Pistol Annies’ Ashley Monroe readies new solo album

Ashley Monroe, best known as a member of the country trio Pistol Annies, is set to release a solo album, “Like A Rose,” on Warner Music Nashville. It includes a duet with Blake Shelton on the hilariously titled “You Ain’t Dolly (And You Ain’t Porter).” Vince Gill produced the highly recommended nine-song set, which will be available at digital outlets on December 18. A physical version of the CD will be in stores January 22, 2013.

Prior to her success with Pistol Annies, which formed in 2011, Monroe had a solo deal on Columbia at age 20, and recorded one album for that label in 2006. Two songs from that set charted in the middle of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs list: “Satisfied” and a duet with Ronnie Dunn, “I Don’t Want To.” But while the album—also titled “Satisfied”—had music critics jumping up and down with joy, a change of regime at the record label meant the physical album was never released. (It is available now on iTunes.) One of the best songs from that first album, “Used,” has been re-recorded for the new Warner project.

Now 26, the Knoxville, Tenn., native who is related to the famed Carter Family has been making music for half her life. She won a talent contest at age 11 singing “I Want To Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.” She got her first guitar as a gift two years later and began writing songs, moving with her mother to Nashville a short time later to pursue a music career. Monroe landed her first music publishing deal just a year later.

In the interim between her record deals, Monroe collaborated with singer/songwriter Trent Dabbs on a five-song EP, released in 2008. She also sang background vocals on an album Jack White produced for country/rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson, and contributed vocals to the track “Bruises” on the 2012 album “California 37” from rock band Train.

Monroe’s songwriting collaborators on her excellent new project include country legend Guy Clark (“Like A Rose”), Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild (“You Got Me”), and Nashville songwriters Jon Randall Stewart (“She’s Driving Me Out Of Your Mind”) and Shane McAnally (“Two Weeks Late”).