Ashley Monroe Readies Fifth Album For April
Ashley Monroe is set to release her fifth studio album Rosegold on April 30 via Mountainrose Sparrow/Thirty Tigers. On Friday (Feb. 19) she released the video for the album’s first single “Drive,” which was co-written with Niko Moon and Mikey Reaves, who co-produced the track with Monroe.
“I had this chorus and idea when I went in to write with Mikey Reaves and Niko Moon on September 10 (my birthday),” says Monroe. “I told them my dad/other angels always send special songs on my birthday. It didn’t take long into the session until we knew we were on to a special one. I always imagine me singing this while driving on a desert highway.”
Written and recorded over the past two years, the record finds Monroe pushing her sound in new directions. Monroe tracked and co-produced the album one song at a time, inviting collaborators including Nathan Chapman, Jake Mitchell, Jordan Reynolds, Ben West, and longtime producer/co-writer Tyler Cain, to help build and produce full tracks in the studio.
“I’ve always been good at writing sad songs because I’ve experienced a lot of sadness in my life,” Monroe reflects. “When my son was born, though, it was like some sort of innocence got plugged back into my heart. I’d never really felt that kind of joy before, and I wanted to find a way to make it last. I told everyone I was working with that I didn’t want even a hint of sadness this time around. I wanted to embrace all the light and love in my life and find ways to share it with people.”
