Ashley Monroe doesn’t miss.
Today, she released a cover of Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith’s “I Like Trains,” which was originally included on his 1998 Drive-in Movie album. While certainly a deep cut a lot of people have probably never heard before, Ashley made it her own and did a fantastic job.
The original is more upbeat, and almost humorous at points, and Ashley put a haunting spin on the production that pairs so well with her twangy, East Tennessee vocals.
I’ve long said she has one of the best voices in country music, and I think this song perfectly captures exactly what I mean by that. Ashley says it has always been one of her favorites, and she was “hooked from the first time heard it.”
And she actually recorded it while sitting on the front porch of a cabin in the Smokies, which only adds to the ambiance and tone:
“From the time I heard Fred Eaglesmith’s songs years ago, I was hooked. This has always been one of my favorite songs of his. Something deep inside of me feels haunted when I sing it.
I recorded this sitting on the front porch of a cabin in the Smokies, and let all the critters sing it with me.”
And if her name sounds familiar, you might also know Mrs. Monroe as one third of the Pistol Annies and a close friend of Miranda Lambert, though she is one helluva stellar solo artist in her own right and has been one of my very favorites for a long time now.
The East Tennessee native has released five studio albums including the Grammy-nominated The Blade in 2015. Nominated for Best Country Album, the award ended up going to Chris Stapleton’s Traveller that year. Monroe most recently putting out Rosegold in 2021, though that one was certainly quite a bit different for her sonically and didn’t find her leaning as much into her country sensibilities as it did pop.
Her debut album Like A Rose will forever be in my top 10 list of favorite records, but we’ll have to wait and see if this single finds her returning to her country roots or continuing her journey exploring different sounds. She most recently released “Over Everything” at the end of last year.
I think fans of hers will appreciate this much more country-leaning song, because that’s really what she does best, and you can check it out here:
Ashley is playing her first Nashville headlining show since 2015 at Eastside Bowl on April 23rd, and she’s also heading to the UK this September to open for Little Big Town on their Friends of Mine tour.
Ashley Monroe 2024 tour dates:
4/23 – Nashville, TN – Eastside Bowl – Ashley Monroe & Friends
5/31 – Gardnerville, NV – Back Country Festival 2024
9/10 – Manchester, UK – The Bridgewater Hall #
9/11 – Bristol, UK – Bristol Beacon #
9/12 – Cambridge, UK – Cambridge Corn Exchange #
9/14 – Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK – O2 City Hall Newcastle #
9/16 – London, UK – Eventim Apollo #
9/17 – Birmingham, UK – Symphony Hall #
9/19 – Glasgow, UK – SEC Armadillo #
# – supporting Little Big Town
“I Like Trains”
