Ashley McBryde Tears Up While Teasing Her Next Era of Music
“…it’s like I’ve never heard this record. It’s like I’ve never heard this artist.”

Ashley McBryde
Ashley McBryde is clearly gearing up for a powerful new chapter of music that already has her feeling all the emotions.
Her latest Instagram post features a black and white photo of the songstress sitting in the studio and sipping on something warm. The caption hinted at the fact that something very special is on the way.
She wrote, “It’s brewin’. Can’t wait to pour you a big fekkin cup of this right here.”

Nearly a week prior, McBryde had also posted a raw, unfiltered video filmed from her car, capturing her immediate reaction after listening back to demos from her next project. The clip was originally recorded just for her team, but she later decided it was a moment worth sharing with fans, as it offered a glimpse into the genuine emotion that the new songs evoked from her.
Her voice shook and tears welled in her eyes as she reflected on the unreleased tracks, explaining that even the unfinished demos caught her off guard. Despite having written the songs herself, she admitted she was surprised by how deeply they moved her when hearing them back.
While reflecting on the project, McBryde referenced the album in its entirety but intentionally bleeped the title, choosing to keep that detail a secret for now. She did, however, call attention to one standout track, “Hand Me Downs,” noting that its emotional impact was undeniable, even before it has been finalized in production.
“I just listened to *unreleased title* for the first time. It’s a rough mix. It’s not even mixed. And I had just listened to “Hand Me Downs” and I wrote the damn thing,” McBryde reflected. “Me and Jessie Jo (Dillon) and Laura knew what was in that song. And then I listened to it and I kept staring at the dash like, ‘why would you do that to me?’ I’ve been here for every note, every syllable, every breath of this record and I’m listening to the mixes and it’s like I’ve never heard this record. It’s like I’ve never heard this artist.”
Based on that reaction, it’s safe to say that fans have a lot to look forward to from McBryde in the new year. But before she is ready to share this new music in 2026, she took a moment to look back on everything that she achieved in 2025.
Another Instagram post finds her pulling highlights from the year out of her hat and opening up about them.
“It’s time to do that thing where we make a video and we’ll recap the year. But there have been so many wonderful things in 2025. I don’t even really know how to recap it. You could pretty much pull any of them out of a hat and one would be as good as the next,” she began before doing just that.
The first thing she recognized was all the “fantastic” performances and festivals appearances she delivered this year, including Stagecoach and CMA Fest 2025.
“That was fantastic. I love festivals,” McBryde declared.
Something else the “Ain’t Enough Cowboy Songs” singer crossed off her bucketlist was receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the college she previously attended, Arkansas State University.
“That was a pretty cool moment,” she admitted. “And my mom got to be there and my pop and my father, Bill, got to be there for that too.”
Later in the year, she traveled to London to play the first-ever broadcast of the Grand Ole Ole Opry from Royal Albert Hall, which is something she says she still “can’t wrap my brain around.” While in the UK, she also threw a very successful Tribe party.
McBryde also touched on hosting her first Pajama Jam Fan Club party at the historic Station Inn and opening her non-alcoholic-forward venue on the 5th floor of Eric Church’s Chief’s bar on Broadway. This space honors her sobriety and serves as a home for others to do the same for their own journeys.
“I never thought I would be able to stop drinking and I certainly never thought I would have a bar. Not only is it a bar, it’s an NA forward bar,” she pointed out. “And you guys are embracing it and you’re making it such a huge success. And huge thank you to the songwriters and the entertainers that are coming to play inside Redemption because you’re building your crowd and you’re building Redemption’s crowd and reputation. Thank you.”

On top of it all, McBryde also delivered songs like “Rattlesnake Preacher” and a cover of Toby Keith’s “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action.” Fans will have to stay tuned for more details regarding her next project, which will follow 2023’s Devil I Know album.
She concluded her video by teasing that this year is going to be “wild.”
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.







