- 4 months ago
Ashley McBryde sits in with Katie Neal to talk about her new album, ‘Wild,’ her recent honorary doctorate of music degree, and her “full circle” moments in Nashville.
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00:00Well, congratulations. Grammy Award winning Dr. Ashley McBride is here.
00:04Dr. McBride.
00:04That is pretty cool. Did you get to go give a speech and do the whole thing?
00:07I did. I did. I got to go and watch the full commencement ceremony.
00:12And I got to sit with all the head folks and then get up for the presentation and give a
00:18little speech.
00:19It's so official.
00:20It was awesome. And my father was there who has always wanted me to be a doctor.
00:23He finally got it.
00:24He got what he wanted, but he didn't get what he wanted. So we're both happy.
00:28A doctor of music or something, right?
00:30He wanted me to be a physician very, very badly.
00:32Did you have any desire to be a physician?
00:35I am good at it. I'm good at systems and anatomy and triage. I'm very interested since I was a
00:41little kid.
00:42Oh, okay.
00:42And all that stuff, because dad worked in the ER. And I needed a way to connect.
00:46Okay, but what didn't your dad do? Because then he was like a farmer, a preacher, a doctor.
00:50And he also delivered the good book. Yeah, the word from the good book.
00:53Oh my gosh.
00:54Overachiever.
00:54I will say so.
00:56We haven't examined those wounds.
00:57At all. He's not interested.
00:59But he is on this album.
01:01Yes.
01:01This brand new album that came out on Friday, Wild. Congratulations.
01:04Talk about these songs and kind of like where this album started to take shape and what you've said with
01:09it.
01:10It started out as me being not defiant, but really, really sure that a few songs that have never left
01:19our live show, but have never been on a record, are on a record now.
01:25I don't care what the rest of the record is, but Rattlesnake, Water in the River, what if we don't,
01:30these are going on a record.
01:31Mm-hmm.
01:32So we started there with that kind of obstinance. Is that the right word maybe for that? My way or
01:38not at all.
01:38Yep. I like that.
01:40And then realized that that attitude is the opposite of creative.
01:45But I'm thankful for it because it got us there.
01:47Yes. No, exactly. It's at the tone.
01:50And then being able to look at those songs and go, but why is my gut telling me these have
01:56to be on a record?
01:57And it's because they were stories that they weren't about some lady named Brenda in a...
02:04In Lindyville.
02:05Right. Who won't put her bra on.
02:06Yeah.
02:07It was stuff that I am struggling with. Stuff that if I expose it and let it be seen, it
02:14might help somebody else.
02:15Exactly. Which is why music is so important.
02:18It disguised itself as anger and stubbornness, but it was helpfulness.
02:21Such a beautiful record. And I loved that one of your quotes I've seen a couple of times about this
02:26album is it was like building a tree fort with your friends.
02:29And now I will never accept any other feeling while making a record.
02:33No, don't.
02:34It's just, I mean, if you imagine everybody bringing their instruments in and just imagine those are like planks of
02:39wood and a beaded curtain.
02:41And then John Osborne walks in and he's like, you guys, windows.
02:45He's like brought windows from his backyard. It was just amazing.
02:49Wow.
02:49So talk about working with John, for anyone listening, John Osborne of Brothers Osborne produced this record, collaborated with you
02:55on the entire thing.
02:56And not only is he one of the most intelligent humans you could ever sit across from and speak to,
03:00and one of the most talented individuals I have ever seen on a guitar.
03:06He is also one of the kindest individuals.
03:12And you can get things out of musicians in lots of ways.
03:16You can belittle them and berate them until you make them so angry that they play brilliantly.
03:23I'm sure you can hold their hand and coddle.
03:25I don't really know much about that style.
03:28And with John, he looks at my band and I, and he just wants to go for it.
03:34Let's go.
03:35Let's do what you brought, Timmy.
03:37Whatever you arranged, whatever you worked out, let's go.
03:40And then we're going to add this, try this.
03:42He'll grab a guitar, go sit down with us.
03:44He needs up for it.
03:45And if I say, I don't like this, I'd like to try that.
03:49He never poo-poos anything.
03:51He'll go, yeah, let's try that.
03:52And then let's me say, oh, I didn't like that as much as I thought I was going to like
03:56that.
03:57And he's like, yeah, dude, no, no big deal.
03:58No big deal.
03:59We lost 15 minutes on that.
04:00Let's go.
04:00Which I think, like, it's so important to have that with your producer.
04:04And I feel like this is the, like, dumbest analogy.
04:07But, like, if somebody listening, I would think, like, imagine when you're getting your nails done and you're like, I
04:10don't like my nails.
04:11Like, you never have the courage to say, can you paint it a different color?
04:14Like, having that.
04:15I chose that color and now I don't like it.
04:17Exactly.
04:17This is what you're having.
04:18It's the same feeling you're having in that room and having the comfort and, like, the familiarity with another human
04:24being to be like, well, I don't like it anymore.
04:25Even though I tried it.
04:26Like, it's got to be so freeing and nice and lovely to have that relationship working with them.
04:30And I know creatively that I'm making the right choice over and over while we're making the record.
04:34I just keep looking at us as a band and going, guys, we are the coolest.
04:39Like, this moment is the coolest and I know it is.
04:42And I have my Polaroid camera literally with me and I'm taking pictures of us just enjoying every second of
04:48it.
04:48And I was able to identify a thread and I'm like, why is this just the best thing ever?
04:53There have been times in the last, I don't know, eight years when I've been in a couple sticky situations,
05:00just emotionally, internally, whatever.
05:03And I remembered that the very first person I ever reached out to, and this happened to have to do
05:09with alcohol this time, and I didn't know who to talk to.
05:13I had no idea how to even broach this subject.
05:16I called John Osborne.
05:18Really?
05:18And his response was, be on my porch in one hour.
05:22So the reason that my stubbornness and all that was reaching out to John and going, eh, is because I
05:28was like, hey, buddy, I need some help.
05:30Yeah.
05:30And he is just an absolute blast to make a record with.
05:35Mm-hmm.
05:36And the engineers, and one of the engineers I worked with at Guitar Center, I was the operations manager for
05:42the Guitar Center at 100 Oaks, store 720.
05:45Been there many times, and always at the last minute.
05:47No one ever strolls into Guitar Center, because they're like, you know what I was thinking about?
05:50They're like, I need this in five minutes.
05:51I gotta go.
05:52Yeah, and he worked, one of the engineers, his name is Logan, he worked in Pro Audio, and I was
05:56the operations manager.
05:57So we were at odds all the time, because I'm in charge of inventory and blah, blah, blah, a bunch
06:00of boring stuff.
06:02And he's in charge of moving product and knowing about things.
06:04And at one point during the record, I said, hey, Logan, can you help me with this pop filter on
06:08this mic?
06:09It's kind of doing a weird thing.
06:10And he came in, and I said, I'm so glad we're still working together after all these years.
06:15But now instead of, can you clear my return shelf, it's, hey, buddy, we're going to do another pass of
06:20that.
06:20Will you help me with this microphone?
06:23That's full circle.
06:24We were working at Guitar Center all those years ago in hopes of that moment we just shared.
06:29That is wild, and that is also, like, it's one of those, like, Nashville moments that gives me full body
06:34chills.
06:34Yes!
06:34Because it's like, oh, my God, it all worked out!
06:36Yes, it makes my sweat!
06:37Aw, that makes me so happy.
06:39Can you talk about the single, What If We Don't?
06:42Oh, yeah.
06:42It was one of the ones that I was just, I was like, this song, it has never gotten its
06:48moment.
06:49Mm-hmm.
06:50And it was written all those years ago, and I've lived lifetimes since then.
06:56And I think maybe now is the reason, now is why it needs to be released, because I needed to
07:01live some lifetimes.
07:03I wrote it not knowing exactly what it was going to be the soundtrack to, which heartache it was going
07:08to be a soundtrack to.
07:09So now the song grew up, and I grew up.
07:13And with me going, we're doing this song, and I want it to sound the way I want it to
07:18sound, we nailed it.
07:20And this song gets her chance now.
07:24Talk about, because I've been doing something new, talk about the story within the song.
07:27Like, what is happening in this song?
07:29Walk us through it before we play it.
07:30This is that moment where a choice, a question is going to be asked.
07:37And in this little tiny breath, it's eternity.
07:42Because anything could happen.
07:46Do we stay in the friend zone?
07:47Do we leave the friend zone?
07:49Are we going to ruin everything if we do that?
07:52Are we going to ruin everything if we don't?
07:53And that one up in the air second, we expanded into three and a half minutes.
08:00Wow.
08:00And just called it What If We Don't.
08:03That's amazing.
08:04It's so much fun to sing.
08:05It's a beast.
08:06I didn't think about when we made it the single, how often, how many times a day, you have to
08:11sing that song and just beat the crap out of your vocal cords.
08:14He's like, how about I just scream into a microphone for three minutes?
08:16You're like, oops, I didn't think about that.
08:17I didn't think about it.
08:18But that's okay.
08:19We shall rise to the occasion.
08:20Yes, we will.
08:21You are going out on the Into the Wild tour, which you recently announced this fall.
08:25Talk about what you're excited about for this.
08:26I'm so excited.
08:28I'm building.
08:29I have no idea how to build a show out of five records.
08:31I've never done that before.
08:32So this is fun.
08:33And when it's a new record, my first rule is every single track from the record is in the live
08:37show.
08:38Oh, okay.
08:39I like that.
08:40How are you going to do that?
08:42I mean, like, I think that's...
08:43When the show is only 90 minutes long.
08:45Yeah.
08:45So you only get about 20 songs worth.
08:48And there's 11 on every record.
08:51So making that selection is going to be really, really fun.
08:53So we're going to build like A show, B show, C show.
08:56Ooh, okay.
08:57That way everything gets...
08:58It's the moment.
08:59Yeah.
08:59Everything gets to have its time in the ring to...
09:02Oh, I love that.
09:02...to battle it out.
09:03I think that's great because there's so many times where like my song, my favorite song is like album, you
09:08know, album cut nine.
09:09It never gets played and like you miss it.
09:12And I'm sure there's so many times...
09:13Yeah.
09:13And we have to play everything that's been a single, right?
09:16Yeah.
09:16That's why you're here.
09:17That's how you know who we are.
09:18But when somebody's in the audience yelling, play cool little bars.
09:22When you're like, oh, thank you.
09:24If that song doesn't stay in the set now and then, we're going to be so rusty, we can't do
09:27it.
09:28Yeah, exactly.
09:28So there has to be a version of the show that has these songs in it and a version that
09:31has these songs in it.
09:32This is going to be so fun.
09:33And then you recently just wrapped touring with Eric Church.
09:36Oh, my gosh.
09:37What were some highlights from that?
09:38Every second of being on the tour is a highlight.
09:42Being able to be on stage with the Chief again.
09:46And of course, he Eric-ed me.
09:48And he's done this before where he walks up to you just right before the show and goes, hey, we're
09:51doing Proud Mary tonight and you're singing lead.
09:54And you're like, okay, cool, no problem.
09:55I know I know the song.
09:57I have four hours to relearn it.
09:58And this time, he had asked me to learn.
10:03Oh, he said he wanted to do Stop Dragging My Heart Around.
10:05And I was like, that's going to be so much fun.
10:08And then we got to the day of show and he texted and said, hey, we're not doing that song
10:13tonight.
10:13And I was like, that's cool.
10:15And he said, I'd like to do Bible in a 44 for old time's sake.
10:19Wow.
10:22Dadgummit.
10:23He always, he's got, I mean, he's just got to be Eric.
10:26He's got to keep you on your toes.
10:28And the last show of that tour with the Chief again, singing a song that we sang together eight, nine
10:37years ago.
10:38Full circle.
10:40Wow.
10:40Absolute full circle.
10:42So special.
10:43He is just like such, like, he's the chief, but he's also Eric.
10:49Yeah.
10:49What do you feel like, what are things that you have learned with him or learned from him over the,
10:55sorry, I'm going to repeat.
10:56What are the things you feel like you've learned from Eric Church over the years or advice that he's given
11:00you that you feel like has shaped the artist you've become?
11:03I think in, when we're building shows and things like that, you know, because of the way lights work and
11:11because of the way certain things work, things have to be like really planned out.
11:14Well, that's devastating for people like me who are ADHD minded and we want things to change all the time.
11:22I want the novelty in every show.
11:23So I learned from Eric, you're not asking too much of anyone by changing something at the last second.
11:29You're not.
11:30Wow.
11:31They can do it.
11:33And so if you don't ask for it, it's because you were scared.
11:36Oh, you know what's so interesting?
11:37It's not because it was such a pain in the butt for them.
11:39It's because you were afraid.
11:40I was just in this like leadership training program and it ended on Friday, but someone came and talked about
11:45it and they were talking about, um, it was a guy from the army.
11:49He was an army ranger and he was talking about asking people to do hard things like you can, you
11:54can, they can do it.
11:55You just have to ask them.
11:57It's so funny that you said that because it's so fresh in my mind, but yeah, it's not, it's not,
12:01it's not too much to ask.
12:03And our, our lighting director, I have even said, Hey, if I do this here and that, there is that.
12:08And he's like, do you know who I am?
12:10Of course I can.
12:13Fixed.
12:13Yeah.
12:14He's like, no, it's not asking too much.
12:16Just do what you want to do.
12:17My band told me as well.
12:19We had done a thing over at chiefs one night and the whole first half of the show was just
12:22me and a guitar.
12:23And after the show that night, they sat me down and said, Hey, that girl who, who played the top
12:29of the show, that's whose band we're in.
12:32Oh, and that's whose band we want to be in.
12:35And we've put really well manicured shows together and we've executed it.
12:40Okay.
12:40Now we did that.
12:42Can you please let her take over again?
12:44How did you respond to that?
12:46I welled up.
12:47My lead guitar player looked at me and said, wherever you go, I'll meet you there.
12:52Oh, that's so touching.
12:55Put it in a movie.
12:56Yeah.
12:56Put it in a movie where a bandmate looks at the front man and says, wherever you go, I'll meet
12:59you there.
13:00Or write a song about it.
13:02And Sweet Caveman, he's been on those drums.
13:04Quinn Hill's been behind me, behind drums, since he was 19 years old.
13:08And he's like, seriously, you're not going to do anything that shocks me.
13:12Oh, wow.
13:12This is like, they're like challenging you now.
13:14You're like, well, I got, okay.
13:15Nothing bad is going to happen.
13:17Please trust us because we trust you.
13:19That's amazing.
13:20Yeah.
13:21I feel like you've just got to be.
13:22Exactly.
13:23I feel like you've got to just be like so stoked about getting on the road and getting to like.
13:27Oh, my gosh.
13:28Yes.
13:28I could chew through a full grown oak tree.
13:30I'm so excited about this tour.
13:31That's amazing.
13:32You mentioned playing across the street at Chiefs.
13:34It's literally like across the street from us here at the studio.
13:37And in there, you have got your redemption bar, which is a whole NA concept.
13:41Talk about this, how it's been received, because I think it's so cool.
13:44I worried.
13:45I was excited about it.
13:46But I worried, because most of the time when you ask for something in a, at a bar, you're
13:52met with a lot of disdain.
13:54Oh, yeah.
13:55No, an eye roll.
13:56So annoying.
13:57So I thought, I mean, I mean, it could fall.
14:01But I can't let that thought stay in my brain.
14:04Because if I need a place to go hang out and drink, I'm not unique.
14:10Other people need it, too.
14:11So we opened Redemption Bar, and it stays full all the time.
14:16And the stage is tiny.
14:18And it really could hold two players if you really squish together.
14:21But it really holds just one person, one guitar, or one person, one keyboard.
14:25And of all the wonderful things we can experience down here on Broadway, it's one of the only
14:29places where you can go and see somebody who moved here two weeks ago, or who's been here
14:34for six months, or who's been here for 20 years, but doesn't play shows out anymore,
14:38and is thinking of getting back out.
14:40And it could be people that wrote, that have five or six cuts on my record, or Laney's record,
14:44or Cody's record, or it could be somebody literally brand new.
14:48And I'm so happy to have a spot that's good for that, and that people like me who want
14:54to have a drink that has an interesting profile, they go, you know, drink with my friends and
14:59have good conversations and listen to good music.
15:01And I don't want to get the eye roll or the something.
15:05And I'm like, I will pay the $15 for the mocktail.
15:08And I'm like, okay, Carol, charge me $7.50 for an apple juice.
15:11But you're getting nothing but attitude off of me.
15:14Exactly.
15:15Because me not drinking is the best thing that could have happened for all of us.
15:24Oh my gosh.
15:24And I just, I think it's so amazing.
15:26I think it's so beautiful for the recovery community.
15:28I also think from a business perspective, like you were like a year ahead of the trend
15:32because I feel like everyone now, like it's becoming so much more like, it is becoming
15:37easier.
15:37It's like upticking.
15:39Yeah.
15:39NA, everything is upticking.
15:40Everywhere I go, there's like an NA spirit option now, which I think is like helping.
15:45Yeah.
15:45But no, I think it's really beautiful.
15:47And I'm so glad that you did that.
15:48I love it.
15:48I love it.
15:49And I'll hang out anytime.
15:50So if you want to run up there, we'll run up there.
15:52Totally.
15:53Ashley McBride, thank you for coming to see us.
15:54I'm so happy to be here.
15:59I'm so happy to be here.
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