Regarding her new single, “On To Something Good,” she said, “I wrote that song with two great songwriters, Luke Laird and Barry Dean. I am not really good at writing up-tempo songs, but Luke had a really cool groove and something came over me, and the song came out pretty quickly.”
“On To Something Good” garnered a rave review from Digital Journal, and rightfully so.
Monroe will be making her debut at New York’s Madison Square Garden on March 28, where she will be opening for country superstar Miranda Lambert, who ironically enough is also her band-mate as part of the country trio Pistol Annies. “I am so excited, and actually tomorrow would have been my father’s birthday, so it’s going to be extra, extra special. My whole family is coming, so I will be surrounded with a lot of people,” she said.
“Lonely Tonight,” her duet with country mega-star Blake Shelton, was a No. 1 hit on country radio. “How amazing is that,” she exclaimed. ‘I told Blake ‘thank you’ for letting me piggyback with you to No. 1.”
Speaking of “Lonely Tonight,” it has been nominated for an Academy of Country Music (ACM) award for “Vocal Event of the Year.”
Monroe’s musical influences include an array of artists such as Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris The Eagles, Bonnie Raitt, as well as The Black Crowes.
On recording as both a solo artist and a member of Pistol Annies, she said, “We just make it work any way we can. We each had to slow down on touring, since we each had to do individual things, but that is about to come back around. We are all craving each other pretty bad.”
She had nothing but kind words for country singer-songwriter Will Hoge and his song “Still Got You On My Mind,” where she sang harmony vocals. “I love that song so much. I have known him since I was 16 years old, and I’ve known him since I moved to Nashville. I love his records and his voice,” she said.
Monroe’s dream male collaboration choices include Tom Petty and Justin Timberlake.
Each day, the country songstress is motivated simply by her passion for music. “When I sing, I am the most happy I have ever been. When I am surrounded by good music, I am happy, and I am really lucky that I get to do this for a living for life,” she said.
Monroe concluded our interview by defining the word success as “doing what you love” for a living.
Her new single “On To Something Good” is available on iTunes, by clicking here.
For more information on country star Ashley Monroe and her new music, check out her official website.
