Ashland Craft has officially raised the bar — and another round — with today’s release of Dive Bar Beauty Queen (Deluxe).
Packed with raw grit, unapologetic storytelling, and some of the heaviest-hitting collaborations in modern country music, the expanded edition of the South Carolina native and CMT Next Women of Country honoree’s acclaimed sophomore project is cementing who she is as a true force to be reckoned with.
Featuring fan-favorite anthems alongside brand-new tracks, the project includes the fierce “Yard Sale” featuring Ashley McBryde and Mae Estes, the rowdy “Hangin’ Up the Honkytonk” with Dillon Carmichael, and the deeply emotional new focus track and acoustic duet, “Doesn’t Have To Be That Way,” featuring Tyce Delk.
For Craft, returning to Nashville’s ultimate fan festival is always a surreal milestone. Now with a handful of years navigating the festival’s beautiful chaos, she hasn’t lost an ounce of appreciation for the fans who line up to see her.
“It’s always been crazy, but this current year for me has been a little bit all over the place with interviews, podcasts, and about to be playing again here in like two hours,” Craft told Celeb Secrets backstage at CMA Fest 2026 earlier this summer. “It’s gonna be fun if we can wish this rain away. Fingers crossed!”
“I love CMA Fest because of all the fans that are coming together,” she added. “I think it’s just one giant country music party. So I would say that might be my favorite part. Like, the signings and the signs that they hold up and the T-shirts. It’s just like an ultimate level of support, and also just supporting a good cause, too.”
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Craft’s momentum has been unstoppable. Earlier this year, she caught the attention of television mastermind Taylor Sheridan, landing a massive sync placement on the hit series Landman with her track “Last 20 Dollars” from her debut record, Travelin’ Kind.
“I obviously had no idea that I was gonna be getting my music in some television shows,” Craft admitted with a laugh. “But Taylor Sheridan has been crushing it with Landman, and I got an email one day that they wanted to put my song ‘Last 20 Dollars’ in Landman… It could not have been a more perfect scene. It was a casino scene. I think that was the epitome of the song, was blowing your money. So yeah, very thankful for that, and it’s done a lot for me.”
That momentum carried her all the way to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry to celebrate her releases — an experience that still gives the seasoned performer butterflies.
“The nerves never go away,” Craft confessed. “But there’s no other place that I would rather choose to celebrate that with. They’re such the epitome of country music and Nashville and this thing that we’re all doing. Any chance I get to go to the Opry, I’m like, ‘Sign me up.'”
During her Opry appearance, Craft and collaborator Dillon Carmichael used the legendary stage to pay a chilling tribute to late country icon Joe Diffie, covering “Propped Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die).”
“Joe Diffie obviously has been a great inspiration. I feel like ‘Hangin’ Up The Honkytonk’ was very much a tip of the hat to that song,” Craft explained. “So we wanted to cover ‘Propped Me Up Beside the Jukebox,’ me and Dillon, and it was so cool. They had the most giant picture of him behind us. And you’d look back and you’re like, ‘Oh.’ Just cold chills. We were very honored to get to do that.”
When it came time to build the deluxe version of Dive Bar Beauty Queen, Craft knew exactly who she wanted in her corner. Every collaboration on the tracklist was chosen with distinct personality and artistic synergy in mind.
For the rowdy, high-energy anthem “Hangin’ Up The Honkytonk,” Carmichael was an immediate choice. “Dillon [Carmichael] is a singing son of a gun,” Craft raved. “I know that he is country to the bone. You listen to him talk, I mean, there’s no denying it. So I think he was kind of a first instinct. We wanted somebody that was gonna bring the energy and he did just that… I feel like we’re probably related in some part of our lives, honestly!”
When she needed a powerhouse, female-led anthem for “Yard Sale,” she called in heavy hitters Ashley McBryde and Mae Estes.
“That would have to be my biggest pinch-me moment with the deluxe album,” Craft gushed to us. “They are two badass females in this town. They have been working their butts off. I think we resonate a lot on like playing in dive bars and getting into the nitty-gritty. So I just feel honored to have them kind of supporting me from the side and making the song ten times crazier and better. I wanted a true ‘Goodbye Earl,’ Dixie Chicks moment to be happening, and just three badasses to get up there and knock everybody’s socks off.”
For “Momma Don’t Pray Like She Used To,” Craft tapped former tourmate Chase Rice, noting his “amazing sense of storytelling and really getting into the nitty-gritty of just the stories that we all love in country music.”
Whether she’s singing about a “Kick Rocks Cowboy” (a track that comfortably sat in the Top 40 on the Music Row Chart) or navigating the politics of the music industry, Craft’s defining trait remains her unapologetic authenticity.
“I was raised very hard-headed, so I think that was my step one for maybe sticking to my guns a little bit more,” she laughed. “But you’re always gonna have things thrown in front of you, options thrown in front of you, things you may or may not wanna do, and I think obviously it’s up to you at the end of the day — the artist — not anybody else.”
“I truly think you are gonna get your best start when you stay true to yourself and when you don’t apologize for it,” she continued. “I think life is a crazy journey, and somebody’s gotta sing about the rough and tough parts just as much as they do the happy and the exciting parts, too. So, I’m down to be that girl.”
That “rough and tough” lifestyle isn’t gatekept by geography either. Craft wants her fans to know that her music belongs to anyone who works hard and plays harder.
“I think for a lot of us, we are country even though we didn’t get raised on farms or ranches,” she noted. “There are still very much many places all around the U.S. and all over the world that are honky-tonk and that are country. That doesn’t mean you have to wear boots all the time or look the part necessarily. I think it goes with you anywhere you go and the people that are around you, and it’s all about having a good time. Going back to your roots. That’s the epitome of this record, and I just hope that people can feel that through every song.”
After spending the last year opening massive tours for Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, and Tucker Wetmore, alongside her own headlining tour, Craft isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon. When pressed about what secrets she’s hiding for the rest of 2026, she kept her cards close to her chest but left fans with a thrilling promise.
“I would say the most exciting thing is more music. New music,” she teased. “So… dot, dot, dot. To be continued. Stay tuned!”
Celeb Secrets caught up with the powerhouse vocalist backstage at CMA Fest on June 7, where she opened up about the strategy behind her all-star collaborations, staying true to her hard-headed roots, and paying tribute to country music royalty. You can watch the full interview below — and let us know if you’re loving the deluxe version of Dive Bar Beauty Queen by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecretscountry.
Interview quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity. For more Country news, visit CelebSecretsCountry.com. For more coverage from CMA Fest 2026, click here.
