No, really.
The Pistol Annies are by far one of the most underrated bands in all of country music and it’s not really that close. They’ve hinted that they’re working on a new project, and rumor has it that there could be an album coming out some time in the fall.
No official word on that yet, but just in case, I wanted to give you a good place to start if you haven’t ever listened to their music before with a jumpstart on some great tracks to dig into.
I’ve been a fan of them for a long time, and they have some of the best, and most unique, music in the country world right now. Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley have put out a total of three studio albums since they first made their debut as a band in 2011.
Their music is witty, sassy and above all, honest about the struggles women face… all the little things that can drive you crazy on a daily basis.
Listening to them is like wine night with your friends ranting and raving about lord knows what while simultaneously laughing your ass off because life is funny like that, and it’s nice to have other girls around you that get it.
Miranda said in previous interviews that it’s a weight off her shoulders to be able to have a space to talk about this stuff:
“This band is so important to me and for female music and perspective.
Because there’s three of us, it’s such a relief in a different way. It makes me more brave, because when there’s three of us, we can say whatever we want.”
Of course, like Martina McBride has said before, there’s a huge perspective gap on country radio right now. I think The Pistol Annies help bridge a small part of that, even though you won’t hear them on the radio.
Go ahead and add these to your playlist and prepare to have 10 new favorite songs:
“Takin’ Pills”
From their debut album Hell On Heels, this song details all of the things that can be used to make you feel a little bit better… And, the Annie’s tell you which is their drug (or drink, or cigarette) of choice.
As Miranda will tell you, everybody has a vice, right?
“Hush Hush”
I can’t speak for anyone outside of the south, but seeing as all three ladies in the band are from either Texas, Tennessee or Kentucky, they know all too well about the traditions that exist here.
This song pokes fun at the fact that a secret isn’t usually a secret because the whole town knows about it already, but you’re supposed to carry on as such. It makes no sense, but it’s good to know I’m not the only who thinks that.
“Trailer for Rent”
This song seriously might be my favorite Pistol Annies song. If not my absolute favorite, it’s easily in my top three. I’ve talked about it before, but there ain’t nothin’ better than a song about a woman scorned and her no-good man that you can scream-sing the top of your lungs. It’s therapy.
“Cheyenne”
I love the depth of this track. They sing about a woman named Cheyenne who can seemingly get any man she wants with just one look, but really, she’s empty inside.
It sounds like she might also have some trauma from growing up, and now, she spends her nights in bars lonely and chasing fleeting feelings of satisfaction. She might look like she has it all, but it’s quite the opposite in reality.
“Hell On Heels”
This was their very first single and is a huge fan-favorite. You could consider it their mission statement as a band.
The first verse describes it best:
“I’m hell on heels
Say what you will
I’ve done made the devil a deal
He made me pretty
He made me smart
And I’m going to break me a million hearts
I’m hell on heels, baby I’m comin’ for you”
Need I say more?
“Milkman”
If you have a complex relationship with your mom, this song is for you. The Annies speak on behalf of all of us who might’ve done things the unconventional way, or maybe just didn’t exactly follow the book (whatever that means). They address the ways that can effect family expectations of who and what you should be.
“I Feel A Sin Comin’ On”
This one was quite possibly made the most famous from the iconic scene in The Longest Ride when Scott Eastwood is walking up to the sorority house to pick Sophia up for their date.
It’s a pretty steamy song where they detail every feeling they have right before they commit whatever sin they have in mind here. They don’t quite get that specific, but I’m sure you can use your imagination (especially if Scott Eastwood is involved).
“Girls Like Us”
This song reminds me a lot of Miranda’s track “Girls” from Platinum. It’s a sassy, blunt admission that they know their worth… and they also know their faults. At the end of the day, it all balances out because the real question at hand is this: “Don’t girls like us make the world go round?”
“Got My Name Changed Back”
One of their most fun songs, it’s all about the upside of divorce. Though it’s not confirmed this was written about Miranda’s divorce from Blake Shelton, it really doesn’t matter.
I don’t know of many songs about getting divorced that are this fun, and after you watch the music video, you’ll probably want to wear sequins to the DMV the next time you renew your license. As it turns out, getting your named changed back can be fun.
“Sugar Daddy”
I freaking love this song. If you’ve ever so much as thought about your perfect sugar daddy, you will get a dang kick out of this one.
In a previous interview, Ashley noted that it all started because they liked the term “sugar daddy”:
“Everybody’s got a little power in this song. I think the girl knows what she wants in this song. And we really went for it. “Sugar Daddy”, we liked that term anyway.”
Miranda adds that there’s no harm in knowing what you want and going after it:
“Everybody in this song knows what they want and they’re getting it. The girls and the sugar daddies. And everybody knows it’s a mutual agreement of, ‘You’re using me for this and I’m using you for this. Let’s call it.'”
And part of the fun of it is, Angaleena says, is that each of their verses describes what their perfect guy would be in a fantasy world.
If nothing else, it’s enjoyable to listen to because who hasn’t set around and dreamt one up with their girlfriends:
“Our tastes show up because it’s like if I were to move back home, like in my verse, that would be my sugar daddy. And like, that would be their sugar daddy in their verse.
So you get to see a little bit of our personality and what we like in boys.”
