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Lainey Wilson took a deep dive into her life and career in a newly-premiered episode of Broken Record, a podcast that spotlights conversations with musicians “about their life, inspiration, and craft.” Wilson’s episode made its debut on Tuesday (October 8), and the in-depth conversation “kind of feels like therapy.”
The reigning ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year covered everything from her life in her hometown of Baskin, Louisiana, to her career as an internationally-embraced artist. Wilson, 32, always had a gut feeling that she was meant to become an entertainer, including when she took her first trip to Dollywood and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. She spoke about her unwavering faith, her connections she makes with others (including in times of joy and sorrow), her family’s unwavering support, leaving her small town in 2011 and kickstarting her career in Nashville, her relationship, her signature bell bottom look, and much more.
“First of all, I think you are killing this because you are asking questions that a lot of people don’t ask me, and it kind of feels like therapy right now,” Wilson told interviewer Leah Rose about 20 minutes into the approximately hour-long Broken Record episode.
“After graduating high school, Lainey drove North to Nashville in a camper trailer that she lived in alone for three years. Success did not come easy. In those first three years, Lainey wrote over 300 songs, and it wasn’t until year eight that she finally signed a record deal. All of her hard work finally paid off in 2021, when her debut single ‘Things A Man Oughta Know’ raced up the country music charts. Several radio hits followed, and last year Lainey swept the award season, winning a ton of trophies including the Grammy for ‘Best Country Album’ and ‘Entertainer Of The Year’ at the Country Music Awards. …Lainey Wilson about how grit and determination became one of the central pillars of her success. Lainey also opens up about being physically objectified online, and the reality of playing alongside some of her musical heroes like The Rolling Stones and Dolly Parton.”
Wilson delivered her latest full-length record, Whirlwind, in August. The highly-anticipated album includes “Country’s Cool Again,” “Good Horses” with Miranda Lambert, “Hang Tight Honey,” “4x4xU” and more. This chapter in Wilson’s music follows her Grammy-winning album, Bell Bottom Country. Wilson, who’s hosting the CMA Awards for the first time with Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning recently announced her “Whirlwind European Tour” and headlining C2C Festival gig.
“I’ve been trying to sit down for a while now and talk about what this record means to me but the truth is I feel like this record says it all. I’ve grown so much in the past few years and I have such a different view of love and life and loss,” Wilson said in a statement when Whirlwind released in August. “The highs and lows of the whirlwind have taught me a lot about what’s important and how to never give up on trying to find your inner peace. I think you’ll hear what I mean when you listen. Hope it means something to you, too.
“Whirlwind is kind of the Western sister of Bell Bottom Country,” she added in a press release at the time. “Since that album, I have gotten to experience so many new things and meet folks from different walks of life. Because of that, I’ve become a better songwriter, and I have more understanding. I feel like I’ve truly stepped into what it is that I’m called to be doing. Ironically, I found my path within all the craziness—and that’s the whirlwind.”