When Miranda Lambert takes the stage for one of her solo shows, she proudly commands attention from everyone in the audience –– a role she relishes and does better than almost any other artist. But that doesn’t mean that Lambert has to be the center of attention. The country music superstar is just as happy to be part of an ensemble, which is why she loves performing with Pistol Annies, a trio she is part of, along with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley.
“It’s hard for us to tour at any time, and especially last year because Angaleena was pregnant,” Lambert told the Nashville Scene. “But it’s awesome for me when we do, because Lone Star Annie is a lot more fun than Miranda Lambert. When Ashley and Angaleena come out onstage during my show, it’s comforting because I get to be a side person for a while.”
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Pistol Annies earned a Grammy nomination for their latest Interstate Gospel record, for Best Country Album, even if Lambert is disappointed that the record didn’t become the commercial success the three women had hoped it would.
“It pains me every day because people don’t know more about Interstate Gospel,” Lambert acknowledged. “It’s a lot different from our first album, which came out in 2011 when we were in our 20s. The music has matured with us.”
Lambert also just released her own Wildcard, marking a return to more commercial music, after her heavy double-disc The Weight of These Wings, released after her highly-publicized divorce with Blake Shelton.
“I wanted to make sure I didn’t stray too far off the path I’ve been on,” Lambert said. “I knew I had to go back on the road and revamp my live show, and I needed a record with fun, uptempo songs to do that. I spent several nights on the porch talking about it with [producer] Frank Liddell. We’ve done every record together, even the Pistol Annies records.
“We tried to do it again, but eventually I decided I needed to change producers and to write with new people,” she continued. “And Frank gave me his blessing to do whatever I had to do. You have to change, because you can’t get too comfortable in this business.”
Lambert is currently on her Wildcard Tour with Cody Johnson and LANCO. Find dates and purchase Wildcard at MirandaLambert.com.
Photo Credit: Getty / John Shearer
