As GRAMMY award winner Ashley McBryde gears up for the release of The Devil I Know on September 8 via Warner Music Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry member revisits her roots with the release of “Cool Little Bars,” paying tribute to the dives, holes in the wall and often locals-only establishments that shaped the early days of her career. Listen to the song and pre-add/pre-save The Devil I Know HERE.
“As y’all know, I have a huge appreciation for bars that have stood the test of time and have a lot of character,” shares McBryde. “I played them for many, many years, and I’m proud of the education I gained, and I’m proud to be able to give such bars credit for my entertainment style.
“In a time when so many of our staple establishments are being torn down to make room for far less charming, sterile and predictable gathering spaces, I thought we’d better celebrate the ones we have left and the ones we’ve yet to warm a seat in. With the help of Trick Savage and Lainey Wilson, I think we said it pretty good. So, thank you for dart boards, sticky table tops, bathrooms with broken stall doors and bartenders that can mix a drink while whoopin’ an ass. We see you and we need you. God bless cool little bars.”
Written by McBryde with Savage and Wilson, today’s release highlights what makes a place special along with the desire to see them persevere and provide a space for the misplaced:
There’s still a cigarette machine by the shuffleboard
A coin-drop jukebox full of songs you don’t hear much anymore
Names and dates carved right into the tabletops
An old pickle jar sittin’ on the bar where ya money goes
Same old dudes every afternoon playin’ dominos
Six bucks buys a cold beer and a shot
I pray time just forgets to turn places like this into drive-throughs and condos
Lord knows we need those little holes in the wall
For lost souls and old stray dogs
God bless two for ones and broken hearts
And cool little bars
Climbing the charts in the top 25, “LIGHT ON IN THE KITCHEN” earned placement on ROLLING STONE’s all-genre “Best Songs of 2023 So Far,” praising the lead single as a “gorgeous tribute to the women who helped shape her” with “luminous guitars and McBryde’s tender delivery,” calling it “a comfortable crash pad for anyone who might take solace in its messages of support.”
The Arkansas native followed with title track “THE DEVIL I KNOW” featuring “a big Southern-rock chorus with a blast of distorted riffage,” observes STEREOGUM, and “LEARNED TO LIE,” which landed on ROLLING STONE’s “Best Country Songs of 2023 So Far” noting, “When it comes to original sin, the devil lies in the details, especially when you’re a crack storyteller. Ashley McBryde tracks the lineage of an inveterate liar with clinical precision…her sneakily brilliant writing will floor you by song’s end.”
Last month, McBryde released album opener “MADE FOR THIS,” a “guitar-heavy song accented by fast-paced drums,” shares AMERICAN SONGWRITER, “as McBryde sings about a strong desire to chase one’s dreams - and the work ethic to back it up.”
McBryde will perform at the Oregon Jamboree Music Festival 2023 in Sweet Home, Oregon this evening and will be on the road throughout the spring and summer for a slew of headlining and festival shows along with tour dates with Jelly Roll and Dierks Bentley. For additional details and to purchase tickets, visit ASHLEYMCBRYDE.COM.
