Ashley Monroe No Longer Signed with Warner Music Nashville

photo: Hannah Burton

Singer, songwriter, performer, and Pistol Annies member Ashley Monroe is no longer singed with Warner Music Nashville, Saving Country Music has confirmed. Monroe exited the label on May 1st. No reason has been given by Monroe’s management, or Warner Nashville for the departure.

Monroe’s third and final record with the label was Sparrow released on April 20th, 2018. Produced by Dave Cobb, it saw a significant step down in sales and streams for Monroe despite favorable reviews, debuting at #21 on the Billboard Country Albums chart compared to the #2 debut for her 2015 record The Blade. Monroe and Warner Nashville also released 5-song acoustic sessions version of Sparrow songs on February 15th, 2019.

Ashley Monroe was first signed to a major label when Sony penned a deal with the Knoxville, Tennessee native in 2006, releasing a couple of Top 50-charting songs including “I Don’t Want To” featuring Ronnie Dunn that peaked at #37. However, Monroe was released from the label in late 2007, and her debut album Satisfied wasn’t officially released by Sony until 2009 with little promotion behind it.

In 2011, Ashley Monroe joined Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley in the Pistol Annies, which reignited interest in her career as both a songwriter and performer. This led to Monroe signing with Warner Nashville, and recruiting Vince Gill to produce her second album, 2013’s Like A Rose. In 2014, Monroe was featured on Blake Shelton’s #1 song “Lonely Tonight,” leading into the release of 2015’s The Blade, which went on to be nominated for two Grammy Awards.

While Ashley Monroe is no longer signed as a major label artist, in February she signed a worldwide joint songwriting deal with Dave Cobb’s Low Country Sound and Warner/Chappell Music. Monroe’s songwriting catalogue includes a #1 for Miranda Lambert in the form of 2011’s “Heart Like Mine,” and Jason Aldean’s surprisingly-good #1 “The Truth” from 2009. Ashley has also written songs for Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood, Dwight Yoakam, Norah Jones, Gene Watson & Rhonda Vincent, The Oakridge Boys, Butch Walker, and Guy Clark among others.

Ashley Monroe is also one of the principle songwriters for the Pistol Annies, co-writing all but two songs on the supergroup’s 2011 Gold-certified debut Hell On Heels. Monroe also co-wrote all of the songs on the Pistol Annies’ well-received 2018 album, Interstate Gospel.

The departure comes after William Michael Morgan was also let go from Warner Music Nashville in February. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country also says Raelynn recently exited the label. However rumors that Brandy Clark has also been let go are false. Clark is not signed to Warner Music Nashville, but Warner out of Los Angeles, which confirms she is still signed with the label.

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