Ashley McBryde's 'Girl Goin' Nowhere' Makes Room For Female Artists

Ashley McBryde's highly-anticipated freshman Girl Goin' Nowhere album is out on Friday, March 30. The record, which McBryde describes as a "Polaroid of her life," is the 34-year-old's invitation for other female artists, who have been struggling to find their spot at radio and on the charts, to make their music their way.

"I was lucky to grow up in the '90s, when we had just as many strong female artists as male artists," McBryde tells Billboard. "That's a world I would like to live in again. There's this whole new class of chicks on their way that are just powerhouses. We're pulling up extra seats at the table, and if you don't want to sit by me -- move down."

Girl Goin' Nowhere includes songs like "A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega" and "El Dorado," with all 11 songs written or co-written by McBryde. After years of trying to write songs to please the masses and earn McBryde a spot on radio, she finally decided that the only way she knew to make music was to be completely transparent in her lyrics.

"The way I was willing to be honest changed a few years ago when I was introduced to Travis Meadows' music," explains McBryde. "He is willing to rip open his chest every single night and let you look at all the little cogs and wheels. I think it's not only cool to be that honest, but it's imperative. It's your duty to do that; if you write songs, you better be willing to be that honest. So, the songwriting aspect is the most important to me. It's also how I keep from stabbing people. It's much cheaper than therapy. In fact, it is therapy."

McBryde will wrap up her run serving as the opening act on Luke Combs' Don't Tempt Me With a Good Time Tour, and will then headline her own tour where, much like with her music, she hopes to encourage those coming behind and beside her.

"We will have the opportunity to work with some opening acts and be as kind to them as Miranda [Lambert] and Luke [Bryan] and Jon Pardi have been to us. The first person over the wall gets to reach over and grab the next person, so I can't wait to do some headlining stuff and be really kind to openers the way they have been to us."

Purchase Girl Goin' Nowhere on Amazon and iTunes.

Photo Credit: Facebook/Ashley McBryde