Without being able to give fans a “live” music experience of the songs from her Never Will album yet due to the quarantine and shutdown, Ashley McBryde is releasing an EP, Never Will: Live From A Distance.

It’s 6 tracks that were recorded in the same way as they would sound at a concert.

Ashley says “We released Never Will on April 3 last year, so we went straight from rehearsals for a tour to not seeing each other in person for months.” Ashley adds, “Getting together to rehearse and record these live versions safely was our way of giving the fans a taste of what they would have seen had the world not changed so much. Man did it feel good to strap on the guitar and see my guys and just play, but we cannot wait to do it again with our incredible fans in person soon.”

That “soon” will be starting in July – that’s when her This Town Talks tour kicks off!

Until Ashley heads their way on tour, fans can listen to the Never Will: Live From A Distance EP to hold them over.

1. “First Thing I Reach For”
2. “Shut Up Sheila”
3. “Velvet Red”
4. “Voodoo Doll”
5. “Martha Divine”
6. “Sparrow”

Ironically, Never Will: Live From A Distance does not contain the title track “Never Will” – but it does have the song “Red Velvet” on it. Which before she made the change, Ashley shares that nearly became the title of her sophomore project, “We almost called it Velvet Red, because that would make sense, because it’s two words that make you see something visually, in your brain.” 

But after looking over the collection of music that was to be on the album, and what Ashley wanted to convey, “Red Velvet” just didn’t fit. Ashley explains, “We looked at the overall message of the record…and we’re telling Shelia to shut up, we’re telling Martha Divine that she’s a no good tramp, and we’re telling each other as a band, and to our fans, that when it comes to the background noise, and reading the comments…we don’t. And we’ll try to never do that. Then we promised each other, that’d we never will. So, the more I listened to the record, the more the overall message of the record was…it’s OK to be yourself, and if somebody doesn’t like it – tell them to look the other way. So, Never Will was obviously the title.”

From her new EP, Never Will: Live From A Distance, this is Ashley McBryde performing her current single at country radio, “Martha Divine.”

Photos Credit: Daniel Meigs