Post Monroe, a new country music trio comprised of Ashlee Hewitt, Whitney Duncan, and Shelby McLeod, is bursting on to the scene, taking each of their individual talents and experiences, blending them together, and creating one unified front. The girls, each of whom lives a very distinct life from the others, has found that their differences are what makes their partnership special, creating a unique combination of sounds and perspectives on their goals.
Ashlee explained:
Our sound is our voices. They’re different. They’re unique. The blend of them together makes Post Monroe what it is.
Whitney described the group’s sound, attributing its direction to the trio’s desire to be themselves without making any compromises to fit a certain mold.
We’re country, that’s what I love. We’re not pop country, we’re not trying to be a cross over group. It’s back to our roots.
Shelby added:
We are strong women and we’re vulnerable. There are many sides to every woman. We like writing songs that speak from all those sides.
Perhaps what helps these three tap into the different sides of their gender is the fact that none of them have similar backgrounds, lending to a broad viewpoint when Post Monroe sits down to share thoughts and write songs. Ashlee grew up on a farm in Minnesota and began performing as a solo artist. During her teenage years, she played approximately one hundred and fifty shows across her home state and North Dakota. At eighteen, Ashlee made the move to Nashville to pursue her dreams. She is now married with a young child.
Contrarily, Whitney was already in Tennessee and spent her childhood visiting Nashville with hopes of moving there some day. Growing up, Whitney would play fairs and festivals as a solo artist, relying on her father to make the two-hour (each way) drive to Music City. Whitney is a newlywed, recently marrying her husband, Keith Tollefson, after the two met on CBS’s Survivor.
Shelby was raised in Madison, Georgia and grew up in musical theater. Though Shelby had her sights set on Nashville, her father insisted she attend a four-year college before taking the plunge. Her degree proved helpful, as Shelby moved to the country music capital and scored a job at Reba McEntire’s Starstruck Entertainment. Shelby is the youngest of the pack, living the single and free life.
So, you must be wondering how these three girls from three different walks of life came together to create Post Monroe… Well, Shelby’s position at Starstruck provided her with more than her first Nashville job; it connected the artists to one another. Whitney and Ashlee had already met, and Whitney then met Shelby at Starstruck, always remembering the beautiful, young worker who stood out to her. When Whitney learned that Shelby could also sing, it was kismet. Whitney recalled:
I met Shelby at Starstruck and I didn’t know she could sing, I just thought she was gorgeous. Then a friend told me she could sing and we brought her in for a meeting and all sang together … it was magic.
Once the group members were solidified, Ashlee introduced a name she had been sitting on for a bit, Post Monroe.
I was living in L.A. in 2008 and I heard someone describe a fashion style as Post Monroe…after Marilyn Monroe. Immediately, I was like that sounds like a band name! I went and got all the social media and websites and everything and blocked them.
And Ashlee, Whitney, and Shelby then began their future as a team. Post Monroe is currently working on music and anticipates releasing something in the months to come. However, in the meantime, they are providing fans with snippets of their work via social media. Make sure to follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Check out a sneak peek at the group we can’t take our eyes off of at the moment, Post Monroe:
