After three solo albums, Ashley Monroe has landed her first two Grammy nominations, and excitement doesn’t even cover it. We chatted with her about what she’s looking forward to about the ceremony, working with Blake Shelton, and what’s next. Read on for our exclusive interview with her, and a chance to win an autographed copy of her album, The Blade!
Cliché: What were you doing when you found out about your first Grammy nominations?
Ashley Monroe: I had just opened my eyes and grabbed my phone and saw I had all these texts. At first, I panicked, thinking something was wrong, but once my eyes woke up enough to focus, I saw it was, indeed, great news.
What went through your head? Were you shocked, surprised, excited?
I was super, super excited and proud that The Blade made the cut. It’s always been a dream of mine to be nominated for a Grammy. What are the odds?
The Blade is your third solo album. How would you say your music has transformed over the years?
I think it’s grown up with me. I’ve always written from a really honest place and have always had to feel what I was writing or singing to feel it was good enough. That’s still a rule for me. I’ve obviously grown vocally and musically in the 10 years since Satisfied, yet I haven’t gone too far away from it.
What’s your favorite song to perform from the album?
That’s a hard one. Music is all about setting a mood. When I’m hyper and excited, it’s “Winning Streak.” When I’m Debbie Downer, it’s “If The Devil Don’t Want Me.”
One of the noms is for a duet you did with Blake Shelton. How was that collab experience?
It was truly great and so easy because he has been one of my closest friends for years. We have sang around many campfires, living rooms, and a little karaoke, too, now that I think about it. It was neat to get to do it on the big stages.
If you could collab with anyone, who would you choose?
Tom Petty, and always, Dolly.
Are you attending the ceremony? If so, what are you most excited about?
I am! My first time! I’m excited to just watch it and look around me at all the pretty outfits.
Anything else you’d like our readers to be on the lookout for in 2016?
I’m still planning, but just know I’ll always be making music.
Cliché Magazine is teaming up with Ashley Monroe for a giveaway you won’t want to miss! Enter to win an autographed copy of Ashley Monroe’s album, The Blade!
Five (5) lucky winners will receive the following:
– One autographed copy of The Blade
Prizing c/o Ashley Monroe
How to Enter:
– Fill out the form below for entry to the giveaway, then follow us on Twitter!
– Earn extra entries by doing things like following us on Pinterest and tweeting about the giveaway**
**You may tweet once daily to earn extra entries
Selection:
The winner will be chosen at random using Rafflecopter.com and will be contacted within 48 hours after the giveaway has ended. The winner will be given 72 hours to claim his or her prize before he or she must forfeit it to another winner.
Giveaway open to U.S. addresses only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Read more Music Interviews and Giveaways on ClicheMag.com
Ashley Monroe Interview + Giveaway: Photographed by Joseph Llanes
