Ashley Monroe got her start in country music as a songwriter, signing a publishing deal before signing with Sony and beginning work on her debut album; however, after the disc's first two singles flopped after release in 2006, Monroe was dropped from the label in 2007, without her record ever officially being released. Monroe continued her career as a songwriter, penning songs including Jason Aldean's single "The Truth" and "Heart Like Mine," a No. 1 hit for her good friend Miranda Lambert. In 2009, Monroe independently released a self-titled EP; her sophomore album, the critically acclaimed, Vince Gill- and Justin Niebank-produced 'Like a Rose', was released in 2013 on Warner Bros. Nashville, and her third project, 'The Blade', came out in 2015. In 2011, Monroe, Lambert and Angaleena Presley launched their trio, Pistol Annies, releasing two records together before going on hiatus due to the three women's solo careers. Monroe, who is married to Chicago White Sox pitcher John Danks, can also be heard on Blake Shelton's 2014 No. 1 single, "Lonely Tonight."