school band before attending Arkansas State University where she studied the French horn. At the same time she was performing regularly in clubs located in nearby Memphis, Tennessee. In one class session, a college professor noticed her disinterest with her studies and encouraged McBryde to drop out to pursue music full-time. "So I did, that day," she recalled. Career 2006–2016: Beginnings in Nashville In 2006, McBryde self-released an eponymous demo album. In 2007, McBryde moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a music career. She started performing with the band Deadhorse and performed at any gig she could get. This included biker bars and hangouts, and other eclectic venues in the Nashville area. She also worked a day job at Guitar Center and played open mic nights. In 2009 and 2010, she won the annual Country Showdown talent competition. McBryde's band also won Tennessee's state-wide "Battle of the Bands" contest. In 2011, she self-released her second demo album titled Elsebound. During this period, McBryde also toured frequently. She often opened concerts for country artists like Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton and Chris Cagle. In 2016, McBryde released the extended play (EP) Jalopies & Expensive Guitars. The project was issued on Road Life Records. For the disc, McBryde was told to straighten her hair and make other changes to her appearance. "We were trying to play the game," she told The New York Times. The EP was discovered by Eric Church, who invited McBryde to play her song "Bible and a .44" onstage with him during one night of his "Holdin' My Own" tour. The video of her performance went viral and she was soon finding regular concert work. She also signed a management deal with Q Publishing during this same period. Also around this time, McBryde recorded what would later comprise her debut studio album. The project was heard by Cris Lacy, a senior vice president for Warner Music Nashville. Lacy was drawn to her music and signed McBryde to a recording contract with the label in September 2017. 2017–2019: Breakthrough with Girl Going Nowhere In 2017, Warner Music released McBryde's debut single titled "A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega". The track became a popular download, taking higher positions on iTunes than that of more established acts like Paramore. The song climbed to number 30 on both Billboard'''s Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts. It was later named one of the