Ashley McBryde on Hosting, Teaching, and Truth at CMA Fest 2025
In a heartfelt and refreshingly candid chat with Marty & McGee during CMA Fest 2025, country powerhouse Ashley McBryde opened up about everything from hosting duties to her love of music education and the ongoing balancing act between art and the music industry.
This year, McBryde returned to co-host CMA Fest alongside Cody Johnson, who admitted he was a little nervous about the job. But Ashley reassured him with the best kind of wisdom: “You can’t get it wrong.” She joked that organizers had managed to find “a Texan and an Arkansan who can read out loud.”
Ashley’s Arkansas pride
That Arkansas pride runs deep for Ashley McBryde, especially after receiving an honorary doctorate in music from Arkansas State University. She originally studied there with the intention of becoming a music educator, and while her path ultimately led her to the stage instead of the classroom, her heart has never left that calling. “I still get to inspire,” she said. “I work with the CMA Foundation, get to meet kids from other schools, and celebrate music educators.”
Ashley tells us that her passion comes alive when she describes witnessing the moment in which “ the light comes on” whether the kids are learning guitar, voice, clarinet, or keyboard. “They’re not learning something new,” she said. “They’re realizing they already know how.”
“All You Can Do Is Make the Music That Lives Inside of You” – Ashley McBryde
When the conversation turned to songwriting and staying true to your artistic voice, McBryde didn’t sugarcoat the challenges. “Some days I ask myself, ‘Why do I keep busting my face against the wall when it just needs to rhyme with beer?’” she admitted. “But that’s not the kind of music that comes out of my bones.”
Finding the balance between truth and commercial success is never easy, she said, but it matters, not just for the artist, but for the people listening. “The point is to walk each other home in the way we’re able to. You have to be the most ‘you’ that you can be.”
When asked if the push and pull of the business has changed her, McBryde laughed and said her band teased her about being “more polite now” than when they first met her. Still, her team keeps her grounded. “My lead guitarist said, ‘Just remember the girl who played bars – that’s whose band we’re in.’ And wherever I go, they’ll follow.” Her longtime drummer Quinn, who’s been with her since he was 19, echoed that same loyalty.
A Host With Heart
Despite her growing fame and experience in the business, Ashley McBryde says the thrill of CMA Fest hasn’t worn off. “Walking from stage left to center stage, looking out at that crowd … it’s a pinch-me moment every time.”
She especially treasures the rare chance to see fellow artists in one place. “We’re all on the road constantly. CMA Fest is like summer camp – you get to see everyone, hang out, and it’s awesome.”
With her doctorate in hand, her boots firmly on the ground, and a heart full of truth, Ashley McBryde continues to carve out a career that’s as real as the songs she sings – and fans, friends, and bandmates wouldn’t have it any other way.