Ashley Monroe

Ashley Monroe is an American country singer-songwriter from Knoxville, Tennessee. Born in 1986 as Ashley Lauren Monroe, she grows up listening to the Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd, and she starts taking piano lessons before the age of seven. By 11, she wins a talent contest in Pigeon Forge singing “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” and goes on to perform regularly in a theatre there. Her father later gives her her first guitar, after which she begins writing songs of her own.

Early life and move to Nashville

After her father dies of cancer in 2000, Monroe and her mother move to Nashville so she can pursue a music career. After about a year in the city, she secures a publishing deal as a songwriter, which leads to a recording contract with Columbia Records’ Nashville division.

Recording career

With producer Mark Wright, Monroe records her debut album, Satisfied. The title track is issued to country radio in 2006, and “I Don’t Want To”, featuring Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, follows. The latter reaches number 37 on the Hot Country Songs chart. After the merger of Columbia and Sony, the label delays the album’s release until she has a top 20 single, and no further singles are issued. The album is briefly made available through iTunes in 2006, removed soon after, and later released digitally in 2009.

Songwriting and collaborations

Alongside her own recordings, Monroe writes songs for other artists. Her credits include Katrina Elam’s 2007 single “Flat on the Floor”, which is also recorded by Carrie Underwood on the album Carnival Ride, Jason Aldean’s 2009 single “The Truth”, and Miranda Lambert’s 2011 single “Heart Like Mine”. She continues working with Lambert and, in 2011, forms the trio Pistol Annies with Lambert and Angaleena Presley.

Pistol Annies

Pistol Annies release “Hell on Heels” in 2011, followed by an album of the same title later that year. Hell on Heels debuts at number 1 on Billboard’s country album chart and reaches number 5 on the Billboard 200.

Later solo work

Monroe works with producer Vince Gill on her second studio album, Like a Rose, which Warner Nashville releases in 2013.