The occasion of Arkansas native and country singer-songwriter Ashley McBryde returning to her home state for a concert is an occasion worth noting.
McBryde’s Robinson Center Performance Hall show Sunday is one stop on the “The Devil I Know” Tour, which is in support of the performer’s fourth major label album of the same name. The tour will take McBryde all over the country along with several dates in England and Ireland in early 2024.
Many Arkansans are familiar with the details of McBryde’s rise from obscurity. They know the story of her lighting out from tiny Mammoth Spring in 2006 to join the army of singer-songwriters aiming for a break in Nashville, Tenn. They know McBryde worked at a Guitar Center and other odd jobs while piling up songs and performing in dive bars.
During this time, she released a couple of albums on her own that didn’t move her any closer to her goal. Then Eric Church, a fan of McBryde’s self-released work, pulled her on stage during a concert and all but ended her time in anonymity.
“Girl Going Nowhere,” McBryde’s 2018 major label debut was a hit. Spurred by the single, “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega,” McBryde found an audience.
McBryde’s follow-up album, “Never Will,” in 2020, didn’t light the charts on fire. The single “One Night Standards” spent some time in Billboard’s Top 20 country songs, which at least demonstrated her music could reach enough ears to keep her in the game.
The success McBryde has earned at this point vaults her to the top of Arkansas-identified musicians. She joins “American Idol”-winner Kris Allen, rock band Evanescence and country acts Joe Nichols and Justin Moore as recent examples of the Natural State artists making a national impact.
Perhaps what is most interesting about McBryde is that her critical praise outstrips her commercial impact by a healthy measure. She has been a critical darling from the very start. “Girl Going Nowhere” was held up by Rolling Stone with this memorable review quote, “McBryde’s got a big, vibrato-tinged alto, biker-chick style, and she wrote or co-wrote everything here, including ‘Dahlonega,’ with a sharp eye for piercing detail. She has a serious gift.” The New York Times and scads of smaller, country-flavored publications seconded this assessment.
McBryde’s country music peers have added to her trophy case with plenty of Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music nominations and awards. Her most significant win was the Grammy for best country duo/group performance for “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” a duet with Carly Pearce.
To listen to the critics, “The Devil I Know,” released in September, continues McBryde’s winning streak. Garden & Gun says, “The Devil I Know could — and should — catapult her from being one of Music City’s favorite songwriters to its newest arena headliner. The album’s songs are infectious and assured.” The single, “Light on in the Kitchen,” has more than 17 million plays on Spotify. The song, an ode to a mother’s wise counsel, is an example of the warmer side of McBryde’s considerable songwriting skill.
It would be a shame if McBryde and her fans were so caught up in dreaming of future wider recognition were to overlook what she has already done — written and recorded a treasure trove of memorable songs. It’s a good bet the crowd filling up Robinson to hear the Arkansas star won’t let that happen.
Ashley McBryde
Special guest: JD Clayton
“The Devil I Know Tour
Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock.
When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday
(501) 244-8800
Some tickets available at robinsoncenter.com.
