Ashley Nicole Monical

www.ashleynicolemonical.com

When Ashley Nicole Monical (www.ashleynicolemonical.com) told her friend she would learn a Turkish song and play it at a Turkish festival in Dallas, she thought she was doing a favor for a friend.  As it turns out, she was giving her music career a huge boost overseas.

While Ashley and her guitar player and bandmate in Twisted Hearts, Ian Lee (http://www.myspace.com/ianleemusic), who had learned the song with her, were rehearsing the song "Gelevera Deresi" prior to playing it at a festival in Dallas recently, a friend was secretly videotaping the rehearsal.  He posted the video on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsggAVPQHrg ) and that is when things got crazy.  Ashley began to be inundated with messages and friend requests on her facebook account from Turkish people all over the world.  She was receiving messages in English and Turkish, and emails from important people in Turkey.  The video was posted on the front page of the website of the biggest newspaper in Turkey, which has had over 100,000 page views.  An artist always wants their videos to go "viral," meaning friends pass them on to friends, and so on.  But how many artists have had their videos go viral in Turkey, while living in San Marcos, Texas?

After discussing this with her management team, Ashley decided to hold off for a little while on releasing her EP, which was to be her first.  She recorded the song, and added it as a seventh song on the EP, which has recently been released.  "Map of the World" was released last week, and is gaining notice across the world. Along with the Turkish song "Gelevera Deresi," the EP contains six of Ashley's original tunes.  She has been touring Central Texas recently behind the CD, with appearances at many area venues, including Billy's Ice (www.myspace.com/billysice), Lift Cafe (www.liftaustin.com), Thunderbird Coffee (www.thunderbirdcoffee.com), Hill's Edge (www.hillsedgeonline.com), the Coffee Pot (www.thecoffeepotbistro.com), Junior's Icehouse (www.juniorsgrill.com), Oma Gruene's Secret Biergarten (www.omagruene.com), Spinner's Pizza( www.spinnerspizza.net), and the Happy Cow (www.reverbnation.com/venue/572454).

Follow Ashley on her website (www.ashleynicolemonical.com)  as she learns more Turkish songs and records a CD of Turkish songs with Ian Lee.  Can a blonde American girl living in Texas become the biggest star in Turkey?  Will that fame cross the ocean to the U.S.?  Check the site to see when she'll be performing at a local venue, as the dates keep piling up for this great young talent.