Angaleena Presley is an American country singer-songwriter from Martin County, Kentucky. She is a member of the female country trio Pistol Annies and also releases solo material.

Early life and background

Presley is born in Martin County in 1976 and is raised in Beauty, Kentucky. Her father, Jimmy Presley Sr., is a retired coal miner, and her mother, Cathy Presley, is a retired school teacher. At 15, her father teaches her her first song on guitar, Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried”. She attends Sheldon Clark High School in Inez, Kentucky, graduating in 1994, and later studies at Eastern Kentucky University.

Career

In 2000, Presley moves to Nashville, Tennessee, and receives a publishing deal nine months later. Through that work she meets Ashley Monroe, who brings Presley’s music to Miranda Lambert’s attention. The three begin writing together, and this collaboration leads to Pistol Annies’ debut album, Hell on Heels. The trio then tours North America and writes material for a follow-up release.

Pistol Annies release Annie Up as their second album, and Hell on Heels and its title track later sell more than 500,000 copies, earning the group a Gold Record. Presley releases her debut solo album, American Middle Class, in 2014.