Ashley McBryde Says Nothing Compares To Touring With Jelly Roll

Jelly Roll won a bunch of awards, including Male Artist of the Year at the People's Choice Country Awards last week (9/28). Ashley McBryde is currently opening shows for Jelly Roll, and when I interviewed her recently, she told me about the man everyone is talking about. Ashley shared about her friend, "He's so loving and so inviting. I love being on the road with him. The culture he has created with his band, crew, and everything about that is really welcoming."

She added, "He told me my first day, 'You'll never feel more at home on any tour than you will on this tour.' And I thought at first, 'Aw, I don't know, I've toured with some really amazing tours.' He told me, 'You'll never feel more at home with any fanbase than you are with mine,' and he's right. His fan base is so diverse, and at first, when you look at a snapshot of it, you go, 'These people don't all belong under the same canopy right now,' but they do. And that feeling while you're watching a show is amazing."

McBryde did say when you go to a Jelly Roll show, you better get there early. She noted, "They show up early, and every seat is filled. If you don't show up by 4 o'clock, you're not getting in your seat by the time Jelly takes the stage. Every seat is filled."

Ashley did admit that she's a bit looser with her language when on stage before Jelly. She said, "There's a disclaimer at the top of the show that there will be profanity used, and I try not to curse into a microphone before dark, which is not always possible. But at Jelly's shows, I don't have the same bridle on because it's taken off of us."

McBryde posted a photo of herself and Jelly on Instagram recently. She captioned the image, "There is no better hype man than Jelly Roll. He never brings me on stage without reminding me of my accomplishments and sharing that with his fans. Who, by the way, are the finest fans you'll encounter across any genre. He said I'd feel right at home, and that rang true every night. Some family we are born with… some family we get to discover. I'm so glad we found one another. @jellyroll615."

Jelly Roll is on fire these days, having just enjoyed his second number-one song on country radio, "Need A Favor." He is currently on his headling tour, "Backroad Baptism." It is his "moment" in country music, and he's been enjoying every second of it, as you can clearly see on his social media.

He recently revealed that during his first performance at CMA Fest at Nissan Stadium in June, which was televised as a TV special on ABC, he was "trembling."

Jelly posted a video clip of the performance on his Instagram. He wrote in a lengthy caption, "If you listen closely, you can hear my voice shaking the first half of the song— I was trembling; I was so nervous. Sixty-five thousand people in my hometown stadium- the same stadium my father took me to every Sunday for Titans games. The same stadium I've been taking my daughter to since she was a baby."

He continued, "Thank you, CMA fest, for letting me be a part of your 50th anniversary - I have literally been going to 'Fan Fair' since I was a child. This night was unbelievable... to hear 65k people [sing] 'and God, I need a Favor' in unison like one voice. Speaking of 'NEED A FAVOR,' I can officially say it is the #1 song on Country Radio right now. There is no greater achievement in this town than being #1 in country radio. The fact this is my 2nd number one at Country Radio this year makes it almost unbelievable to me, to be honest - and this same song also held 3 weeks at number 1 on Rock radio."

Jelly concluded, "Just when I thought things couldn't get any wilder, y'all continue to amaze me. Thank y'all - this has been an unreal year."

We celebrate all things Jelly today as he shines in the country music spotlight. Let's take a look at the four songs that brought him to this place in music.

Jelly first released this song in June of 2020. At the time, he said of the song's video, "This one is a bit of a curveball for me. I don't usually do these stripped-down acoustic videos, but writing this song made me feel something. I felt y'all needed some insight into the more vulnerable side of the music business." The song was later re-recorded as a duet with Lainey Wilson.

This is Jelly Roll's first single released to the country music format. It is also his first number-one song on country radio. The song is about Jelly Roll's personal life as a traveling musician and his personal struggles with drug addiction. Jelly said that he was intoxicated while recording the vocal track.

Jelly's second number-one song on country radio. It centers on a man on the verge of losing the love of his life and praying for God to do him a favor, admitting he does not deserve it, and hoping to repent for his past actions.

An official remix of the song with Lainey Wilson was released on May 12, 2023, as the second single from Jelly's album Whitsitt Chapel. Jelly and Lainey performed it together at the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards and later at the finale of season 21 of "American Idol."