Post by the Scribe on Dec 5, 2022 6:47:46 GMT
Q&A WITH MIRANDA LAMBERT
www.musicconnection.com/qa-with-miranda-lambert/
CONTENT SLIDE, COVER STORIES, MAGAZINENOVEMBER 27, 2022BY DAN KIMPEL
Las Vegas Spotlights and Tall Tales
A tough talking trailblazer, a tequila-tippling Texan, and a remarkable storyteller with a repertoire of indelible songs. As the most awarded artist in the Academy of Country Music’s history—with 37 honors including this year’s Entertainer of the Year title—Miranda Lambert commands a towering career pinnacle.
Lambert’s latest release, Palomino, honors her history, weaving classic country influences into an artistry that is tough, tender, and granular, with ties to both small town rural roots and an allegiance to the enduring legacy of her home state’s legendary singer-songwriters.
On this morning, Miranda Lambert is in Nashville after her inaugural Las Vegas residency. In this exclusive Music Connection interview, she’s ready to talk about music.
Music Connection: You recently introduced “Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency,” at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino with tickets now on sale for Spring 2023. How do you translate the intimacy of your presentation to a cavernous Las Vegas showroom?
Miranda Lambert: I like the fact that every seat is a good seat, and it is intimate, because it’s a theater. The fact that it’s a stationary show, where we don’t have to move our stuff every night with the trucks and travel to the next city allows us to have so much more production that we’ve ever had before. The cross between a big production and everyone able to see is a successful juxtaposition. And my jacket catches on fire, which is pretty damn cool.
MC: In looking at the set list, it is an encompassing soundtrack to an almost 20-year career. How did you curate the repertoire?
Lambert: We spent a lot of time on the song selection. It’s what started the whole thing. We didn’t do any design or production until we honed in on the set list. My musical director, Danny Mitchell, went through my whole catalog. Our biggest question was how do we get from “Kerosene” to Palomino? I wanted to have some nostalgia, and have some video elements, as well. Those videos really were such a part of the songs, like “Kerosene” for instance.
MC: You go back to a song that you famously covered, the poignant “The House That Built Me,” written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin.
Lambert: I got lucky enough that it landed around me, and I could catch it and hold it close, because it’s one of the most special songs that I have ever heard in my life. I don’t take it lightly. I wanted to make sure that I executed it perfectly, because that song deserves it. It’s all of our stories.
MC: Speaking of Palomino, the song “Carousel” is an emotional standout, with a narrative about a faded circus performer. How does it fit into the Velvet Rodeo presentation?
Lambert: It’s a huge moment in the show. It’s not stripped down, but it’s more dramatic because of lighting and production. Sometimes it’s hard to get through. Being a writer on it, I’m still so in it and so wrapped up in the story every time I sing it. And it’s heartbreaking. Singing it every night, I want to make sure that I’m getting the story across. I sing as close to the mic as I can, and we use the tricks of the trade with the lighting and everything. That’s something I appreciate about the Las Vegas setting. You can highlight lyrics more because you’re indoors and it’s controlled. For a song like that, it’s really cool to set it up and make the production a part of the story.
MC: The songs on Palomino are character- and locale-driven. How were these tales conceived?
Lambert: I started writing the songs in 2020. We spent a lot of time developing these characters and these stories. It’s not a concept record, but it’s definitely got a thread. I spent a lot of my writing career writing about personal experiences, or those of people close to me, and this is one that was like “Let’s go out of ourselves and find some cool places and some cool people that we can make up.”
MC: Country is certainly the bedrock of Palomino, but we can hear soul, gospel, blues and Southern rock added to the mix.
Lambert: I pulled a little bit more from other influences, more than I have in the past. Linda Ronstadt and ZZ Top—trying to get those coming in.
MC: How does Linda Ronstadt influence you?
Lambert: Watching her documentary, she was so committed. “I had to sing this song or I would just die.” She meant it, with that fire inside her eyes. I want that commitment, that crazy passion for something, even just a tenth of what she had. The skillfulness and the longevity of her career are very inspiring to me.
more
www.musicconnection.com/qa-with-miranda-lambert/
www.msn.com/en-us/music/celebrity/miranda-lambert-says-palomino-was-inspired-by-linda-ronstadt-and-zz-top/ar-AA14SyMk
Miranda Lambert Shows Her Strength Through Powerful Linda Ronstadt Cover
By Miranda Raye on May 16, 2016
countryrebel.com/blogs/videos/125370499-miranda-lambert-shows-her-strength-through-powerful-linda-ronstadt-cover/
Miranda Treats Crowd To Favorite Song
Just like the rest of us, country stars have their favorite songs that they always enjoy singing. For Miranda Lambert, that song is Linda Ronstadt‘s “Willin’.”
countryrebel.com/blogs/videos/tagged/miranda-lambert
countryrebel.com/blogs/videos/tagged/linda-ronstadt
During a concert in Indianapolis, Indiana, Lambert took a break from singing her own material in order to perform a cover of Ronstadt’s 1974 tune.
Before naming the song she was going to sing, Lambert introduced it by saying, “This is one of my favorite songs,” going on to add, “I wish I had written it.”
Learn More About Miranda’s Well-Loved Track Of Linda’s
“Willin'” was written by songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer Lowell George, and was included as one of the tracks on Ronstadt’s Grammy-winning album Heart Like a Wheel.
Although Ronstadt never released the song as a single, it has stuck with people like Lambert because of its powerful message.
The narrator of the song speaks about her struggles in life, and how she certainly hasn’t had it easy. But all of those hardships have made her stronger, as she sings “And I’ve been kicked by the wind, robbed by the sleet/Had my head stove in but I’m still on my feet/And I’m still willin’.”
How Did Miranda Do?
Lambert performed a particularly moving version of the song, starting off singing basically on her own with little instrumental back up.
The power of the song continued to grow as Lambert’s band jumped in and she increased the volume of her voice. She finished off the performance with a flourish, and the crowd couldn’t contain their excitement.
This performance is a fantastic showcase of Lambert’s undeniable talent. Check it out below.
What other Ronstadt songs would you like to hear Lambert sing at a future concert?