. Old Hickory Mall.

[Ashley McBride]

Oh. I used to live in Antioch around the Hickory Mall. That's. That's an adventure.

[Troy Volhoffer]

I know. It's total trip. It's changed a lot since those days. I mean. But. Yeah, so I know that feeling. But it's a scary town, isn't it? Like, when you come in there and you're like, what are we going to do?

[Ashley McBride]

Yes. Humongous.

[Troy Volhoffer]

So when you got to Nashville, how did you reach out to the music community to start branching out, writing, getting in? How did you penetrate into those rooms to write songs with those great songwriters and playing.

[Ashley McBride]

Right. Playing writers nights, open mics, you have to start out with open mics because everybody walks in and goes, I can write songs. Of course you can hunt. That's why you're here. That's why I started playing open mics and doing every writer's night I could get into. It didn't matter if they were in seedy places or it didn't seem like a nice neighborhood. Just play absolutely everything you can and start making friends. And I guess that's just what networking is. But making friends and then you kind of see who your kind of people are. And then you may just ask, what bars do they hang out in.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Sure.

[Ashley McBride]

And those become these little pockets of community that you either stay at that table or it leads you to eventually what you would find. And Lisa Carver was one of the reasons I wanted to move to Nashville. Cause I wanted to write songs with Lisa Carver. And I was telling her about the bars I was hanging out in and which writers nights I was playing. And she said, don't rush it. Don't worry, you will find your tribe. And I did.

[Troy Volhoffer]

So when did you get your management deal with qprime? When John Peets came to see you or how did that all go down?

[Ashley McBride]

I wanna say that was 2016, was probably when I met John Peets. Yep. It would have had to have been.

[Troy Volhoffer]

So to our fans, John Peach is a legendary manager with Q Prime in Nashville and has been one of the strongholds of a manager. And very creative and very eclectic.

[Ashley McBride]

I mean, so creative.

[Troy Volhoffer]

The roster is very eclectic. It's a very neat roster.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah. If you go to dinner with us at Q Prime, then you've got Marty Stewart and brothers Osborne and Eric Church, like everybody at the same table chilling out. It's really a great family. And I'm going to get some of the facts wrong because it's really unclear to me how this happened. But John Peets happened to be on a plane going to watch a bros show. And I don't remember who they were playing with. But in the seats surrounding John Peets are some folks from wme. And if you're following along at home, WME is William Morrison Deavor. And that is a booking agency. And I'm working with them. And I think John Peets had asked, is there anything.

[Troy Volhoffer]

So you had an agent before you had a manager?

[Ashley McBride]

Yes. And is there anything popping off right now that I would be super interested in? And the fellow next to him says, I think you should hear this song. And it was Babylona 44.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Oh, wow.

[Ashley McBride]

So I think that's what gets John Peets to third and Lindsley to see me play.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Wow.

[Ashley McBride]

And then I find out that he doesn't go to very many shows. He doesn't go out and do things like that. So I met him that night. He shook my hand and said, I like what you do, and I'd love to talk to you about it. And then, you know, in the charming way that he does, he would just, like, disappeared into thin air. He just vaporized. And it was. I was like, that was the most magical moment, and it truly was.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah, I know. He's an artist in his own right, in his way. His management skills are. And he's taken artists like yourself and Eric Church. So Eric Church and your connection, how did that come together?

[Ashley McBride]

It was during the Holding My Own tour. And I'm a big nerd for how everything works. So whatever we're doing, even if it's editing a podcast, I'm like, how does this work? Why does that button do that? And Eric said, I think Ashley would really enjoy the production, and I'd love for her to come to the show. So John Peet says, hey, let's go to Chicago. I want you to watch Eric's show. And we were in catering, like you do for the show, and I'm told Eric wants you to sing tonight. And I'm like, no problem. I know all of Eric's stuff. No, he wants to do Babylon 44. And I'm. I'm in a Mr. Let's do your song. Yeah. I'm in a Mr. Misunderstood T shirt. I'm like, oh, God, I'm in merch. Like, because I am such a fan and of country music, period. I'm a fan before I'm anything else. And I'm looking at John Beats like, is this for real? Are you punking me? Like, is this some sort of, like, initiation thing? And he was like, you're going to be fine. I've never used in ears before. I've never performed in an arena before. I don't have my guitar. I'll have to use one of Eric's. They're like, it's gonna be no problem. So then as we're heading out to the arena, so I can go to front of house to watch the show from the best vantage point. And I see Eric, and he just stops and shakes my hand, and he goes, hey, be flat on that song, right? I said, yeah. And he said, just come to my room at intermission. We'll run through it real quick. No problem. See you in a bit. Game on came on and I went up and played Babylon 44. And that becomes a real turning point for me because the words that Eric said, one of the phrases that he said, one of the sentences was, you're going to like this girl. And if you're an Eric Church fan, then you trust his judgment.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Wow.

[Ashley McBride]

So immediately I had 19,000 people that believed him when he said, you're going to like her. So they gave me a chance because they could have gone and gotten a beer at that point.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Sure.

[Ashley McBride]

And they stayed and gave me a chance.

[Troy Volhoffer]

What a wonderful story that is. Actually, that's super cool. I mean, Eric, you know, it's funny, the country thunder brand. We had Eric Church here, you know, when he first started out. In fact, I was at the showcase when Eric got his record deal at the end, that club in Nashville, that shitty little club. Yeah. And it was more of like a heavy metal meets country five.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah.

[Troy Volhoffer]

It was super cool.

[Ashley McBride]

I'd play in it right now.

[Troy Volhoffer]

It was killer. Right. And went, went to the, you know, went to the showcase. And to be honest with you, I, I, I mean he changed music in a lot of different ways. And I have a, you know, the utmost respect. What we've had him, you know, since he was like a 5000 dol where he is nowadays, you know, international superstar. And it's so cool that you guys have that thing and he was a help to your career and that sort of pinnacle point.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah. So I mean, Bible on a 44 was never a radio single. And it was like it was on an EP that I had done. But that becomes the life changing song because that's what John Peets heard and that's what Eric heard. And then that's what he wanted to perform that night. So that gets to be the life changer.

[Troy Volhoffer]

So let's bring it up to speed now. So gonna tour this year. Let's talk about touring. Let's talk about. It's time for life on the road.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah, it's time for the new record. So we released Lindyville September 30th and but so we made, I made that record with John Osborne the end of December, the beginning of January. In February, I got in with my band with Jay to make our proper record three. And it's still hard for me to understand, like, is this record three? Is it record four? Because there is another record. So we did. And so the first single is out now, Light on in the Kitchen. And then we just released an instant Grat, the Devil I Know, which is one of my Favorite tracks on the whole record. It's hard to pick a favorite, really. But we'll be back out on the road with Eric. All of the festivals. I love festival season. I know that we can. Sometimes you can be like, oh, my gosh, festivals are exhausting. But it's also like being at summer camp with all of your friends.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Sure.

[Ashley McBride]

Like, when else am I going to see Luke this year? When else am I going to see Lone Star? Great band. I know every single breath to every single song.

[Troy Volhoffer]

And they're badass.

[Ashley McBride]

Absolutely.

[Troy Volhoffer]

They play their asses.

[Ashley McBride]

My guys were already like. And their wives are like texting them. They're like, these are the videos that we need of the songs that we need. So it's a lot like being at summer camp with your friends. It's such a. A cool vibe.

[Troy Volhoffer]

So how do you keep. I mean, life on the road's not always easy. So how do you. How do you keep your health and your mind about yourself and.

[Ashley McBride]

I mean, you spend the first, like five years not keeping care of your health and your mental health or like, you know, anything really. You don't take care of your guitar. Like, you just kind of like, oh, my God, I'm getting paid to party. So you do and you should. I feel like that's. I feel like that's part of the journey. And then one day, you're just so tired and every. And you're sicker than you've ever been. And you don't understand why everything sucks. And it's because you're not taking care of yourself. And not everybody has somebody that goes, you're not taking care of yourself, you big dummy. You're welcome to ruin this, but why not not do that? But I'm lucky because I made friends with Terry Clark really early because I was such a fan. And we wound up at the same party one night and she. She said, are you on radio tour? My very first radio tour. And she said, hey, call me if you ever need me. And I'm serious. I don't care if it's 3 o'clock in the morning. And I did. And when I did, she answered the phone. So we became friends. And I'm like, I don't know what's happening. I lost my voice. And she was like, no matter how much water you're drinking, it's not enough. No matter how much sleep you're getting, it's not enough. When you go to eat at night with your radio cohorts, make sure you're eating a protein, Please, child, like Things like that. And then making friends with people like Miranda as well, when I'm like, I don't know how to not be so tired all the time. Like, well, are you exercising? Well, I don't have time. Okay. Well, you wouldn't be so tired.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah. If you were Terri Clark. I came. I've known her for a long time, and she's a treasured friend of mine, and I've learned a lot from Terry Clark. Terry Clark's done the show with me before, and one of the most interesting things that she ever said to me, I had no idea as that she was offered an opportunity to pose for Playboy. And she turned the offer down. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And she turned the offer down because she thought it'd be a really bad example for young aspiring artists or her fan base, who are kids. Like, it'd be a bad look. And she turned it down.

[Ashley McBride]

Got it.

[Troy Volhoffer]

And. But Terry and I are really good friends, and so we're golfing one day, and. And she hits a hole in one on a par three. Yeah. So I'm out golfing with Morgan Wallen about a month later, and we get up to this hole, and I'm like, this is Terry's hole. Like, she hit a hole in one. And, like, everyone's like, she had a hole in one on this hole. Like, she's a very. She's an amazing girl.

[Ashley McBride]

She's a gifted golfer.

[Troy Volhoffer]

And Meg's awesome, too. I mean, we have so much fun together, and. No, she is. I'm so glad that. That commonality. Because I love Terri Clark. She's an awesome woman.

[Ashley McBride]

Totally. And then when Garth invited me to be a member of the Opry, I was texting with him later that day, and I was like, how long till I can feel my face again? And I just feel like I've taken something I shouldn't have taken. Nothing is real. And he said, hey, I want you to know that it was my honor to volunteer to invite you.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Wow.

[Ashley McBride]

But you get to choose who inducts you.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Wow.

[Ashley McBride]

So I called Terry.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Really?

[Ashley McBride]

Yes.

[Troy Volhoffer]

That is super cool. That is totally cool. Not many people can say that, right?

[Ashley McBride]

And it was her first time to do the inducting.

[Troy Volhoffer]

It was. Yeah, yeah. No, it's pretty amazing. You know, you look at careers of. I think that, you know, women in country music are such a strong point. And I've always been, like, from Patsy Cline. I mean, it just needs to be more of it. And I think that we have some great young artists coming up, you know, and. And we need to celebrate that more than. Than has been done in the past. And definitely because it's freaking great music. And anyways, not to go down that path, but I. I just really appreciate the hard work that, you know, women. I mean, women have to work a lot harder than men do in a lot of cases.

[Ashley McBride]

Yep.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Break down a lot more doors.

[Ashley McBride]

Most of the time we do. Yeah.

[Troy Volhoffer]

And. And this is a shitty business when it comes to that, as we all know.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah. But you can either be butt hurt about it.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah.

[Ashley McBride]

Or you can just put your big and do it.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Game on. Right.

[Ashley McBride]

Right. This is the game you signed up for. So do it or don't.

[Troy Volhoffer]

So going forward, how many dates a year are you going to do, do you think? This year.

[Ashley McBride]

Oh, my gosh, it's so many.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Do you ever look at it like, I've got 250 dates or I got 100 dates this year.

[Ashley McBride]

I usually look back at it and go, how many dates did we do this year? And they're like 216. You're like, hot damn.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Didn't feel like that.

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah. We've got some dates with Jelly Roll. We got some dates with Eric. And then in the fall we'll do our own tour in support of this record because it comes out in September, so.

[Troy Volhoffer]

That's so exciting.

[Ashley McBride]

It's so exciting. And things have changed. Like, I. To have a lighting director now. I have one of those. We've never had stage production. Now I will. I love seeing this growth. Like, because of the Dirks tour this last summer, we moved from one bus, 11 people on one bus, to 14 people on two buses.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Perfect.

[Ashley McBride]

Right? So now everybody can sit down at the same time.

[Troy Volhoffer]

And that's a big deal.

[Ashley McBride]

I mean, it's humongous. And we condoed the bunks. And if you're following along at home and you don't know what a condo bunk is, when you lay in a regular bus bunk, it's roughly the height and width of a casket.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yep. About two foot.

[Ashley McBride]

Not that I've ever laid in one, but just like, looking at it.

[Troy Volhoffer]

But two foot tall by eight feet, right?

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah. And then if you're in a condo bunk, it's. You can sit all. If you're me, you can sit all the way up in a condo bunk.

[Troy Volhoffer]

You can sit up and read.

[Ashley McBride]

I don't think men. Men can sit up, but if you're five, three, you can sit up in a condo bunk.

[Troy Volhoffer]

I love it. I toured with this guy named Dick Adams, and Dick Adams is 6 foot 7 and he didn't fit well into a bunk.

[Ashley McBride]

My front of house guy's six, eight.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Oh, God.

[Ashley McBride]

He has to sleep slant and with his knees bent.

[Troy Volhoffer]

And it sounds like this is like.

[Ashley McBride]

You know, oh, we're not. I'm not. None of us are complaining.

[Troy Volhoffer]

This isn't a hardship. That's the best thing. Oh, being on the road. I'm a bus guy. I love bus.

[Ashley McBride]

I love being in the bus.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah. I love traveling. It's your home away from home. I don't take hotel rooms on the road. I'm like, I live on my bus.

[Ashley McBride]

And I take better care of myself when we're in the bus than I do at home.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Right. What do you think that is?

[Ashley McBride]

I think it's because I get up and I mean, you know, you're on the festival grounds. There's plenty of place to walk around.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Sure.

[Ashley McBride]

You have no excuse. What are you gonna do, lay in your bunk all day? You get up and move around. Plus, when you go to catering, there's always going to be multiple proteins to choose from. It's not like I wake up and I'm just like, I just want to eat farmhouse subs all night. I don't have to just eat. Frozen pizza is not an option.

[Troy Volhoffer]

There's healthy options, by all means.

[Ashley McBride]

And you've got people around you that you're like, hey, do you want to go for a walk? And they'll say yes.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah.

[Ashley McBride]

And it's not that I don't take care of myself at home, but I just noticed the last few years, I was like, I think I'm in better health when we're on the road.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Well, you look absolutely amazing. Holy smokes. You get the spirit about you. That is amazing. You're very excited. I'm so happy for you because you seem so happy.

[Ashley McBride]

I'm just so happy.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Your career is on a total trajectory to the moon.

[Ashley McBride]

It's wonderful. And, you know, like, I've got. I'm a songwriter before I'm anything else. And I've got a cut on Kaylee Hammock's new record, and Lainey Wilson has a cut on my new record. Lainey and I wrote one together. So everything from the songwriting standpoint to the production standpoint and the performance standpoint, everything is elevating. I got to tour with Wynonna, so everything is just feeding this. This. Not even a desire, but this need, this compulsion to raise the bar at all times, and I love it. It's like, I feel like that's my brother's, like, A gamer. And when he gets to level up, I'm like, that must be what that feels like.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah. Yeah. So working with Wynonna, she's a trip.

[Ashley McBride]

She's a total trip.

[Troy Volhoffer]

She called me one day and she said, hey, so you have. You do Metallica's production? I'm like, yeah, yeah, we do. And he goes, is there any way you can hook me up with the band? So I hold the Tony Decachio and I said, why? No one wants to meet the band. And they're in Nashville. They're coming to Nashville. So she came down to meet Metallica.

[Ashley McBride]

That's so cool.

[Troy Volhoffer]

And they happen to have Lemmy in town from Motorhead. You're kidding. So they were in rehearsal, so I. I got to spend a lot of time with Wynonna because it was my project. And she brought all these self help books. Self help books. And. And it was really neat. And she was like, truly, like, hey, you know, when you're on the road, you got to take care of yourself. Exactly what we talked about. And. And, you know, these guys, you know, would probably appreciate that. And I'm like, I'm not sure, but I think they might. And they so appreciate it. And they were so gracious and the opportunity to meet her. But she's a really neat person because, I mean, she's part of. I include her in country music history.

[Ashley McBride]

I think she's one of the building blocks. She's one of the building blocks of country music.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Her and her mother were absolutely unbelievable, Absolutely amazing. And. And we can't lose sight of those people, you know? And, I mean, as the new music comes along and it just seems like we really be in tune with our past, and sometimes we forget that. Right.

[Ashley McBride]

And she's such a gifted performer, and she is really good at keeping you on your toes. Like, I know exactly what songs I'm supposed to sing on in the show, and I know that a week before I even have to be there, and I have a phone call with Brandi Carlisle, who is singing with y the week before me. So she's like, hey, here's how the set goes. Here's some board tapes. We'll get you all set up. So I know exactly what I have to do. Very rarely is that how the show went.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Really?

[Ashley McBride]

Yes. I mean, I'm gonna do those songs, but you're probably gonna do some other stuff too. And I love that she loves to throw wrenches in things, and it encouraged me to do that. And now with my guys, I'm like, you guys just buckle up, because I'll just change whatever I want because you can't do anything about it. You have to roll with it. So the last night we were together, she has, like, two wardrobe changes during the show. It might have even been three. So just to change it up, I had wardrobe changes, and we just coordinated all my outfits to look pretty similar to hers. And every time I get on stage, she's like, what are you doing? I was like, this jacket is so cool. And then I wound up closing the show in a pair of. I looked like Sandy from Greece. I had black leather pants on and a Judds T shirt and the biggest country music hair ever. And I jumped up.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Oh, you went for the 90s hair.

[Ashley McBride]

Absolutely. And I jumped up during a song I don't typically sing on. It was during I Saw the Light. So I just jumped on stage and started, take your chin hands off my red dress. And Juano just said, okay, then sing was such a joy. And it keeps everything so alive all the time. You think about these songs that she's been performing her whole life, and a way to keep the blood pumping through the veins of it is not only bringing someone like me and Kelsey and Brandy out on the road with you, but it's breathing life into it like that and being like, hey, Troy, sing this verse.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah.

[Ashley McBride]

Oh. Because then the look of oh, shit on your face is priceless in front of 23,000 people. And then you do it, and you do it well, and she smiles because she raised the bar and you met it.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah, exactly. And that there's not a lot of artists who can actually pull that off.

[Ashley McBride]

I love it.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah. So do you. Do you work with set list?

[Ashley McBride]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. We design a set list.

[Troy Volhoffer]

You actually have a set list. You're not calling it like, it's all right.

[Ashley McBride]

We used to do it in the bars where it was all audible the entire show. It's more helpful now to have what I call them sentences, but, like, three or four song sentences that we can move, put up whatever we want, but just to help the flow of the show. That way there's not any downtime while somebody's waiting for me to decide what song to sing. If I decide to change it, no problem. But we know if worse comes to worst, this song is next.

[Troy Volhoffer]

So when you're, like, working a new record into your set list, how do you feel about that? Because, you know, you see a lot of artists who work a new song in, and the familiarity with the song isn't Quite there yet because it hasn't been, you know, played on radio or streamed enough quite yet. But it's a great frickin song and you want to, you want to make it happen, right? You gotta get started on. Yeah. Do you have any interpretation on that at all or.

[Ashley McBride]

What we started doing with this record was we chose three or four that we were gonna start working in and we might do two in one set, but definitely just want to get one in and test it. Because if we do research for radio, right. We know how that testing works. I wanted to test it on live audiences so that I can argue with management, with label, with radio. This is what is resonating or. Ooh. That song actually doesn't resonate at all. So it's been really interesting to do that and so much fun.

[Troy Volhoffer]

How well do you know T.J. osborne?

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah, I absolutely adore him. He and John both, we're close in age, but they do feel like older siblings to me.

[Troy Volhoffer]

I don't know him until two weeks ago.

[Ashley McBride]

He is a joy.

[Troy Volhoffer]

And we go to Washington D.C. together and we go and have dinner the first night and spent probably a little bit Derrick Wells and myself and TJ spent a little time at the bar and.

[Ashley McBride]

Oh yeah, the next morning. I do that with TJ a lot of times.

[Troy Volhoffer]

And then we went. And then we went to the White House together. Right? And we're like, wow, man, this is the White House. We had this great experience, right. And so I really like, I. What an amazing guy. He's a. I mean, they're excited about their new record coming out too.

[Ashley McBride]

Yes.

[Troy Volhoffer]

They have a record coming out that's gonna be.

[Ashley McBride]

Oh yeah, I pre ordered it.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah.

[Ashley McBride]

I'm such a fan. And I buy their merch. Like they're such great dudes.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Great dudes. I'm so like. And I, you know, just hearing his story of, you know, how he feels like radio is important to him right now and Brothers Osborne, but just hearing him, how excited he is about his record. He gets you inspired about everything. I mean, yeah, I just, I just wanted to bring that up.

[Ashley McBride]

And he was such a sweetheart when we did the Lindyville record and I knew, you know, John was producing and I said, do you think TJ would. Would sing this song? And he was so on board. I was like, the day we wrote.

[Troy Volhoffer]

It, that voice is like crazy, right?

[Ashley McBride]

The day we wrote it, I was like, this song needs to be tj. Yes.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Oh, no, we're just, you know, we're the most blessed people in the world. To be able to do what we.

[Ashley McBride]

Do every single night. We get to step onto a stage and live a dream. And I get to stand where I'm standing. Because you're sitting where you're sitting.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah.

[Ashley McBride]

And to our audiences at night, sometimes I say, don't forget that none of you showed up because we were going to be here. All of us showed up because you were going to be here. We need to remember that. And not even to keep ourselves humble. Of course we need to, but to celebrate that. This is so cool. And being on the Dirks tour was like that. Everything felt just so joyful all the time. If you are doing this for a living, you can't locate your joy. You need to go get another gig.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Yeah. You need to find another job.

[Ashley McBride]

Absolutely.

[Troy Volhoffer]

You know, I'm so excited to hear your set tonight. Last time I saw you was in Florida, Country Thunder in Florida this past fall. And.

[Ashley McBride]

Yep. Man, you said that was a good one.

[Troy Volhoffer]

You killed it. I was like, holy. Like, I was totally blown away. And I'm just excited to hear this. And Is there any new. Any new material tonight?

[Ashley McBride]

Yeah, we'll just. We'll do Brandon. Of course. We'll do Brenda put your bra on tonight from the Lindyville record. But there'll be several from the new record. There's Light on and Whiskey and I'm Trying to Think and Devil. So there's. There's three, maybe four. And we don't do covers very often, but we'll throw a cover in tonight just. Just for fun.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Covers are always fun.

[Ashley McBride]

They are, they are. If you use them for the right purpose. Like, I don't want to. I don't want it to be there like fluff in a pillow, just. Just to eat up three and a half minutes. That would be disgusting for me. Like, it would taste terrible in my mouth. But if it's something you love to sing, that everybody loves to sing along to, or there's a chance that when you play it, a bunch of people in the audience go, oh, my God, I love this song. I forgot about this song. That's a cool.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Those are real special moments when you actually connect with the audience and of something that is familiar with them. And.

[Ashley McBride]

And it gives you. Since everyone is so familiar with it, it gives you a little bit of freedom on stage two, where you're not worried about executing and making sure everything is perfect. You can go up there and play an Eagle song and just rock and it's all anybody wants. Everyone loves it. Yeah, we don't care if the notes are all perfect.

[Troy Volhoffer]

But, Ashley, I don't think you have to play another cover song in your life because you're set. I mean, your body of music is to be spoken for.

[Ashley McBride]

I mean, it's unbelievable and we love it so much.

[Troy Volhoffer]

I just want to thank you so much for coming on today because I don't think listeners understand. Like, when you roll into a city, an artist has a lot of commitments that are pending on a day of show where they have to do radio, they have to meet and greets, they have to meet people they probably don't want to have to meet. And to come over here and do this podcast with me, I really appreciate it.

[Ashley McBride]

I'm so happy to do it. The only thing that I ran into on the way over was something in my contact and I was like, well, I guess I'm doing the podcast with one frickin eye. And that's just how it's gonna be. Rock and roll.

[Troy Volhoffer]

I love it. Well, thank you so much and thanks for playing Country Thunder. We really appreciate it.

[Ashley McBride]

Thank you for having me.

[Troy Volhoffer]

Looking forward to it.

[Ashley McBride]

I'm not hard to get a hold of.

[Troy Volhoffer]

I love it. Thank you, Ashley. You're the best one of them. Thank you. Thank you to our guests on this episode. Don't forget to, like, subscribe and leave a review whenever you listen. Until next time, I'm Troy Volhoffer and you're on the bus at Country Thumb. I want that lightning it's so bright.

[Ashley McBride]

It'S blinding I want a sky full of star to be under I want.

[Troy Volhoffer]

To feel that country.