On this day (April 4) in 2011, the Pistol Annies made their debut at the ACM Girls’ Night Out: Superstar Women of Country. The group comprised of Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley, performed their debut single “Hell on Hells” to introduce themselves to the world. They would go on to release three hit studio albums.
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That night, Lambert took the stage and introduced the group. “I do have a surprise,” she told the crowd and those watching at home. “Since it’s Girls’ night out, I’ve got a new band called Pistol Annies and I want to bring out the members. This is our very first debut ever, so please welcome to the stage my good girlfriends Angeleena Presley and Ashley Monroe,” she added. Without further ado, they launched into “Hell on Heels” which would go on to be the title track for their debut album.
[RELATED: Behind the Band Name: Pistol Annies]
Hitting the Target With Almost Every Shot
The Pistol Annies released that album on August 23, 2011. It went to No. 1 on the Top Country Albums Chart and No. 5 on the all-genre Billboard 200. A little under two years later, on May 7, 2013, the trio released their sophomore album Annie Up. It peaked at No. 2 on the Hot Country Albums Chart and No. 5 on the all-genre chart. The trio returned to the top of the Hot Country Albums chart with their November 2, 2018 release Interstate Gospel. It peaked at No. 15 on the all-genre chart and topped the Americana Albums chart.
The Pistol Annies released their first Christmas album on October 22, 2021. It peaked at No. 28 on the country chart and hit No. 7 on the Americana chart.
The Pistol Annies released one single from each album. Unfortunately, none of those singles broke the Top 40. However, they have amassed tens of millions of streams across streaming platforms.
Miranda Lambert Details the Origins of the Pistol Annies
In 2013, The Pistol Annies appeared on The Bobby Bones Show to promote their sophomore album Annie Up. During the interview, Lambert revealed how the trio came together. “Ashley and I have been friends for, like, nine years,” she said. She went on to say that Monroe introduced her to Presley’s music and it blew her away. After hearing Presley’s album she suggested they start a “girl band.”
Lambert said that she and Monroe called Presley late one night to present the idea of starting a band. “The first words I ever heard out of her mouth on the phone were, ‘Are y’all high?’” she shared. The rest, as they say, is history.
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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