In a recent interview with Country Faith Radio, Ashley McBryde shared stories regarding “One Night Standards” and “Stone”, also revealing her Opry rituals and more.
Ashley McBryde on the Story Behind Writing “One Night Standards”
Initially it was “Airport Hotel” and it was (singing) “this ain’t something”… It was comparing your heart or your kind of love to an airport hotel, which is kind of convenient, but it’s not really someplace you want to be. And you know nobody’s like, “Let’s go to the airport hotel.” And you never stayed there long. You’re there because you have to be, and it’s a layover. So initially that chorus was… It was (singing) “This ain’t something, you wanna spend a lot of time in, no I’m just crashing cause I’m passing through”… We were trying to get that to end with (singing) “Doo doo dooo doo do, airport hotel.” And it just wasn’t happening… So we took what we had of it, which was the first verse in a different order, and that chorus, and took it to Shane who wrote, Shane McAnally for the first time, and we’re so nervous. And we went in and we sang it for him. He was like, “No, I love it. ‘Airport Hotel’ is fine. We can make this work.” And so while we’re mushing all of that into where it needs to be, we were just joking with each other, and I said, “Well there’s a reason that hotels have two beds and one nightstand. Right? Because they’re one night standers.”… And Shane went, “Standards.” And we were like, “Oh my gosh, what if we make that the hook and then the setup?”
Ashley McBryde on Writing “Stone” After Her Brother’s Passing
Ashley McBryde: A sibling loss is a really different feeling. I’d never dealt with it before. And this was only six months after my brother took his own life… And Nicolette [Hayford’s] brother had died too, but he was killed in an accident. So we had this common feeling of I have a hole in me that I don’t know what peg fills that. And for me, naturally, it’s anger. It’s how I respond to everything. I’m hungry, I’m angry. I’m sad, I’m angry. So she said, “You know I’m not going to let you write a song about Clay that’s from a place of anger.” So we just chit-chatted until I laughed, and I choked up, because when I laugh I sound like my brother… And I looked at her and I said, “I sound like Clay when I cackle.” And then she said, “Oh my god, you’re so angry because you’re so sad, and the reason you’re so sad is because you didn’t pay attention to how much you and Clay were alike until he was already gone.” We didn’t get along great. We didn’t always have a great relationship. And he was 53, and I was, what, 35 at the time. Big age difference. So I think that was the hardest [song to write]. But it was also the most therapeutic.
Chrissy Metz: You know, that’s what music does. That’s what-
Ashley McBryde: Yeah. It shines a light on that big old hole you got in you, and then it gives you the tool to fill it up in a healthier way than we may sometimes reach for.
Ashley McBryde on Her Rituals When Playing the Grand Ole Opry
When it comes to the Opry, I do [have rituals.] You know this because you’ve walked in the artist’s entrance. You go into the artist’s entrance, and when you first walk in there is a picture of Roy Acuff right in front of you, and there’s a picture of Minnie Pearl to your left, a big one. And she’s standing there in the spotlight with her hands out in front of her. And I always say, “Good evening, Minnie.” And then I go check in and I go to my room. When it’s time for me to play, I never step directly into the circle. I always put a toe in first, and then go step in. And then when I leave, I usually kiss my hand, I don’t always, but I always pat the circle, like this is me, I was standing here. And then when I leave I say, “Goodnight, Minnie.”