Lindsay Ell on New EP and John Mayer Dreams: The Ram Report
Lindsay Ell has had a Nashville record deal since 2013 but still hasn’t released an album, nor even an EP. She’s been doing things a bit unconventionally, releasing one song at a time. But that’s finally about to change.
“I’m actually in the studio with Kristian Bush, working on a record right now,” she told Rolling Stone Country backstage at Route 91 Harvest Fest in Las Vegas. “I’ll be releasing the EP early in the new year.”
In addition to Sugarland and his solo music, Bush has beefed up his songwriting and producing credits lately. He also helped Lucy Hale with her debut album and has written songs on recent albums by Rita Wilson, Laura Bell Bundy, Bobby Bones & the Raging Idiots, Boys Like Girls and several more artists.
“Kristian is so brilliant and talented, so it’ll be really fun to hop in the studio with him and see what we can come up with,” says Ell. “I’ve never released a record and I’ve been doing this for so long. I’m really excited about releasing a full project and getting it out for fans.”
Ell performed her recently-released “All Alright” at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. She tells us the tune’s message is to be grateful for what you have.
“I wanted a positive song that talks about all those first-world problems that we make a big deal of. In the big scheme of things, that stuff really doesn’t matter,” she says. “Being on the road, you can get caught up in a lot of things. . . or you can just realize it’s not that bad.”
Ell also took the stage with fellow guitar shredder Brad Paisley at the Sin City festival – something she says was surreal. “Brad and Keith [Urban] are exceptional musicians, so to tour with them would be amazing,” she dreams.
But it’s Paisley’s 2004 CMT Crossroads partner on whom Ell really has her sights set.
“John Mayer would be a pinch me moment,” she says. “I dream about it every day. . . John has inspired so much of what I do and how I play, so maybe one day? I’ve never met him, but I can tell you about every guitar lick on almost every song.”
John Mayer, your move.