GRAMMY Award winner Ashley McBryde has spent most of her life on the road and often writes about her experiences being away from her loved ones, evidenced by songs like “Sparrow” and live set favorite “Made For This.” With “Light On In The Kitchen,” written by McBryde with Connie Harrington and Jessi Alexander, the Arkansas native celebrates the warm glow shared across homes around the world, a symbol of affection signaling that someone may be missing tonight, but thoughts of them are present.
“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,” shares McBryde. “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.
“I sent it to the important women in my life, and they reminded me that they still leave the kitchen light on for me, just like when I was growing up. Knowing someone, somewhere is thinking of you in that way can get you through a lot. And it’s a bonus that now we get to say, ‘I love you’ or ‘I’m thinking of you’ by saying ‘The light’s on for ya.’”
Released today via Warner Music Nashville, “Light On In The Kitchen” conjures up images of those late nights spent at the kitchen table with a trusted confidant, the one person in the world with which you can unapologetically be yourself, all while they give you a little motherly advice:
Always check the door before you lay down,
Keep a glass of water by the bed
A dose of local honey
Will keep your nose from running
Little things like that she’s always said
Never back up farther than you have to
And pray for those that don’t have a prayer
Honey trust yourself
You better love yourself
Cause ‘till you do
You ain’t no good for anybody else
And honey boys are dumb
But you’re gonna find you one
You’ll love him hard
And bless your heart
You’ll need someone to listen
That’s why I leave a light on in the kitchen
Today’s release follows the Grand Ole Opry member’s triumphant two-night sold-out run of Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville Live at Ryman Auditorium, with American Songwriter praising, “Between the humorously crafted songs and brilliant creativity of some of Nashville’s brightest stars, with a little bit of heart mixed in, Live From Lindeville is easily one of the most unique shows Nashville has seen,” while POLLSTAR observes, “McBryde takes the caricatures and injects so much humanity into every stereotype… These songs serve as vignettes and scenarios, but also deliver pathos without getting saccharine.”
McBryde will appear on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” on March 1 to discuss “Light On In The Kitchen” and recent GRAMMY Award win for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for her No. 1 duet “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” with Carly Pearce. Check your local listings for timing.
Set to perform two shows in her home state tonight, Feb. 24 and tomorrow, Feb. 25, McBryde will embark on a run of additional headlining shows, festivals, two dates at the Grand Ole Opry, three dates with Eric Church on The Outsiders Revival Tour and seven shows with Jelly Roll this spring and summer. Tickets are available at AshleyMcBryde.com.