on Nielsen’s US Current Country Albums chart and Billboard named it the No. 1 Country Album of 2017. Last month, her single Criminals hit No. 1 on the Canadian country radio charts. The craziest part? Lindsay is the first female in a decade to do so. “I’m so humbled and grateful to be a part of the movement and to break that glass ceiling that needed to be broken,” she says. And she’s no stranger to showing her support of the much needed women’s empowerment movement surging throughout the world, often posting encouraging messages on social media followed by #GRLPWR. A self-described social media fanatic, Lindsay tries to foster a community environment online in which everyone supports one another. Her fans are encouraged to reach out to her and should know it is only her voice they are talking to. Watching fans respond to her music at shows has been a rewarding part of the process of transferring these works of art from studio conceptions to performances in front of a live audience. “It’s been a lot of fun for my band and I to take these songs in the album and bring them to life on the stage and just watch fans react to them,” Lindsay says. She feels like she “hit the nail on the head” in terms of the feel of her album’s composition and the fact that no performance has yet to feel lackluster in magic. A huge factor in the dynamic atmosphere is the sight of the crowd seemingly identifying with the
personal lyrics from songs off The Project and singing them back to her. “A lot of people don’t even know who I am yet and I go play shows and people are singing every word to every song. It’s so incredible to me and I’m so thankful,” she says. Lindsay has just wrapped up supporting Brad Paisley on the Weekend Warrior Tour in April and heads out to join Sugarland this summer beginning July 19 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the fall, she hops on Keith Urban’s Graffiti U Tour, supporting him across Canada and select U.S. dates. Having the opportunity to share the stage with some of her musical heros has been a remarkable experience to flourish as a performer. “Keith and Brad are both my guitar idols. Specifically Keith I just feel really plays in this style of guitar playing that is one of my favorites.” Lindsay is also featured on Keith’s track Horses, on his new album Graffiti U, which hit shelves April 27. When asked about what mark she wants to leave on this world, Lindsay pauses and takes a moment to collect her thoughts, indicating she understands the depth of the question, and the position she holds for that matter. She answers, “I want fans to be able to listen to my music and relate to it and feel inspired from the words that I write and sing and the solos that I play and feel like I have touched them in a certain way and feel like in their lives, listening to my music, they get something from it.” NKD NKDMAG.COM
31
