![\"miranda-lambert-opening1\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/miranda-lambert-opening1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Country firecracker Miranda Lambert keeps the sizzle but embraces her\u00a0<\/b>softer side on her latest<\/b><\/p>\n
A decade ago, Miranda Lambert burst onto the country scene, branded as a volatile, gun-totin\u2019 spitfire. But these days the sassy singer-songwriter has mellowed a bit. \u201cAll the fiery stuff is what set me apart in the beginning,\u201d Lambert says, \u201cbecause no one else was doing it. With success, I\u2019ve been able to calm down and acknowledge that I don\u2019t have to be guns a-blazin\u2019 all the time. People are listening, so I can open up my softer side and show them who the whole Miranda is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Growing up in the tiny town of Lindale, Texas\u2014where her parents operated a private investigation company\u2014Lambert was a shy teen who witnessed firsthand some of life\u2019s darker elements. When she was in high school her parents opened up the family home to battered women. Meanwhile, her father taught her a few chords on the guitar. Music coupled with the women\u2019s stories of abuse proved a potent combination. In no time Lambert was off and running.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always slow to learn things, but playing guitar came naturally,\u201d Lambert recalls. \u201cI started writing music right then, but at 17 what could I write about? Cheating, drinking, heartbreak, love and love gone bad\u2014that\u2019s what I saw, and that\u2019s what\u2019s universal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foregoing college, Lambert formed a band and toured Texas for a while. A turning point came in 2003 when the 19-year-old placed third in the Nashville Star<\/i> reality TV show competition. Awarded a major label contract, she released her debut album, Kerosene<\/i>, in 2005. A sizzling, pyrotechnics-enhanced performance at that year\u2019s Country Music Association awards show solidified her renegade status. \u201cEvery article, every interview, every review was all about that,\u201d she says. \u201cSure, that\u2019s me\u2014but just part of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lambert has since proved far more than a one-woman wrecking ball. Five albums into her career, she\u2019s won prestigious honors\u2014including a Grammy and five straight ACM wins as Female Vocalist of the Year. Tabloid fodder notwithstanding, her marriage to fellow country star Blake Shelton\u2014now in its fourth year\u2014remains a storybook success. Two albums by the Pistol Annies\u2014a rollicking side project she formed with writing partners Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley\u2014have met with critical acclaim.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always said I want to build an empire,\u201d says Lambert. \u201cYou don\u2019t build an empire by settling once you\u2019ve won something, or after you\u2019ve sold a certain number of records. Awards mean everything\u2014and nothing. You can\u2019t say, \u2018Well, I\u2019ve made it now.\u2019 You have to go to the next step.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lambert\u2019s latest, Platinum<\/i>, pushes forward even as it presents a snapshot of just how her artistry has evolved. Recently turned 30, Lambert says she wanted the album\u2014her fifth\u2014to stand as a formidable career marker. \u201cIt was probably the most intense, emotional record I\u2019ve ever made,\u201d she reveals. \u201cI\u2019m the most attached to it. I think that comes with age. You care so much about what you\u2019ve worked so hard for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Helping bring Lambert\u2019s vision to life was a team of gifted co-writers, including Nicolle Galyon, Jimmy Robbins and longtime friend Natalie Hemby. Guests include country stars Vince Gill, Little Big Town and Carrie Underwood\u2014who duets on the hard-driving \u201cSomethin\u2019 Bad.\u201d \u201cEven the demo for that song was pretty rock \u2019n\u2019 roll,\u201d says Lambert. \u201cCarrie\u2019s such an amazing singer\u2014I thought, \u2018Let\u2019s just really blow it out.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Other stirring moments include the whirling, carnival-like \u201cTwo Rings Shy,\u201d the honky-tonk romp \u201cGravity Is a Bitch,\u201d and a sassy \u201cPriscilla\u201d that takes aim at the tabloids. \u201cThat was a fun way to say it\u2019s all a bunch of BS,\u201d says Lambert with a laugh. \u201cAll that stuff makes Blake and me stronger. It does the opposite of what they probably want to do\u2014split us up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Much of Platinum<\/i>\u2019s power lies in its seamless blend of humor and introspection. The title refers not to album sales but rather some of her favorite things: her wedding ring, hair color, and preferred beer. A decade into her career, Miranda Lambert is ready for the next phase.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my 20s I worked hard and played hard,\u201d she says. \u201cI have all that under my belt to reflect on. But I feel like when you hit 30, you have to hold yourself accountable. I don\u2019t have anything to hide. Whatever I\u2019m going through, I want to sing about it\u2014because somebody else is going through it, too.\u201d Lambert spoke with us about the new record, dealing with celebrity, and hitting the big 3-0.<\/p>\n
What was your goal for the album?<\/b><\/p>\n
More than anything else, I wanted to be 100 percent honest. I felt the need to \u201ccome home.\u201d I referenced Kerosene<\/i>\u2014my first album\u2014a lot. Although musically it\u2019s not like Kerosene<\/i>, I feel I\u2019m speaking about my true self, and that\u2019s what I did on Kerosene<\/i>. Other than that, I didn\u2019t have a specific vision going in, in the sense of wanting a certain sound or a certain set of songs. As we worked in the studio I listened to my gut feelings\u2014my heart\u2014and went with the moment.<\/p>\n
Did one song set the tone?<\/b><\/p>\n
Not really. Each of the 16 songs is different. I wanted every one to have a part of my personality in it\u2014that was the common denominator.<\/p>\n
Were you involved in production?<\/b><\/p>\n
No question. I wanted to make sure every sound and every lyric was just right\u2014all T\u2019s crossed and I\u2019s dotted. \u201cTwo Rings Shy\u201d is a good example. I was very specific about that song. I wanted it to sound like a real carnival. I actually wanted to go to a carnival to capture those sounds. This record was exceptionally important to me. Something about this being my fifth album\u2014I wanted everyone to understand that I cared about it as much as my very first record. I was definitely pickier than I\u2019ve been in the past\u2014but I wanted my thumbprint on it.<\/p>\n
Did you have fun?<\/b><\/p>\n
Oh, I had a blast. Of course it was nerve-wracking\u2014I was anxious much of the time. But there\u2019s a lot of fun and a lot of humor. I\u2019ve sometimes taken myself too seriously\u2014hopefully I\u2019m loosening up. Blake has a great sense of humor and he\u2019s brought that same sense of play into my life. Music should be fun. It\u2019s not brain surgery. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of that. You can get too wrapped up in making things perfect.<\/p>\n
You take on the tabloids in \u201cPriscilla.\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
That\u2019s something Blake and I are going through right now\u2014being a tabloid target. Recording \u201cPriscilla\u201d was a great way to address that but in a really fun way. All the tabloid stuff makes us stronger, makes us laugh together about it. Of course we definitely are not Elvis and Priscilla. (laughs<\/i>) But the things that song had to say really caught my ear. It was perfect for where we are in our lives right now.<\/p>\n
Is the notoriety distracting?<\/b><\/p>\n
Everything starts and ends with music. The celebrity and tabloid stuff strays away from that and turns you into a caricature sometimes. It becomes about everything but the music. Blake and I both have to bring it back around to what\u2019s important. Without the music, we don\u2019t have anything.<\/p>\n
Did songwriting come easy to you?<\/b><\/p>\n
I was 17 when I started writing, and it was the first thing that came naturally to me. It was something I didn\u2019t have to work hard at, whereas I had to work hard at everything else. My dad is a singer-songwriter and he plays guitar, so maybe I got it from him. I just loved it from the start. You can hone your skill, but I also think you\u2019re either born with it or you\u2019re not. I\u2019m always working to be a better songwriter and musician and singer, but it\u2019s truly something that was in my blood.<\/p>\n
Did your parents\u2019 efforts to provide a safe haven for abused women impact your songwriting?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
It did, especially the early stuff. At 17, there\u2019s not a whole lot of your own life to write about. I was very sheltered in some ways, but on the other hand my parents didn\u2019t hide things from me. We had a good life\u2014my parents have been married for more than 30 years\u2014but they also showed my brother and me the outside world. They took in abused women and children, plus they were private investigators. There were things I saw that really soaked in\u2014and when I started writing it all came out.<\/p>\n
Prefer writing alone or with others?<\/b><\/p>\n
I enjoy both. Co-writing is actually more fun. Working with great writers is inspiring and pushes me to be better. I definitely gravitate toward writing with friends. I feel I can be more vulnerable and do a better job when I know the person I\u2019m working with. It\u2019s hard to walk into a room with someone you\u2019ve never met and start spilling your guts. But writing alone remains very important, too. You get a certain type of honesty writing from your own perspective. Every song happens in a different way. It might be a word I love that kicks off the whole process, or it might be an idea for a melody. I don\u2019t have a formula.<\/p>\n
Which songs are you especially proud of?<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cDead Flowers,\u201d from Revolution<\/i>, is a definite favorite. \u201cLove Is Looking for You,\u201d from Kerosene<\/i>, is another. Neither of those songs was a huge hit but from the writing perspective I\u2019m proud of both. It took me a while to understand what I was saying with \u201cLove Is Looking for You.\u201d I was only 18 when I wrote it. You sometimes go back and hear a song from a different angle than when you wrote it. A song you wrote when you were really young can surprise you when you\u2019re older.<\/p>\n
![\"miranda-lambert-opening2\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/miranda-lambert-opening2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Has being married affected your writing?<\/b><\/p>\n
It\u2019s made it easier\u2014though I don\u2019t write the cheatin\u2019, burn-your-house-down songs as much as I once did. It\u2019s great being married to another artist. We bounce ideas off each other and give each other advice. Each of us knows what the other is going through.<\/p>\n
Were you prepared for fame?<\/b><\/p>\n
I had enough time under my belt to be ready for it. I had been in a band traveling around Texas for more than two years, and then I was on Nashville Star<\/i>. Those things prepared me to keep my head on straight. It\u2019s really been a slow and steady build, and I\u2019m grateful for that. Having time to get used to things has kept me grounded.<\/p>\n
How go the Pistol Annies?<\/b><\/p>\n
We\u2019ll be doing more. Ashley and Angaleena are each making their own records right now. We can\u2019t abandon our solo careers, obviously. The Pistol Annies was always meant to be fun. What I love about the Annies is that it\u2019s an outlet\u2014like a slumber party on wheels. We make great music together, but keeping it fun is always the priority. Making it too businesslike or too planned would take away the creative aspect of what we do. We just fly by the seat of our pants.<\/p>\n
Who are your role models?<\/b><\/p>\n
There have been many I\u2019ve looked to for that. You take little parts from what you see and try to apply them to your own life. One artist I especially admire is Beyonc\u00e9. She handles herself well and is always classy. As far as building an empire goes\u2014and reinventing and being true to yourself\u2014I\u2019ve always looked up to Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton. Dolly always manages to reinvent herself, but at the same time she stays true to herself\u2014with the big hair, makeup, the great players and great writing. Plus she\u2019s a smart businesswoman.<\/p>\n
You turned 30\u2014how\u2019s it feel?<\/b><\/p>\n
In your 20s, you\u2019re running around trying to figure out who you are, screaming, \u201cListen, I have something to say!\u201d I\u2019m excited to be 30\u2014looking forward to getting smarter. (laughs<\/i>) Earlier in the year I had plans to do big things for my birthday\u2014really blow it out. But by the time the day arrived, I was just too tired from all the things I had done during the year. I thought, \u201cYou know, I really don\u2019t want to do anything. I just want to stay at home.\u201d I literally sat home with Blake\u2014doing nothing. It was awesome.\u00a0 M<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SLOW BURN Country firecracker Miranda Lambert keeps the sizzle but embraces her\u00a0softer side on her latest A decade ago, Miranda Lambert burst onto the country scene, branded as a volatile, gun-totin\u2019 spitfire. But these days the sassy singer-songwriter has mellowed a bit. \u201cAll the fiery stuff is what set me apart in the beginning,\u201d Lambert […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4835,23],"tags":[7501,1198],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12633"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12633"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12637,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12633\/revisions\/12637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}