Lady Redneck Interview by Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
Lamitschka: Music has many new fans throughout
Europe who may be hearing about you for the first time. How would you describe
yourself and the music you play to someone who has never seen or heard you?
Answer: Real country fun… a rockin‘ good time. My style is country with a hot, almost rock
sounding, guitar and fiddle. Being a
fiddle player, if you ask me, ya gotta have a fiddle in the band. I also love a good rockin‘ guitar. I love the sound of a Gretsch and you’ll hear
it on every song.
Lamitschka: How was the last year for you? What were
your highlights?
Answer: This year was AMAZING! A whirlwind of life! I hit half a million followers across my
social media platforms, signed with an amazing PR company and got to where my song
is being played on radio stations all over the U.S. I also released my third album No One Like
You and I am so close to
releasing my fourth album which has my current single, Duct Tape My Broken Heart.
Lamitschka: What is your latest CD and how’s it
doing?
Answer: Well I’m getting ready to release my fourth
album in April called Duct Tape My Broken Heart and can’t wait to see
how it does. My latest release however
is called No One Like You and it’s done amazingly well! I’m selling so many of them online, and am very
grateful since it’s been my highest selling album yet. It’s been fun to hear fans responses about
how much they love it.
Lamitschka: How did you choose the title for the
CD? Is there a story behind the name?
Answer: No One
Like You is one of my favorite songs I’ve written. I wrote it for my best friend, my husband,
Jon. It’s raw and full of emotion which
is why I decided to make it the title track for the album. I believe when you
write truth as a songwriter, listeners can actually feel it in their hearts.
Lamitschka: Do you write the songs yourself? If not,
how do you go about finding the songs for your CD?
Answer: I do! I write them all myself which makes me
naked, in a sense, in front of the world because you are getting the real
me. I couldn’t hide if I wanted to. If you’re wondering who I am, listen to my
music. For me, writing is a release that
allows me to write about life and things that I like and don’t. My albums showcase a large range of
songwriting that can be passionate, fun and even funny on songs like Hunting Boots, I’m Hooked and Rednecky Inside. You get it all with me and as far as
picking cover songs for my albums — I always include two. Those are fun because I can choose songs from
my childhood or a song I just heard on the radio. I love it.
Lamitschka: Please tell us about the songs on your
album (influences, etc).
Answer: This album definitely has more of a rock
flair because of the two covers, but it’s still very country. The title track is my personal favorite on
the album, I love how slow and passionate it is. A lot of my songs are full of emotion like Daddy’s Little Girl which I am often
told is very relatable by fans. My
influences run deep, like the reason I recorded Lyin Eyes was because I grew up listening to it thanks to my
parents who loved The Eagles — who doesn’t? When we recorded it it took much longer than I
thought it would. I don’t know why I
didn’t anticipate a six minute song with harmonies would take a while.
Haha! But I also listen to my fans and
want to know what they would like to hear. I‘ll look at what I have so far and think about what is missing. Burned
came about in that way. I needed a fast
song and this one came into my head almost faster than I could write it. I knew exactly how it was supposed to sound
as I wrote the words. The Samson and Delilah cover on the album was
one my husband heard on the show Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles and
thought it was cool so I recorded it. We
weren’t sure how it would do. It was
kind of an unknown song, but I thought it would be fun to add something a
little different.
Lamitschka: What is the difference between your last
CD and your current one?
Answer: No One Like You had a different flair
to it than my two previous albums. The
first two albums had a little more banjo, and sounded a little more like
authentic Texas country. This last one
is definitely still very country but with more of a rock vibe mixed in.
Lamitschka: Your current single will be played by
radio. What do you feel is special about this song that makes people want to
hear it?
Answer: First of all, it’s probably the first song
that’s ever been written about duct tape, so maybe just sheer curiousity! Duct
Tape My Broken Heart is something new, something different and very country
coming from a female. The vocals are fun
and the fiddle and guitar playing are smokin‘ hot.
Lamitschka: What kind of songs do you like to record
the most?
Answer: Recording my original songs is the most fun. I love creating and seeing them come to life! Being in the studio also allows me to just
let the creative juices flow and get a little crazy. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a ballad or
up tempo, it’s all fun to me.
Lamitschka: What is your favorite song among all the
songs you have recorded and what’s the story behind it?
Answer: My favorite song I have recorded was the
first original I released, Love Me Baby. I have played in bands, including a family
band, since I could walk. I love
performing and being on stage, but I also love writing and have been doing it
my whole life. Even in school, I would
ususally do reports and papers in a song style. My teachers often joked about my musical influence. When I went through some really hard times a
few years ago I was able to turn to writing to help me through it. I was often awake all night so I would write
songs, sometimes I’d write five songs in a night. One night, the words and
music to Love Me Baby came to
me. I could hear the song and it was
more like I just had to write it out!
I saved up money to record it and when I finally got
enough, I recorded it and put it on social media. I had radio stations writing to me and asking
to play it and it even landed on two different charts! It was the beginning of my solo musical
journey and will always have a special place in my heart.
Lamitschka: How much creative control do you have
over your music?
Answer: Luckily for me I have complete creative
control. I write the songs and go to
Brad Davis Studios in Texas to record. Brad’s
a talented musician/songwriter/producer and my husband usually comes along. The three of us come up with original ideas
and though I ultimately make the decision, Brad and Jon have such great ideas
that we usually end up using them especially since my husband doesn’t come from
a musical background. He often comes up
with ideas that we wouldn’t neccessarily think of because of our training. Together there is a real synergy between
us.
Lamitschka: Do you have any interesting stories
about how fans have been affected by your music?
Answer: I had a woman write me the other night
telling me about her struggle with depression and anxiety. She‘s been so overwhelmed lately that she
hasn’t wanted to go on, and hasn’t known what to do. She then found my music and listened to it
all night and it is the only thing right now that makes her happy. That made me feel good. Life can be so hard, and if I can bring some
fun… some light, to others, that makes me happy.
Lamitschka: Who inspires you musically and how deep
do your musical roots run?
Answer: My parents — they’re awesome. My dad was a music major and I grew up
listening to him play the piano and several other instruments. For years I didn’t know the songs he played
were songs he wrote, I thought they were songs off the radio and I loved
them. Most weekends my parents were away
playing in bands. As soon as my sisters
and I were old enough to hold a guitar we started playing and performing. It’s just what our family did. We were the musical family and we had gigs
every weekend until I got to college when we started having them every
night. We traveled all over the Northwest and it was so
fun to sign autographs and be on stage. I loved it and I knew I would do it the rest of my life!
Lamitschka: What do you think about today’s music
scene versus its post and where do you see it going in the future?
Answer: I love it! I love the way music evolves. I’m hoping in the future to see more
female artists making waves in the industry, especially in country music.
Lamitschka: What do you think about today’s music
industry?
Answer: It’s awesome! With social media, the sky’s the limit! If you love music and work at it, you can have
a great fan base without having a ton of money. I think it levels the playing field and opens the door to talent that
might have otherwise been unnoticed.
Lamitschka: If you had the chance to change
something about the music industry, what would it be?
Answer: More female singers, for sure!
Lamitschka: As an artist, you have so many tasks
such as recording, touring, interviews. What do you like best, what’s your
favorite activity?
Answer: Performing the music on stage. That’s an easy one for me, I love the energy
and excitement. It’s a rush.
Lamitschka: Are you doing anything to take music
beyond its current borders or are you happy where it is?
Answer: Every day I work on taking it beyond its
current borders. Yes, I am happy where it is, but I have big hopes and dreams!
Lamitschka: What inspired you to become an artist?
Answer: It’s in my blood. It’s who I am. I know no other way.
Lamitschka: What inspired you to become a
songwriter?
Answer: It’s a way for me to understand life. It’s how I heal. If I’m struggling with understanding someones
decisions, I talk to them and write a song about it. It helps me work it out in my head. I don’t know what I’d be doing if not
writing.
Lamitschka: What drives you?
Answer: My dreams and goals I have for myself. I can see them in my head… I have and will
always have a desire for excellence in whatever I am doing. I’m one of those people. 😉
Lamitschka: What’s unique about you that will differentiate
you from other artists?
I am original and do things my own way. I don’t need to be like everyone else. My music is happy, playful, sexy, and
fun. It’s an escape for myself and those
that listen. I can be a little crazy,
but I’m real. I’m a woman who loves to
be a woman. I love the outdoors and am a
Redneck so you’ll hear all of that in my music.
Lamitschka: What has been your greatest challenge in
music business?
Answer: Knowing where to spend my time has been difficult. I love to perform and write music, but for me
to get my music out, I have to market it. My biggest challenge has been how to balance the time between hanging
out with fans and actually producing and performing my music.
Lamitschka: What moments in your career stand out in
your memory as highlights and achievements which you are proud of?
Answer: I’ve already been so lucky to have a few
highlights. Winning a songwriting
contest, being nominated as Female
Country Artist of the Year at an independent award show in Nashville and being
in the top five streams across country radio are just some that come to
mind.
Lamitschka: Who is your biggest critic, yourself or
others?
Answer: Not sure… depends on my mood. 😉
Lamitschka: When you get time off, how do you like
to relax?
Answer: I run. J I also love the
beach. I love the sand, the sea and the
air. Also fishing and really everything
that has to do with the water and being outdoors.
Lamitschka: What hopes and desires do you have?
Answer: Sell out a stadium, have a #1 hit, play at
the Opry.. just to name a few.
Lamitschka: Is there any place you haven’t played
that you would like to?
Answer: The Grand Ole Opry
Lamitschka: What can your fans expect to see when
they see you in concert?
Answer: A party!!! Expect to see me running all over the stage having the time of my
life.
Lamitschka: Many music fans today get their
information about artists online. Do you have your own website and what will
fans find there?
Answer: I have two websites. One has my music, merch, and all the good stuff. The other only has all of my merch available
for purchase, but the real juice is on my Facebook page. www.ladyredneck.org
and www.ladyredneckmusic.com
Lamitschka: Tell us about the fan club and how
people can join it.
Answer: I do have a small fan club on Facebook and
have truly been supported by those fans throughout the years. I am definitely working on putting together a
bigger one.
Lamitschka: What’s the best compliment a fan has
ever given you?
Answer: That I have the most beautiful voice they’ve
ever heard. But who knows, they may tell
all the girls that. Haha!
Lamitschka: What’s your favorite song that you wish
you could have recorded?
Answer: I Will Always Love You – such a beautiful
classic… I wish I had written it!
Lamitschka: What message would you like to send your
European fans?
Answer: That you guys are so awesome for having such
a big country music following and I can’t wait to get over there and make music
with ya’ll!
Lamitschka: Describe what a perfect day is like for
you.
Answer: A good run, some sun, and lots of music.