When Brantley Gilbert asked Lindsay Ell to sing with him on “What Happens in a Small Town,” from his latest Fire & Brimstone album, she had no idea how successful the song would become. As the heartbreaking duet reaches the Top 5 and is still climbing, Ell reveals she is weeks away from releasing new music of her own as well.
“We are weeks away from new music,” Ell promised to PopCulture.com. “Weeks away. I’m so excited. I cannot wait to get some new songs out there. It’s been too long. It’s been a couple of years. I’ll have a new song out in a few weeks, and a record early next year.”
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Ell is still pinching herself that “What Happens in a Small Town” has done so well, since her highest-charting single before the collaboration was “Criminal,” which peaked at No. 19.
“It’s so crazy,” gushed the singer. “I mean, I have dreamed of having a Top 5 single ever since I moved to Nashville, and the fact that it’s finally here, the fact that I can share that with Mr. Brantley Gilbert, I’m just very grateful and I feel so honored.”
Ell just wrapped up her run with Gilbert on his Not Like Us Tour, which also included Michael Ray – two men she was first fans of, and is now proud to call among her close friends.
“We just wrapped our tour, which was so bittersweet ’cause I’ve had so much fun being on the road with Michael Ray and Brantley,” Ell said. “They’re the sweetest humans. Both of them are just such sweet guys and they feel like my older brothers out in tour. We had a lot of fun this year.”
Ell is close friends with Gilbert but has yet to meet his brand-new daughter, Braylen, even though she knows that day is coming.
“I have not met baby Braylen yet, but I am going to,” said the singer. “I’m convinced. I mean, he and Amber are just such incredible parents and I’m so excited for him to be able to welcome baby number two, another kid into this world. He’s such a good dad and it’s always so cool – every weekend he was like, ‘Look at this new video’ of Barrett and of Braylen.’ He’s such a good dad.”
Ell has a handful of solo shows scheduled throughout the remainder of the year. Find tour dates at LindsayEll.com.
“What Happens in a Small Town” earned Ell and Gilbert a CMA Award nomination, for Musical Event of the Year. The 2019 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Photo Credit: Getty / Terry Wyatt
