Ashley McBryde just did a cover of a Pam Tillis song that would undoubtedly make the country legend proud. McBryde performed a cover of Tillis’ 1991 “Maybe It Was Memphis,” as part of CMT‘s Summer Sessions.
“Maybe It Was Memphis,” written by Michael Anderson, was the third single released from Tillis’ sophomore Put Yourself in My Place album. The song also became her third Top 10 hit.
McBryde has been a vocal fan of ’90s country music, even appearing with Deana Carter on “Strawberry Wine,” from Carter’s 25th anniversary edition of her debut Did I Shave My Legs For This? album. But while McBryde might be influenced by ’90s music, she is also busy forging her own musical path. The Arkansas native just dropped “Cool Little Bars,” from her forthcoming The Devil I Know album, out on September 8.
“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,” McBryde says.
“With the help of Trick Savage and Lainey Wilson, I think we said it pretty good,” she adds. “So, thank you for dart boards, sticky table tops, bathrooms with broken stall doors and bartenders that can mix a drink while whoopin’ an a–. We see you and we need you. God bless cool little bars.”
McBryde is also enjoying a Top 25 hit with “Light On In The Kitchen.” The Grand Ole Opry member penned the song with Connie Harrington and Jessi Alexander, inspired by the challenges of life brought on by the pandemic.
“We all kind of stopped,” McBryde recalls to CMT of when Harrington shared the potential title. “We decided that’s what we were going to hunt with that day. I was like, ‘Well, there’s always a light on in my mama’s kitchen, both of her sisters, both sets of grandparents, and there’s always one on in mine.’ Then we started uncovering other things like the line about local honey will keep your nose from running.”
It was when McBryde also realized why she likes to leave a light on for people at her home, that the song came full-circle for her.
“When I tell someone there’s a ‘Light On In The Kitchen’ for them, to me it means you’re thinking of them, even if they’re not coming home that night,” McBryde explains. “While writing this, we were all able to look back and remember the women in our lives who comforted us, gave us advice and made sure we knew we had a place to go. Writing this song showed me how necessary that simple comfort had been.”
McBryde just announced her headlining The Devil I Know Tour, kicking off on October 7 in Mobile, Alabama. Find all of McBryde’s music, and pre-order her new record, at AshleyMcBryde.com.