The wait is over for new music from Lainey Wilson, who is celebrating the release of her newest project, 'Whirlwind,' available now. The singer sits down with Katie Neal to talk all about it.
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00:00Lainey Wilson, back to this company. Whirlwind, you made an album, like some people make an album,
00:09you made an album. We got to listen to this last night, and John Lobo, the head of your record
00:14label was like, this is a masterpiece. And I was like, I couldn't agree more. You have to be so
00:18proud of this body of work. Well, I value your opinion. So thank you. I am. I'm like, I think
00:24this is truly the best stuff that we've ever done. You want me to keep rolling? Or you want
00:31me to just start over? You're fine. You can go ahead. Yeah. I think it is the best stuff that
00:35we've ever done. My band got to play on this record. I feel like I've just got to like,
00:40go so many places and meet so many different types of people that like, I have a different
00:44view of the world. Yeah. And I think you can kind of hear that. You definitely can. There's so much,
00:49it's so you, but it's also like even more funky and fun. And like, there's so many songs. I'm
00:56like, I don't know how you're gonna pick a set list. Like I can't wait to hear so many of them
01:00live. I'm excited to see which ones like raise their hands. I'm excited to hear what Ringfinger
01:05does live. Can I just tell you that that is the one that I literally, first of all, when I saw
01:10the title, I was like, Oh, are we about to find out that Lainey and Duck like secretly got married
01:13and like, and then it's the complete opposite of that. Oh, yeah. And it's so fun. Yep. I got
01:20the ring, he got the finger. Oh my, like, I just, how did like the whole coming together of that and
01:26the sound? Because I haven't heard anything like that before. I don't feel like I've never heard
01:30anything like it before. I wanted to do like a Jerry Reid thing where I've spoke the verses.
01:35And I've been wanting to do that for a long time. And I had written a few songs where I was, but
01:39it didn't feel right. And when we wrote this song, it was, first of all, it was really fun
01:48for me to put a kind of like step into a character shoes. And then I realized that character is
01:52actually me. I'm like, this person's supposed to be crazy. And well, I guess I am. But when we got
01:58into the studio, it's like Jay kind of created a different world. Yeah. And in the beginning,
02:03you know, when those like, like the drum, it's almost to me, like, that part kind of makes me
02:10feel like the character is like mad and like she's racking her brain. And all of a sudden,
02:15when it kind of drops into that like funky groove, it sounds like she's trying to like
02:19collect her composure, so she can tell the story. And so he dove into emotions that I didn't even
02:26know the character had. It's so I think you know this about me. I don't know if you know this,
02:30but I was engaged. I'm no longer engaged. And you're not. No, but we'll talk about that. But
02:36it's been a while now. It's been a while now. Like, I'm good. But I it is really hard to find
02:40songs that capture that particular experience. Number one, and there are like zero songs that
02:45make it fun. You know what I mean? Like, so when I saw it, and I was listening to it, I was like,
02:50oh, I didn't think I'd ever be like, joyfully singing along to this. Like, whatever you guys
02:54do with that, you nailed it. I'm so glad. I hate that you can relate. But I'm so glad.
03:01Lord, but truly, like there's not nobody's like singing about that. So I just want to let you
03:04know that I that was one of my favorites. And I can't wait to see what you do with it. It's gonna
03:08be fun. I want to talk about the title of the album whirlwind because I was I was thinking about
03:13the first time that I ever saw you and it was I don't even know what year this was. It was in
03:17Springfield, Illinois, at boondocks. And you were opening for Hardy and Morgan. And I remember my
03:23guitar. Yeah, I remember my friend Lindsey was like, I can't wait for Lainey Wilson. I love
03:26Lainey. And I was like, I don't know who that is. And now I like flash forward to now. And I just
03:32you truly like have been in a whirlwind. It has since then, even like through the pandemic,
03:38we weren't going anywhere, but things were like still progressing, moving forward. Thankfully,
03:44I was I was very nervous about that time. But what I noticed is by the pandemic, it either like
03:50set a lot a lot of artists up, like for success, or it hurt them. And that that hurts me,
03:57you know, for them. So it's been nuts. But especially since we put out Bell Bottom Country,
04:03it's been a whirlwind. It's been crazy. Do you feel like you found a good rhythm to the chaos
04:08now that's like healthy for you? Yeah, it is still chaotic AF. But every day I get up, I'm just like
04:18attitude of gratitude, because this stuff right here are all the things that you worked for.
04:23And I would have just given so much to have opportunities like this. And so I'm so thankful.
04:31I am assuming would be it's so funny. There was a clip this week going viral
04:35of Julia Roberts and Dolly Parton when they were doing press for Steel Magnolias. Have you seen
04:39this? No. And Julia was talking about how they were complaining one day about how hot it was.
04:42It was so hot. It was so hot. And Dolly wouldn't say anything. She goes, Oh, Dolly, come on,
04:44just say something. She goes, I waited my whole life to be rich and famous. I ain't complaining
04:47about nothing. And I was like, so perfect. But that's kind of like where you have to live right
04:52now. Like, these are all things that you wanted. And like, if you don't feel grateful for it,
04:55like, what's the point? You know, I know. And Keith Urban told me this one time, and I might
05:00have shared this with you. Actually, right out here in this hallway. He told me he said,
05:04I think I was tired from a run or something. And he said, Remember, no whining on the yacht.
05:09And I was like, I don't have a yacht. Right? I know. You're like, I would love one. Please tell
05:20me about. That's so funny. There are several love songs on this album, which you have said,
05:26you wrote these love songs, but you did them your way. Explain what you meant by that.
05:31Katie, I don't think I'm ever going to be the love songwriter that's like mushy gushy. Like,
05:38I'm in a happy, healthy relationship with somebody who like, got his got his own thing going on. And
05:45he's my biggest cheerleader. But we have our own lives. Yeah. And we live them and then we come
05:50together and it's even better. I was gonna ask you about that. Because like, you know, your life is a
05:54whirlwind, quite literally. How do you like, how do you even have a relationship? Like, how do you
06:00be strategic and intentional to make space for that? Because it's got to be really hard.
06:04It's hard. I will tell you. The reason I know I found the right one is because for years,
06:10I mean, since he was five years old, he was trying to play football. And he did whatever it took to
06:16end up walking on with the Steelers. And I know how hard he worked for that. And he knows how hard
06:23that I've worked for this. And so it's crazy. Because when we first met, like he was coming
06:28off of football and I was going into like better things. And we like learn how to like deal with
06:34all of it. And we just know how much like we've had to sacrifice to do it. And so he would never
06:40in a million years ever make me feel bad about saying yes to things because we know that we're
06:45gonna one day we're gonna have the time. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's so sweet. And I'm so happy
06:50that like you have that person that gives you that because it's like you're in a hard position.
06:54You are in like the biggest moment of your career that just keeps getting bigger and bigger. And so
06:58to have like a cheerleader standing there and like cheering you on is just that's so important.
07:02It is so happy. How are duck and hippie doing? Oh, it's hippies world and we're living in it.
07:08She is so bad. Really? Oh my gosh, she's got an attitude. She'll like do her like look at corner,
07:15you know, like side on me. But she's a sweetest too. Oh, that makes me so happy. I loved you said
07:21the other day, one of the love songs on the album is called counting chickens, which I think is so
07:24funny because as women, we always do that. We're always putting the cart before the horse and we're
07:27ready to go settle down. We do. You said counting chickens, but you've got a duck.
07:32Was great. Yeah, what I got a dog. It's so funny when I tell people his name is Doug. They're like
07:39Doug. I'm like, no, like, whack, whack. And they're like, Oh, I'm like, yeah, as soon as
07:43you thought I couldn't get any more redneck I did. You went and found duck literally.
07:48What have been some of your like family and closest friends favorites from the album so far?
07:54Oh my gosh, my mom really likes call a cowboy because I think she thinks of my daddy.
08:00My nephews love counting chickens. Do they really? They do. That's a funny one.
08:03They like that they would be attracted to that. And I said the funny thing is I said
08:07when we were in the studio doing that song, I was like, I think kids are gonna really like this one.
08:12Isn't that so funny? There's a sound to it that feels very like,
08:15nursery rhyme-ish. Thomas Rhett always says that he knows what's gonna like be a good hit based on
08:20like the one that his kids keep asking for. Yes. I'm like kids, they got the ears. They know.
08:25They have their finger on the pulse of what's the best. Let's talk about the single hang tight,
08:29honey, because oh my god, they're like this one along with the whole album, like the sound in
08:33this like whatever Jay Joyce did, it's just like, so full and so fun. It sounds so good on the radio.
08:38Well, thank you. When we went in there to do this record, we were like,
08:42Well, thank you. When we went in there to do this record, I told him and my band, I was like,
08:48I'm looking for a thump. Like, I don't know what that means. And I'm not gonna like know until I
08:53hear it. But uh, but hang tight, honey is one of the first songs that we did. And I was like,
08:58that's the kind of thump I'm talking about. Like, I just want it to be like a live moment,
09:04you know, in the show. And, and you can kind of hear that all throughout the record,
09:08that thump because we did have double drums. And we had an extra guitar player too.
09:13What are other fun things that you got to like do with this album that like maybe you didn't
09:17before? Like, I feel like Jay was probably up to some like witchcraft in there.
09:19Oh, you know, he was putting it all on a pot and doing whatever he does.
09:26Golly, there's a dog barking in one of the songs. His his dog Monroe. And I'm trying to think which
09:34song is it? It might be Ringfinger. I can't believe I'm not I'm not thinking of it right
09:38now. But little moments. It'll be a fun one to listen for when we like listen to the album when
09:43it comes out to try and see if you can spot where the dog and also the end of counting chickens when
09:47I did the whole counting thing. Like I said, one chicken, two chickens, three chickens. Oh, shoot,
09:52I think that's a duck. I was doing that as a joke. And then Jay ended up liking it. So we kept it.
09:58I love when that happens where something that you're just like you say in the studio and it
10:01makes the out like it just feels it brings you in like you feel like you're a part of it. And
10:06it's something everybody's sharing, which I feel like is so fun. I also I have to know the story
10:10behind Whiskey Colored Crayon. Girl, that one was that'll linger with you for a long I had to like
10:17I'm glad it's at the end of the album because I kind of need a minute. That's kind of why we put
10:22it there. Because I feel like if it was in the middle of the record, it might kind of take you
10:27out of Yeah, like a different place than I'd like you to be listening to the rest of them.
10:32That is country music story telling to me at its absolute finest.
10:36And to that's another reason why I wanted to put it very last because I don't know,
10:40I just want to end them on that note of like, this is why I fell in love with country music.
10:45It's the storytelling aspect of all of it. And it came from a word exercise that Josh Keer did.
10:54What do you like? What was the exercise?
10:55Like he writes random list of things like he might write a list of things that he hates and
11:00write a list of things that he loves and and whiskey and colored crayon ended up being like
11:05two of the things on a list of like hundreds of things that he wrote. And he just like paired it
11:11and he was and that's and that's how he came up with Whiskey Colored Crayon. And then we developed
11:16the storyline around it. Wow. Yeah, that is and I think that's just like such a beautiful song.
11:22Like I honestly I hope that you put that one on the set because I feel like the people that
11:26that song touches is going to touch in such a big way. I know and there's so many people I mean like
11:32not just like kids who go through things but like the teachers and like it's a little bit of
11:39everything for somebody. I think sure like there's so many things that happen behind closed doors that
11:45people are scared to talk about or admit and the truth is we all have issues.
11:50We all have problems. So let's not act like we don't know. Exactly. And I feel like the number
11:55of people affected by alcohol and their family or something like that. Like I can't even imagine.
12:00Yeah. How many like grown adults are going to be like brought to tears from that song. It's so
12:04beautiful. I love it. Let's talk about like day of album release. What is the best vibe for listening
12:11to the album? Like what are we drinking? Where are we at? Like what we set the scene for like,
12:15fans like what's the perfect environment to listen to this? Well for me the first time I
12:20listened to it top to bottom was in my truck. Oh yeah. Just riding up and down the road. I feel
12:27like for me that's a good place for me to like take my mind out of everything else and just like
12:33focus on the road and focus on the songs. And so yeah I think that's it. Yeah. It's a really it's
12:39a good one. I was watching your Hulu documentary the other night again just like prepping for this
12:43and I noticed there's something that you guys do at live shows with bands with a band. You guys all
12:48you put your elbow in? Yeah. What is this like a COVID thing? Where did this come from? I don't
12:52know where it came from. Probably just us being stupid because when I tell you it's embarrassing
12:57how stupid we can get before we go on stage. I think one day I said bow up on it. And so we all
13:03just like put our elbows in because you know everybody else does the the hand thing. Not us.
13:08No we're going to get weird with it. I love that. It's just like such a fun thing. What are some of
13:11your other like pre-show rituals like things that you and the band either do every day or stuff that
13:16you've got to do before you go on? So I'll put like my in-ears in and I'll be side stage and we
13:22can all hear the house music and we'll be like singing funny things and like changing the lyrics
13:28like to like inappropriate stuff and just getting each other fired up or making fun of each other.
13:34Yeah us like messing with each other before we go on stage kind of gets us into this like feisty
13:40yeah little camaraderie like getting everybody jazzed up. Yeah I love that. That's so fun. I
13:45imagine you guys have like a really good time when you guys are all on the bus. Everybody's
13:49hanging out and you're traveling. What have you guys been like binging? Do you watch shows together?
13:53Oh my gosh they're all like super nerdy musicians. So I'm sure they're probably like you know
14:00they're watching some guitar some drum stuff. For me I just got finished uh watching is it
14:06Presuming Innocent? Presumed Innocent. Presumed Innocent. What did you think? It rocked my world.
14:12I did not see it coming. Me either. I thought a million different things but I didn't think that.
14:17I didn't think that. I also the mom for that acting that she did in the garage I'm sure as an
14:22actress you had to watch that because I was like what this is unbelievable like her facial expressions
14:26like that to me I was like this is nuts. I know. It was so good. It rocked my world. Oh yeah same
14:32we won't give any spoilers but it was so good. And then last thing I want to talk to you about
14:35before your album comes out the Post Malone album is coming out. Talk about working with Posty.
14:43You know what you can tell a lot about somebody just from like sitting around and watching how
14:50they treat people and I'm not even playing we wrote for like 12 13 hours like through the night
14:57and even people coming in to like change the trash or whatever like he treated them just
15:02like he would treat the CEO. Wow. And speaking to them and like making them feel welcome and
15:09I had not spent time with him before then and I was just like
15:12you deserve all the good in the world because you are good in the world and
15:17too he knows his country music. That's what everybody says Jelly's like he knows more than
15:21anybody. He does. So wild. I could be like hey who's that who sings that song back in 1951 about
15:27blah blah blah and I'm telling you he would know it he just he just texted me and said what are
15:31we drinking at the Opry tonight since he's having his debut. What are you going to be drinking at
15:36the Opry tonight? I don't know. I guess I should ask him and stop and get a bottle of it. Are you
15:39going to sing at the Opry tonight with him? Yeah. Oh my god. Yeah. So I feel like there's so much
15:44fun buzz around this album and like it's just good. I asked everyone I'm like that's heard the
15:50whole thing all the way through I'm like is there anything that's like fluffy like every song is
15:53great. Every song is great and I think what makes it different is like I think people who are
16:00normally from other genres of music the dudes they're not acting like tough you know what I'm
16:09saying like they can they can be a little vulnerable and like get away with it and like a
16:13little more sensitive and you hear a little bit of all of that in his stuff. It's so fun. It's
16:19funny too you said you were writing overnight because everybody I've talked to is like you
16:21know in Nashville we write like 10 to 3 and everybody writing with Post is like yeah we wrote
16:25all night. And then I try to go by McDonald's at 5 in the morning and they weren't open yet.
16:31That's the most heartbreaking thing. Oh my god. But it was so cool. That's amazing. And then we
16:36wrote a song together that night that Dolly Parton ended up cutting. Stop it. Yeah that
16:42him and Dolly are doing together. Are you out of your mind that you have a Dolly Parton cut?
16:48I think that might be the first time I said it out loud. Lamey. I had to tell you that. That is
16:53I love that you said that because I haven't seen the track like the credits for any of that yet so
16:57I wouldn't have known that. But congratulations. That is. I'm done. I'm done. I'm done. Thank you.
17:03Thank you everybody. Good night. Oh my gosh. So many good things are happening to you and it just
17:08makes me so happy. Thank you so much for the time this week. Thank you. And just I love this album.
17:12It's so good. I'm glad you do. That makes me happy.