INTERVIEW
FALL 2025
Ingrid Griffin: From Nebraska to Hollywood Nights to Broadway Honky-Tonks Interview By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
Ingrid Griffin has taken quite a journey from the wide-open plains of Nebraska to the canyon sounds of Los Angeles and the honky-tonk stages of Nashville. Her roots are grounded in small-town traditions: linedancing on Sundays, busking with her dad at the farmers market, and finding inspiration in the flat farmland she still insists rivals any mountain view. But Griffin’s artistry has been shaped as much by her hometown support as by the culture shocks of L.A. and the crash course of Nashville’s Broadway scene. With a style she describes as “1970s troubadour spirit with country/pop sparkle,” Griffin shamelessly pours her stories into her songs, balancing vulnerability with fearless honesty, and always keeping performance at the heart of it all. You grew up in Nebraska, which is known for its wide-open spaces. Do you think the landscape or the pace of life there has influenced your songwriting style? Absolutely! My hometown had Sunday night line-dancing with live country bands, which is where I first fell in love with country music. Another special place was our farmers market, where I busked with my dad, who still plays percussion with me, every Saturday, rain or shine. People were so supportive, and it really encouraged me to keep pursuing music. And honestly, I think the Midwest is more beautiful than mountains or oceans, some of my best song ideas have come while driving through the flat Nebraska farmland. Moving from Lincoln to L.A. must have felt like culture shock, and now Nashville is a third chapter. How do you think each city has left a fingerprint on your artistry?
ROCK & ROAMER | 12
Photo By Cece Reinardy Los Angeles was an exciting chapter of my life, but it was definitely a culture shock, I even wrote a song called “Red Cup” about my very first L.A. party and feeling totally out of place. Nashville, on the other hand, has felt like home from day one. Both cities have such rich musical histories, and being immersed in them has shaped me in completely different but equally important ways. What’s the difference like as an artist between playing venues in L.A. like Hotel Café and working the Broadway scene in Nashville?
I was a college student at University of Southern California. when I lived in L.A., and I was the only country artist I knew, so that was the biggest difference as far as L.A. is concerned. Broadway in Nashville is its own world! The sets are four hours long, based mostly on requests, there are no set lists. Sometimes I show up to a full-band gig without even knowing the musicians I’ll be playing with! It keeps you on your toes in the best way. Plus, it has forced me to learn hundreds of country and rock classics, which has been an amazing crash course in great songwriting.
@ROCKANDROAMER