NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� A few years ago, fell off the horse.
鈥淭hat’s not a figure of speech, sadly,鈥� the country star told The Associated Press. 鈥淚 was really, really badly hurt, and it was a bad enough injury that there was a chance that I wouldn鈥檛 have been able to perform ever again.鈥�
It was 2021. She was riding in Montana, and fell, landing on her head. The accident 鈥� so severe that she ended up in an emergency room 鈥� resulted in a concussion and stitches to her scalp. At the time, she couldn’t walk without assistance.
In the years since, McBryde thought about she and her band rip through on stage but hadn’t yet committed to record. 鈥淲hat if I keep letting them not be on records? What if something had happened and now somebody never hears 鈥淲ater in the River鈥�? Somebody never hears 鈥淩attlesnake Preacher.鈥� Somebody never hears 鈥淐reosote鈥� because I let myself be discouraged in this way or that way from putting those on the record?鈥�
And so 鈥淲ild鈥� 鈥� her new album out Friday, produced by John Osborne and recorded with her live band Deadhorse 鈥� became their home.
Heading into the 鈥淲ild鈥�
The live tracks that gave birth to 鈥淲ild鈥� are barn burners, a rowdy good time. So, McBryde knew she needed to find a way to strike some balance. She pursued divination practices like reading runes, doing anything and everything she could to have her fifth album reveal itself to her. The answer was in the experimentation, a 鈥減layful, curious鈥� writing process with her band.
鈥淭he more we looked at the songs that we had felt like playing 鈥� and doing a good job of delivering 鈥� (we found they) were true stories about my life,鈥� she recognized. 鈥淚t’s terrifying to be known.鈥�
But it’s also cathartic 鈥� as is the realization that 鈥渨hatever it was that I was going through, I鈥檓 not unique. There鈥檚 nothing I鈥檝e been through that most of us haven鈥檛 been through or are going to go through,鈥� McBryde explains. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about me, it鈥檚 about us.鈥�
Getting deep
McBryde’s last album, 2023’s 鈥淭he Devil I Know,鈥� had a rebellious streak to it 鈥� as does 鈥淲ild鈥� and the bulk of her discography. When critics said something 鈥渨as too rock, we turned that up. They said something that was too country, then we put a toothpick in its mouth. And I think by the time we got to 鈥榃ild,鈥� I didn鈥檛 care anymore. It was that level of defiance,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s none of my business. My job is to make sure these songs get heard.鈥�
She calls this album her most rock 鈥榥鈥� roll 鈥� sonically, like what is found on the first four tracks 鈥� and emotionally, embodying her fiery spirit on the cutting treatise on domesticity, 鈥淟ines in the Carpet,鈥� the heartfelt mission statement of the title track and everywhere in-between.
鈥淒oes the wild call out to you from a distance?鈥� she starts her first chorus on 鈥淲ild.鈥� Then, the revelation: 鈥淒o you miss the fire and the freedom? / When there wasn鈥檛 anything keeping / You from being wild.鈥�
鈥淭here are people out there with natural ability and there are people that dedicate every waking hour to honing their craft. Ashley is both,鈥� Osborne said in a press statement. 鈥淣ever settling. Always reaching. The perfect combination of vulnerable and fearless.鈥�
That combination is also evident on the songs that appear to detail her struggles with addiction. McBryde got sober in 2022, the specter of past indiscretions heard on the beery ballad 鈥淏ottle Tells Me So鈥� and the gut-wrenching 鈥淏ehind Bars.鈥�
鈥淚 was terrified that I was gonna suck,鈥� she says about songwriting after getting sober. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like I鈥檇 get hammered to write a song, but I would have drinks while writing songs.鈥� And maybe a couple did suck, she guesses, 鈥渂ecause they were just from such angry or unsatisfied places.鈥� But she’s worked on herself, and now, 鈥渢hese songs are just grown. And I’m glad. I got out of my way.鈥�
It’s good advice for anyone, and a central theme of the album. She wants 鈥淲ild鈥� to shake something loose, to inspire her listeners to take a chance on themselves.
鈥淟et鈥檚 say that someone doesn鈥檛 get to be what they wanted to be when they grow up. I will shoulder that for you,鈥� McBryde says.
She wants to access that dreamer. 鈥淚 want that to wake up in you when you hear this record,鈥� she says.
Call it catharsis, call it enthusiasm, call it whatever you want. McBryde has her own word for it: 鈥淚t’s a recognition.鈥�
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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the last name of the producer of McBryde’s new album. He is John Osborne, not Osbourne.
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