When cowgirl and songstress Jenna Paulette released her sophomore album, Horseback, last September, the 13-track project featured one song in particular that held a special place in the Texan’s heart. “The Prophet (Grandaddy’s Song),” written by Ashley McBryde, Matraca Berg and Lori McKenna, was dedicated to Paulette’s grandfather, and encapsulates the reverence felt toward the patriarch who shaped her life.
Today, Paulette is teaming up with McBryde for a special collaboration version of the track, as the pair release a duet of the song, available everywhere now. Listen Below.
“I grew up in a ranching family on the Texas/Oklahoma line in Thackerville, Oklahoma,” Paulette reflected on her upbringing at her recent Opry appearance, sharing the inspiration behind the song. “I’d be listening to Don Williams, Eddie Arnold and George Strait in my grandad’s ranch truck as we checked cattle, and I just thought to myself, ‘well, if they can sing about what they’re living, maybe I can too.’ That Grandaddy that took me with him to check cows made a huge impact on me.
“This song was sent to me by the A&R from my label, and was written by Ashley McBryde, Matraca Berg and Lori McKenna,” she added. “When it was sent to me, I asked ‘do you think they would mind if I put my grandad into these lyrics?" I thought, I just want to put him all the way in it, and I want my daughter, who is 7 months old, to be able to know my grandaddy because of this song. And they said yes, very graciously. So I put it on my record that came out a month before she was born, and Ashley McBryde actually said yes to putting out a duet version including her own lyrics to this song.”
“The Prophet (Grandaddy’s Song)” was originally released as a solo track on Horseback on Sept. 6, 2024. Upon its release, Paulette remarked that Horseback “is a culmination of perspectives I have of myself—to the things my family instilled in me, the men and women I grew up with and the ones I am blessed to be surrounded by where we live in a small town in West Texas. A window into the way so many of us feel and the things we value.”
Paulette most recently released “How To Make A Cowboy Cry” in April, which coincided with the kickoff of her headlining Horseback Acoustic Tour.
Since November 2024, Paulette has further expanded her brand, teaming up with Ely Cattleman for her women’s rangewear collection, CowboyGirl, and Justin Boots for her recently-launched Sunrise and Sunset Boots collection. Both bridge the gap in women’s fashion, creating apparel that’s both functional and appealing. CowboyGirl is available now at BootBarn.com, while the Sunrise and Sunset Boots are available at JustinBoots.com.
About Jenna Paulette:
A CMT Next Women of Country honoree and an Apple Music’s Country Riser, singer-songwriter Jenna Paulette — a cowgirl who came of age amid the gritty realities of ranch life — is part of Nashville’s growing wave of female artists who are rewriting the rules and charting their own paths. Paulette settled in Nashville in 2015, where she struck up a mentorship with Ashley Gorley – a veteran songwriter with 80+ No. 1 tunes under his belt – which ultimately led to her publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music in June 2021. Since collaborating with songwriters Will Bundy, Rhett Akins and Jessie Jo Dillion, as well as opening for Mason Ramsey, Parmalee, John Michael Montgomery, Clay Walker and most recently Aaron Watson, Paulette has landed brand partnerships with Justin Boots, Boot Barn, Ely Cattleman and Ranch Water.
With the arrival of her debut album The Girl I Was in 2023, Grammy.com remarked the project as “transformative,” noting it “fuses the sounds of Twain and Miranda Lambert, tackling mental health with the somber ‘You Ain't No Cowboy’ and waxing philosophical on ‘Country In The Girl.’” She continued to spotlight her authentic western lifestyle last year, performing the national anthem at the National Finals Rodeo, making her Grand Ole Opry Debut and performing in multiple festivals including CMA Fest. Paulette recently signed with independent label Leo33. Paulette’s sophomore album, Horseback, is available everywhere now. For more information, visit www.jennapaulette.com.
About Ashley McBryde:
GRAMMY, CMA and ACM award winner Ashley McBryde cut her teeth playing country songs in biker bars – and it shows. The Grand Ole Opry member’s 2018 major label debut Girl Going Nowhere (Warner Music Nashville) charmed The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, Paste, The Washington Post and more, all en route to landing a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album. McBryde closed out 2019 with ACM New Female Artist, CMT Breakout Artist, a New Artist of the Year win at the 53rd Annual CMA Awards and two nominations for the 2020 GRAMMYs for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for “Girl Goin’ Nowhere.” Follow-up Never Will was tagged by Rolling Stone as one of the most anticipated of the year alongside NPR, who also ranked her Top 10 RIAA Platinum-Certified single “One Night Standards” as one of the best songs of 2019. The album earned McBryde a 2021 GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, making Never Will the only album nominated for Country Album of the Year by the ACMs, CMAs and the Recording Academy in the same award season. Her GRAMMY-winning duet with Carly Pearce, “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” went all the way to No. 1 and earned McBryde and Pearce the ACM and CMA award for Musical Event of the Year. McBryde was honored with the 2022 CMA International Artist Achievement Award for the most significant creative growth, development and promotion of the country music industry outside of the United States. Her collaborative project Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville earned McBryde her third consecutive GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, making her a six-time nominee. Her latest album The Devil I Know was released to critical acclaim, earning a title as one of the best country albums of the year from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Slate, PASTE, Holler and more. Following her second year co-hosting CMA Fest, McBryde will release the studio version of fan-favorite live staple “Rattlesnake Preacher” on June 26. Hailed as “one of country’s most cherished singer-songwriters” by Cowboys & Indians, her latest release offers poetic nostalgia on “Ain’t Enough Cowboy Songs,” available now. This summer, the Arkansas native performs headlining shows across the U.S. among festival dates at Country Stampede, Country Thunder Wisconsin, WE Fest and more, before joining Little Big Town and Dwight Yoakam on select dates. For more information, visit Ashley McBryde.com or follow her Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube.
