Ashley McBryde joined The Bobby Bones Show to talk about her new album, touring, songwriting, sobriety, and the personal experiences that continue to shape her music.
Bobby Bones joked with McBryde about naming a mocktail after him at her new non-alcoholic bar. He had a list of names prepared for her, including “Bone Dry Margarita,” “Self-Deprecating Daiquiri,” and “Mint Bonejito,” which McBryde said she actually liked.
The conversation shifted toward McBryde’s new album Wild and the emotional toll of the album release process. After recording the project, she spent nearly a year waiting to release it while juggling press appearances, television performances, and touring commitments. McBryde said release day itself felt surprisingly isolating. While she spent the day doing interviews after returning from London, she realized she missed celebrating the accomplishment with her band and crew. Her friends noticed she seemed sad, even though she initially denied it. McBryde later admitted she wanted to be with her team to acknowledge what they had accomplished together. Eventually, the group celebrated in their own way backstage with cake, though McBryde joked they had no forks or plates and ended up eating pieces of cake with knives. McBryde also discussed the origins of her song “What If We Don’t,” which explores the uncertainty of stepping outside the friend zone and risking a meaningful relationship. She co-wrote the song with Randall Clay and Terry Jo Box years before it appeared on the album. McBryde said the song later took on a much deeper meaning after she experienced a personal situation similar to the song’s storyline. McBryde revealed that someone once asked her to take a romantic chance, but she declined. The person later died in what she described as a freak accident the following day. The experience intensified the emotional weight of the song because she would never know what might have happened had she answered differently. Despite writing hundreds of songs over the years, “What If We Don’t” continued resurfacing because she believed deeply in its emotional power. She compared the song’s persistence to “the Rudy effect,” saying she always believed it could connect with audiences if given the opportunity.
After performing “Arkansas Mud,” McBryde described how she creates setlists for tour, she intentionally places familiar songs early in her shows to connect with casual fans before introducing newer or heavier material. She thinks that opening with loud, energetic songs immediately signals to audiences that “you’ve arrived,” but she also wants newer listeners to recognize songs they already know within the first few songs.
Bones asked McBryde whether she had ever wanted to become a preacher. McBryde once wanted to avoid anything resembling preaching, but recalled a formative experience while performing at a small Arkansas bar years ago. She met an older man in painter’s clothes who repeatedly tipped her with lots of his hard earned money throughout the night and eventually asked to pray with her during a break. The man told her she was “the accidental preacher.” At the time, McBryde was struggling financially and barely scraping by, choosing between groceries and medication while surviving on little more than powdered drink mix and beer. Though she rejected the idea of becoming a preacher, McBryde admitted the encounter stayed with her. While she does not preach sobriety or religion, she hopes people feel accepted and safe wherever she is. When discussing fan reactions to the new album, McBryde admitted she expected pushback to the song “Bottle Tells Me So,” because she never wanted to appear preachy about sobriety. Instead, she has been moved by audiences loudly singing along during live performances of the song. McBryde noted that for many listeners, “the bottle” symbolizes struggles beyond alcohol, creating what she described as a healing moment shared between artist and audience.
Bones also asked McBryde about personal safety while touring alone early in her career. McBryde recalled a frightening encounter after a show when a large intoxicated man blocked her truck door in an empty parking lot. She used a taser she had purchased jokingly at a weapons show after realizing she could not physically overpower the man. The taser ended the confrontation immediately and reinforced the importance of protecting herself while traveling alone.
On The BobbyCast, McBryde opened up about her addiction and personal struggles, which also encouraged Bones to share his own personal experiences. He’s still receiving messages from viewers who connected deeply with the episode. McBryde has also been hearing from fans who were encouraged by her opening up, saying conversations become safer and more meaningful when both people understand each other’s experiences through empathy rather than sympathy.
