Caroline Monroe is a city girl who sings country songs. A native Atlantan who now lives in Athens, Ga. - the indy music capital of the world - Caroline fronted a rock group, Umpteen. But she realized her heart was in country music and the high lonesome sound of the Appalachian South. She met Athens Outlaw Fester Hagood, now with King Cotton, a Southern rocker who had a similar passion for country. They played Athens' clubs as a duet while Hagood produced Caroline's first CD, "Ghost Town," backed by some of the top musicians in Athens. The songs range from humor ("See Rock City") to heartbreak ("Right Here In My Heart") to hell-raising ("Sunday Sinner"). Since her CD's release, Caroline has been playing clubs in Athens and Atlanta. She's branching out from hard-edged country into a more reflective alt-country style that suits her distinctive, haunting voice - she's been compared to Emmylou Harris, Iris Dement and Lucinda Williams. Mostly, people say Caroline sounds like a country Natalie Merchant. And her fans enjoy Caroline's relaxed and unpretentious stage presence. As she grows as an artist, Caroline is writing more and more of her own material to match her strikingly original sound.