Throughout 2020, as the world was gripped by the pandemic, we helped to fill the void left by a lack of live music by posting a series of mini-gigs from outstanding artists. It has been a little while since our last mini-gig but we’re delighted to bring you another exclusive live-recorded miniature show. This time, country star Ashley Monroe gives us a terrific performance to start our weekend. She delivers three outstanding tunes, reimagined for a more stripped back show: ‘Groove’, ‘Gold’ and ‘The New Me’.
The Nashville star has enjoyed a glittering, Grammy Award-nominated career. She has just released her fifth studio album, ‘Rosegold’, on Mountainrose Sparrow/Thirty Tigers. On the new album, Monroe moved away from her usual country roots, introducing more lush arrangements and pop stylings and rhythms. Monroe reflects on the new album: “I’ve always been good at writing sad songs because I’ve experienced a lot of sadness in my life. 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.” In a world full of challenges and darkness, this sort of sentiment and joy is very welcome.
It’s certainly a joy to see how the new material has been reworked with a more acoustic show in mind. With the care taken over the performance environment and the excellent quality of the video recording, this really feels like being present at an intimate gig. And that, folks, is what we’ve been missing. Enjoy.
