Ashley Monroe No Longer Signed with Warner Music Nashville

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.
June 19, 2019 @ 10:53 am
I hope she finds a new home. She is one of my favorites- hopefully where she lands will give her the push she deserves.
June 19, 2019 @ 11:00 am
She is a really talented song writer and has a very beautiful unique voice. I absolutely love her voice. I haven’t been able to get into Sparrow very much for some reason; I don’t think I cared for the production on the songs- I guess is the best answer for myself. But I listen to her acoustic released tracks often from that record and just.. wow. She’s simply talented.
I hope she can find a new record company. Would be nice if the Pistol Annies can catch some steam. Might help with her solo career. Are they even releasing any songs to radio after ‘Name Changed Back’? Not that I listen to radio anyways but obviously a lot of people do.
June 19, 2019 @ 2:41 pm
Interstate Gospel is such a well-rounded effort. I can’t believe it hasn’t been bigger. Or maybe I can, which is more sad.
June 20, 2019 @ 9:26 am
It’s a boring album
June 19, 2019 @ 11:37 am
She’ll find a new home. She’s incredible.
June 19, 2019 @ 1:05 pm
She should just sign up for a Bandcamp account. That’s where I’m finding anything any good.
June 19, 2019 @ 2:47 pm
Sometimes you learn by your mistakes, sometimes you don’t! To be signed with a major label is risky for a young songwriter/ singer. Many times a major label sign them so that they are out of the competition. Then finally they are used as a tax deduction… Too many artists have ended up being shelved with stuff in the can that will never be heard. I feel sad for Ashley, her first album: https://www.amazon.com/Satisfied-Clean-Ashley-Monroe/dp/B006P9D91W/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3CBXZYETXZLLW&keywords=ashley+monroe+cd&qid=1560980645&s=gateway&sprefix=ashley+monroe%2Caps%2C307&sr=8-5 never was released to the public. Hank’s Cadillac is her best song. Maybe she should have gone independent and used fiddle & steel fitting her voice so well!
June 19, 2019 @ 7:10 pm
Yes, Hank’s Cadillac s a great song.
June 19, 2019 @ 3:00 pm
not earth-shattering news for me …..but I was surprised to learn she ‘d had so many songs cut by other artists . with female singers having such a tough time getting heard you’d better have something focused , unique and AMAZING in terms of style AND material . I personally have never felt ashley monroe had any of the above …particularly when it came to marketability .
she changed musical horses a few times and that is always a difficult way to try to build a loyal ( consumer ) fanbase . vocally she pales next to the Charlie Marie’s , the Lamberts , Joy Williams , Carrie , of course , and most others IMO .
saying all of that , perhaps the songwriting is her thing and her success in that area may be where she should focus her efforts ( Matraca Berg , Gretchen Peters , Loreena McKenna , Brandy Clark etc…
June 19, 2019 @ 3:55 pm
She’s very talented – I hope she finds a new home for her music soon.
Honestly, she deserves more success than she’s had, as do the Pistol Annies – Interstate Gospel was outstanding.
June 19, 2019 @ 3:58 pm
Sparrow is a fantastic album. It’s a shame it didn’t do well.
June 19, 2019 @ 5:58 pm
Damn! My favorite singer-songwriter by far. Can’t say I’m surprised though, given how little happened with Sparrow, and I don’t think Warner was helping out much even before that. Glad I finally got to see her live last year, both solo and with the Annies. Here’s hoping she’s ‘on to something good’ in the independent space..
June 20, 2019 @ 9:28 am
Pretty sure they dumped a lot of $ into promoting The Blade and I think it sold 14k first week- in 2015
June 19, 2019 @ 6:23 pm
See, this is a prime example pf a super talented female country performer not being supported by her lable. Sparrow is great and the lable did squat to promote it.
Hope she finds a new home where she is appreciated and given the push she deserves.
June 19, 2019 @ 6:51 pm
Is Warner Music Nashville afraid of actual talent? And actual country? Ashley Monroe, a great singer/ songwriter, William Michael Morgan, a traditionalist, and Raelynn, who at least had twang, all gone. I mean, wow.
June 20, 2019 @ 8:44 am
of these three I’m most disappointed that raeLynn didn’t get more more recognition for finding the best material …and yes ….that unique voice . jana kramer is another artist whose VERY unique vocals were better than most of her material would illustrate BUT I Got The Boy should be a country standard . promotion or lack thereof is a HUGE factor , it seems . that and the fact that there are not only umpteen thousand people vying for a listener’s attention but most listener’s in these A D D times seem burnt out by that deluge .
June 19, 2019 @ 8:46 pm
That’s disappointing. She’s one of my favorite artists. Her voice is so special. I hope she will keep putting out music.
June 19, 2019 @ 10:59 pm
Female Artists die under the Warner Brothers Label. It has been this way since Faith Hill left a few years back. They sign females, barely promote to radio & put all of their industry clout behind their male artists. Sadly these are just the facts.
June 20, 2019 @ 9:26 am
Wow you’re really late to this. ????
June 20, 2019 @ 11:55 am
We’ll, I’m the first and only one to report it, so I’m not sure how “late” that makes me. Also, it took a while for me to confirm the information with Ashley’s management.
June 20, 2019 @ 12:25 pm
First I heard it. It’s better to be correct, than first.
June 20, 2019 @ 2:33 pm
Most likely, her contract with the label was a three album deal with options for more. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up on Low Country Sound’s label in the future.
June 20, 2019 @ 6:33 pm
Sad to hear this. She’s one of my favorites. “The Blade” was amazing. I haven’t gotten into “Sparrow” as much but still need to give it a few more listens. I really liked some of the acoustic versions of the songs. Ashley has struggled for a long time to get that mainstream success. I think she is a strong songwriter and many of her songs move me. I hope she finds a home somewhere. She deserves so much more attention.
June 20, 2019 @ 9:16 pm
Of the songs I’ve heard off of the Sparrow album, my favorite is Orphan…but I’m a sucker for ballads in 3/4…
If Ms Monroe wants to achieve mainstream success she needs at a minimum…95 more tattoos. Also, every song has to have some kind of rapping interlude….AND…if she want to be a SUPERSTAR, during that rapping interlude she has to shout “MF’er, (fill in the blank)” at least once….(just trying to help)
June 23, 2019 @ 8:45 pm
I’d love to see her on Third Man with Margo Price.
Ashley’s live at third man record was very solid.
June 25, 2019 @ 8:50 am
Damn. This sucks, as she is my favorite artist. She’s amazing and will find a new label home in no time ????