Ashley McBryde knew she wanted to embark on her sobriety journey privately

Disney/Scott Kirkland

Ashley McBryde decided to quit drinking alcohol in June 2022, and no one in the public knew about it.

The decision to keep it hush-hush was very much intentional for the “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” singer. 

“I decided that I wasn’t gonna talk about it at all until at least a year, because what I didn’t need was people on social media being like, ‘Ashley McBryde swears off alcohol!'” Ashley tells People in a recent interview. “All people are gonna do is just wait for you to screw up, and that’s really annoying. I did it for me. I didn’t do it for social media.”

Now sober for over a year, Ashley says she’s noticed changes in many aspects of her life, including her physical appearance and vocals — all of which have been aided by exercise, healthier eating habits and therapy.

“It’s the best I’ve felt, the best I’ve looked,” she shares, “and the difference in my voice … If you had told me even 10 years ago, you think you love your voice? You should hear it without drinking, because along with drinking comes smoking for me.”

Ashley’s currently #21 on the country charts with “Light On in the Kitchen,” the lead single off her latest album, The Devil I Know.

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