Everything We Know About Ashley McBryde’s Upcoming Album, ‘Wild’
“We brought an entirely new approach to the studio every day,” McBryde shared of the album-making process.
Ashley McBryde; Photo by Nathan Chapman
Ashley McBryde is getting ready to unload a brand-new collection of personal stories and powerful tunes on her upcoming album, Wild. Adding to the excitement, she also dropped the official track list and teased what to expect from this chapter.
To help fans prepare for the project’s arrival next month, we have compiled everything you need to know about Wild, from the creative process and standout tracks to the themes shaping the songs and more.
Release Date
Starting off with one of the most important pieces of information, the record will be dropping on May 8 via Warner Records Nashville. This marks McBryde’s fifth studio album. Along with sharing the release date, the country star also revealed the track list with a bit of help from her fans.
Wild is Made Up of 11 Tracks
In the week prior to the announcement, 11 unique patches were mailed around the world to some of McBryde’s most devoted fans and members of her official fan club known as The Trybe. Each patch included a passcode and instructions for unlocking the title of a different song from Wild. Fans were told to enter their code on McBryde’s official website, causing the coordinating patch to light up on a jean jacket matching the one she wears on the album cover, and reveal the song title.
With every patch collected, the Trybe worked together to unlock the full album tracklist, unveiling all 11 songs to the world. Those same fans now have the chance to re-enter their password to hear an early preview of each track.
The Tracklist is Built on Over 15 Years of Stories
Now that that information has been shared with the public, we can see that Ashley McBryde served as a co-writer on six songs and chose five outside cuts bringing the total to 11. The Arkansas native also explained that when selecting songs for this record, she took a different approach, one that found her diving back into songs that she once feared were too honest and “unvarnished” to ever be released.
Wild came together during a pivotal moment in Ashley McBryde’s life. Even after years of success during which she achieved great recognition, like 2020’s Never Will becoming one of the only LPs ever to garner Country Album of the Year nominations from the ACM, CMA, and GRAMMY®s all in the same awards season, she found herself questioning her path.
As she attempted to find her footing and move forward in her music career with more confidence, McBryde began to revisit songs she had kept on the shelf for way too long, some have lived only in her live shows up until now.
That time allowed her to gain a new perspective on the unpolished songs. Between the co-writes and outside cutsWild gradually took shape with stories that were written over the course of 15 years.
“At the time I was told I needed to be more palatable than what those songs were offering,”McBryde explains. “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.”
John Osborne of Brothers Osborne Produced The Entire Album
To help bring these tunes to life, McBryde recorded the songs with her live band, Deadhorse and tapped Lindeville collaborator and member of the award-winning country duo Brothers Osborne, John Osborne, to act as producer.
She continued, “We brought an entirely new approach to the studio every day, where we cut what spoke to us in that moment. 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.”
McBryde Digs Deep Into Her Sobriety Journey
Based on the tracks released so far, including “Rattlesnake Preacher,” “Arkansas Mud,” current single to country radio, “What If We Don’t” and her latest release, “Bottle Tells Me So,” it’s clear that this collection takes fans on a raw and honest journey leading up to the moment McBryde quit drinking nearly four years ago.
“Bottle Tells Me So” was penned by the Grand Ole Opry member with Shelly Fairchild and Terri Jo Box, and illustrates the aftermath of a drunken night that left the person at hand struggling to gain control. McBryde’s lyrics paint a vivid picture of the morning after a night spent drinking when the confusion, regret, and the realization that the consequences hit all at once. With a mix of self-reflection and honesty, the song marks a pivotal turning point in McBryde’s life.
“When I was drinking, it was much easier to turn off my inner critic as I was creating,” McBryde admits, who got sober in June 2022. “But over time I learned I needed to acknowledge that voice, tell her she’s no fun to work with, and then try to tap into the younger version of me—the one who couldn’t handle all the things she left behind in Arkansas, and who ended up drinking to soothe herself. I had to tell her, ‘Okay, the alcohol’s gone and you’re scared—so, do it scared. You’ve been through worse, and you made it out all right.’”
GRAMMY®, CMA, and ACM award-winning singer-songwriter Ashley McBryde will celebrate her new chapter of vulnerability tonight and tomorrow for the second installment of her sold-out Redemption Residency. Her solo acoustic “Just Me and My Shadow” shows will feature fan favorites, deep cuts, and previously unheard tracks from her catalog.
Wild Tracklist
1. Rattlesnake Preacher (Randall Clay)
2. Arkansas Mud (Ashley McBryde, Jessie Jo Dillon, Chris Tompkins)
3. Water in the River (Randall Clay, Blue Foley, Roger Hodges)
4. Creosote (Ashley McBryde, Lisa Carver)
5. Bottle Tells Me So (Ashley McBryde, Shelly Fairchild, Terri Jo Box)
6. What If We Don’t (Ashley McBryde, Terri Jo Box, Randall Clay)
7. Lines In The Carpet (Lauren Hungate, Caroline Watkins, Lori McKenna)
8. Behind Bars (Jeff Hyde, Jessie Alexander, Jon Randall)
9. Hand Me Downs (Ashley McBryde, Jessie Jo Dillon, Laura Veltz)
10. Wild (Jeremy Spillman, Makayla Lynn, Matraca Berg)
11. Ten to Midnight (Ashley McBryde, Travis Meadows)
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.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
