Miranda Lambert Lets Her Guard Down, Admits 'Love Is Hard' But 'Worth It'
It’s been over two decades since stole America’s heart with her stint on the singing competition Nashville Star. Since then, she’s become one of the most powerful players in the country music scene thanks to her undeniable talent, sassy confidence and penchant for keeping it real.
“I’m lucky,” Lambert exclusively shares in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “I reached a lot of my goals early, and then you’re like, ‘What do I chase now?’ It takes a while to figure out the balance of actually living your life so you have something to write about and constantly being on the grind. And I think I finally found that balance pretty good.”
She largely credits that stability to her husband, former NYPD officer , whom she married in 2019 after a whirlwind romance. The pair live on a 400-acre farm outside Nashville where they tend to a menagerie of animals, while Lambert, 40, divides her time between various ventures, including her MuttNation Foundation, numerous businesses and, of course, music. On September 13, she’ll release Postcards from Texas, her self-produced first album under a new deal with Republic Records, that combines her trademark honest lyrics with, as she describes it, “all kinds” of country music.
“I made this with a new energy, kind of like the energy I had at 19 making my first album,” explains Lambert, who recorded it, fittingly, in her native Texas. “This record feels like you made it home, and you’re like, I’m going to send you some letters from home for a while.”
Here, Lambert talks more about life, love and learning.
JAMES MACARIAfter 20 years on Sony Records and then parting ways and regrouping, I had time to think, what do I really want my next chapter to be? I wanted to go back to the root and find my footing again. To finally make another record in Texas with my best friend, , and it just has this honky-tonk home sound to me. That’s the way I grew up. It’s the music that got me started. So it feels full circle.
We were at our house in Austin, and Brendan was watching football and Jon got the guitar out. Brendan was listening and kept piping in here and there with some ideas, and we’re like, “Are we cowriting? You’re going to have to turn the game off.” So he did, and he had some of my favorite lines in the song. It’s his first cut ever on an album. I’m actually really proud of him, and he’s super excited about it.
Related: Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin's Relationship TimelineMiranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin’s love proves that timing is everything after the pair tied the knot in 2019 following a whirlwind two-month romance. Before Lambert’s wedding to McLoughlin, she was married to Blake Shelton from May 2011 to July 2015. McLoughlin, meanwhile, welcomed a son with Kaihla Rettinger in November 2018, days after he […]Yeah, he’s putting “songwriter” on his bio. I’m like, “Slow your roll.”
He sings at karaoke. He’s a music lover in general, which is fun because he’s not in the industry, but he loves it and is also very honest. It’s nice to have somebody in your life that’s like, “No, that sucks. That doesn’t look good on you. That song is my favorite.” It keeps it real, especially him being a New Yorker, they don’t mince words.
Ayisha Collins/FilmMagicAbsolutely not. It was the most random thing, but it was meant to be. He’s such a great friend and really supportive, but he does his own thing. I [also] got to spend a lot of time in New York. We had an apartment in Soho, and I just got to be a tourist and immerse myself in the city.
So much. I guess the thing I’ve learned the most is just that communication is everything. Love doesn’t always cut it. You’ve got to talk about s–t. And you have to compromise sometimes and be willing to listen to each other when you have something important to say. Love is hard some days, but the reward is so worth it.
Related: Country Music’s Blonde Bombshells: Carrie Underwood, MoreCountry music's leading ladies have more than platinum records in common — they also rock some of the best platinum hair in the businessAbsolutely. He calls me out, and I love that. I need that. I don’t think it’s healthy that people, especially artists or celebrities, surround themself with yes people. If you surround yourself with a group of people who are honest with you, you’ll go a lot farther, and it’s a lot healthier in the long run.
I kind of went for it; no risk, no reward. I grew up in a family of first responders with cops and firemen. That gave me trust to begin with. Texas people are very much who they are, like, “Y’all come on in, but if you don’t like us, we really don’t care.” That New York mentality is the same, except they’re not as sweet about it. I just felt like the worst that could happen, I’ve lived through. If it ends, it ends.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagicIf you don’t put your heart out there, are you ever going to get the big love that everybody wants, that all the songs are about, that all the movies are about? I’m guarded in a lot of ways, but when it comes to my heart, I’m like, what do you really have to lose? Pain is pain, but it passes.
We’re pretty chill. When we’re off work, I’m in my patio hang vibe. We’ll make drinks and listen to music. Sometimes we’ll have the best parties just by ourselves. He loves what he calls “happy hour music” — Matchbox 20 and Goo Goo Dolls. So we have different tastes, but we’ll sit there for hours and listen. Sometimes I say to him, “We kind of live on a date,” which is pretty awesome.
Related: Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin's Sweetest Quotes About Each OtherMiranda Lambert and husband Brendan McLoughlin have offered rare insight into their marriage over the years. While the couple immediately made headlines for their whirlwind romance — Lambert and McLoughlin tied the knot after meeting two months prior — both had been involved in other relationships first. The country singer for her part, was known […]When you’re going through something really hard and personal and everybody’s in on it, people you don’t even know are not supportive and kind. Once, somebody said, “You asked for this!” And I was like, I didn’t ask for any of that. I try to be mindful of that, too, just in everyday life. Don’t spread negative stuff. We’ve all been a mean girl before. I learned it doesn’t make anything better. It just makes me look small, and it’s not the way I want to be.
It’s just been a lot because he moved to Nashville. He retired as a police officer, and that’s an adjustment. There was just a lot of new at once, and that’s hard on anyone. We were figuring out life. 2020 actually was a blessing in that way because we were stuck at home together and really got to know each other without all the noise.
John Shearer/Getty Images for Miranda LambertEverybody tells me that 40 is the best decade, and I’m so excited about that part. But a lot is changing daily. It’s like you just shift emotionally [and] I’ve really been thinking about priorities and what’s next for the first time in my life.
I care even less about noise and opinions that don’t mean anything and are hurtful. I don’t have room for that.
Related: Miranda Lambert Through the Years: From ‘Nashville Star’ to Country IconMiranda Lambert has been unstoppable since she hit the music scene in 2003 as a contestant on Nashville Star. Since then, the country superstar has released seven solo albums, four albums with her group, Pistol Annies, and won countless awards for her undeniably catchy tunes. “I haven’t changed from Lindale at all,” she told Refinery29 […]There’s a million of those. There’s a million of just being a human. Musically, I don’t have a lot of regrets. Just weaving in and out of relationships and labels. There’s a lot of things [where] I look back, and I go, maybe I could have handled that differently. I’m a Scorpio, so I’ll make the decision right away, good, bad or ugly. My husband’s a Libra, so I’ve learned from watching him not to rush into comments or judgments or decisions.
I’m sure it crosses everyone’s mind, because as a songwriter, you’re really saying your truth. And I think it’s important, even the tough songs that are like, “Oh, this one’s pretty raw.” But I put songs like that on every record I’ve ever put out because that’s what I signed up to do. That’s what country music is about: saying the truth — good, bad or ugly.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording AcademyIt’s also gotten me in trouble. I’m definitely a fiery personality and am strong in who I am. Most times it’s been worth it, honestly, because at least people know who I am. Sometimes, if you’re just vanilla and not polarizing in any way, do you just kind of disappear into the fray?
I have to sleep at night, even though some of my creative choices [put me on] a longer road. I haven’t had a ton of No. 1’s, and it’s taken a lot longer. And for women, it takes longer in country music. But it was worth it to me because I wanted to make sure that people knew exactly who I was, where I was from and the values that I carried through my music and as a person. If that meant the longer or harder road, it was worth it to me. I’d rather not do it at all than present myself as something that I’m not, because people see right through that.
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For more on Lambert, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
In this articleMiranda LambertMiranda Lambert Lets Her Guard Down, Admits 'Love Is Hard' But 'Worth It'
Miranda Lambert Lets Her Guard Down, Admits 'Love Is Hard' But 'Worth It'
Miranda Lambert Lets Her Guard Down, Admits 'Love Is Hard' But 'Worth It'
Miranda Lambert Lets Her Guard Down, Admits 'Love Is Hard' But 'Worth It'
Miranda Lambert Lets Her Guard Down, Admits 'Love Is Hard' But 'Worth It'
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