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In celebration of her new album ‘Tennessee Lightning’ the gorgeous Ashley Monroe returned to play Glasgow, sharing the billing with her friend Fancy Hagood for the evening. With Scotland basking in the late summer sun the talented pairing brought a little Southern charm and positive healing light to the St Luke’s stage.
Continue reading “Live Review: Ashley Monroe & Fancy Hagood @ St Luke’s, Glasgow 25/08/25”
Opening her new album with the stark and almost eerie refrain of ‘I’m gonna run’ you might think this is going to be an album of darkness, especially after Ashley Monroe’s recent experience of cancer.
However from that opening song on ‘Tennessee Lighting’ we hear a different story – she’s looking not to share her suffering but to escape from the pain and search for love.
Continue reading “Album Review: Ashley Monroe – Tennessee Lightning “
For me the best Christmas music contains truths about the emotional complexity of the season: from the drunken conflict of Fairytale of New York to the aching sadness of River by Joni Mitchell. Too many recent Christmas albums seem content with cliched offerings or weak cover versions of classics designed to capitalise on the streaming algorithm, rather than having anything meaningful to say about the season.
Luckily for us then our resident reality check heroines Pistol Annies are here to offer us something fresh with their brilliant new Christmas album Hell of a Holiday. We last found Miranda Lambert, Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe on the Interstate Gospel, searching for comfort in Jesus and dealing with heartbreak, inertia and family trouble. Christmas then, being the time of year where women and relationships are stretched to the limit, is a natural fit for their songwriting skills. Continue reading “Album Review: Pistol Annies – Hell of a Holiday”
Ashley Monroe’s last album ‘Sparrow’ was a lush and orchestral step away from her country music roots, with songs like ‘Wild Love’ and ‘Hands on You’ offering us the first hints that she was an artist willing to take risks and move in new directions. Her new album Rosegold fully embraces this ethereal, sensual musical style, with deliciously dreamy results. Continue reading “Album Review: Ashley Monroe – Rosegold”
Ashley Monroe has just finished up her successful U.K. and European tour where she played solo acoustic, showcasing the power of her honeyed voice. So it is fitting then that everyone can now hear five songs from her excellent 2018 album Sparrow in a similarly stylish and stripped back arrangement. Continue reading “E.P. Review: Ashley Monroe – Sparrow (Acoustic Sessions)”
A restored church on a Sunday was a fitting place for country music fans to congregate and worship a woman who is blessed with one of the best voices in the genre. Ashley Monroe returned to these shores for the first time since Country to Country in 2016 and the Scottish crowd were so eager to hear her play again that she sold out both the first venue she was booked to play and this upgrade of St Luke’s as well. Continue reading “Live Review: Ashley Monroe @ Celtic Connections”
In the dead of winter there’s sometimes slim pickings on the live music scene but thankfully in Scotland we have one of the world’s best music festivals to encourage us all out of our hibernation. Celtic Connections runs from the 17th January to 3rd February in a variety of venues all across Glasgow. The festival hosts roots, folk and traditional music from Scotland and all around the world, including a fine selection of Americana acts.
The main dilemma with a festival that offers such an array of different artists is choosing who to see, with many days having multiple events to decide between. Every year the programme is announced I fear bankruptcy is imminent. So to help you decide I have spent some time going through the programme and here’s some of the must see female acts playing the festival this year. Continue reading “Celtic Connections 2019 Preview”
Five long years have passed since the Pistol Annies’ second album Annie Up and in that time Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley have all released critically acclaimed solo albums and been through some serious living. Thankfully Holler, Hippie and Lone Star Annie have finally found time in their busy and dramatic lives to reunite and record this new album, Interstate Gospel. And thank God they did because we need women’s voices in music, specifically country music, more than ever. Continue reading “Album Review: Pistol Annies – Interstate Gospel”
Five long years have passed since the Pistol Annies’ second album Annie Up and in that time Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley have all released critically acclaimed solo albums and been through some serious living. Thankfully Holler, Hippie and Lone Star Annie have finally found time in their busy and dramatic lives to reunite and record a new album.
Over the last few days fans have been getting postcards in the mail from the band, which might seem retro but these slices of American life are signs which tell a story. Hidden on these postcards are clues to the new album, which fans have been encouraged to share on social media using the hashtag #PistolAnniesAreBack.
Here’s everything we know about the album so far (also keep checking the hashtag for real time updates). Continue reading “Pistol Annies Are Back! Here’s Everything We Know About Their Return”
Highway Queens 