Miranda Lambert Relies on Her ‘Guitar and a Real Stubborn Head’ to Get Ahead

Miranda Lambert has never been one to conform to any mold, real or imaginary. The 35-year-old has always chosen to sing about what she wants to sing about, trusting her music above anything else, including her looks, to break down barriers.

“I’ve struggled with weight ups and downs; I’ve put my life in my songs – and I’ve never counted on my hair, my make-up and my boobs to get me over,” Lambert told Pollstar. I’ve always used my guitar. A guitar and a real stubborn head will get you a long, long way.”

Lambert, like many other female artists, vows to continue to speak out about the way male artists dominate the airwaves, and promises to do something to stop it, including launching her all-female Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour. She also refuses to avoid subjects in her music that are often off-limits for women in country music.

“I’m sick of it, and I figured, ‘Why don’t we just go do something?’ Put the music on the road, give it to the people – and hopefully, they hear what they need in these songs,” Lambert said.

“If the side effect is we can’t be ignored anymore, great. If it doesn’t work, that’s okay too. We’re still gonna be out there, making great music, rocking the fans and having fun.”

Lambert also relies on getting her music on the radio – a system that works for her, but only to a certain degree.

“My top earning song – ‘Gunpowder & Lead’ – went to No. 7. ‘Little Red Wagon’ died in the teens. A hit is not a number, it’s when the crowd sings every word back to you. And that’s the thing. … We’re just asking to be heard, that’s not that much.

“It’s just being heard,” she continued. “That’s all it takes. Because if people really hear it, they know; they remember and respond. We’d love to have that radio play, because it helps a ton. And if you get on board with the new artists, especially for the young girls listening, you give that [music] to a lot of passionate women looking for their own lives [on the radio].”

Lambert’s Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour includes her trio Pistol Annies on all dates, along with a rotating list of opening acts that includes Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes and Caylee Hammack. Find dates by visiting Lambert’s website.

Photo Credit: Getty Images/John Shearer