Farm girl grows up to become Grammy-winning country singer, while staying true to her roots
By Bonnie Siegler
photography by randee st. Nicholas
As she relaxes on her tour bus in Fayetteville, North Carolina before her evening performance, Miranda Lambert could be mistaken for any gal on her day off. She’s still wearing her pajamas at noon.
“I wake up every morning not knowing where I am,” the platinum country superstar and Grammy winner says with a laugh. No surprise, since this Texas native has been touring the country promoting her new solo album Four the Record, singing with her girl group, the Pistol Annies, while mentoring six contestants on TV’s The Voice alongside her husband, Blake Shelton, one of the show’s judges.
Juggling marriage and career
It’s a hectic life, and Lambert is enjoying every minute of it while still a newlywed. “The biggest challenge in juggling marriage and my career is keeping a balance,” she says with an unmistakable southern twang, “not working too much and not being home too much. I’m trying to find that perfect balance of still getting to live my dream and fulfill that part of my personality. And, honestly, it took a while to find that. I had my nose to the grindstone so I could get to this professional point in my life, also realizing that when this is all over, I’m still going to have a happy life.”
Lambert knows the importance of persistence and fortitude. When she first came to Music Row in Nashville, she told record execs that they couldn’t tell her what to record, and that she would do it her way. That sassy and independent spirit has served her well.
“My mom says I was that way since the day I was born,” she states with another laugh. “I’m a tough girl and I say it like it is, though when I do finally love you, I love you with my whole heart. To me, that’s a good quality, as well.”
Raised in Lindale, Texas, Lambert had a childhood that was just meant to end up in country-music lyrics. At the age of five, she and her family lost everything. “My dad was self-employed, so we had to move, and I remember seeing him depressed and sad – it really opened my eyes,” she says.
Nothing fake about her
Raised on a farm after that, the 28-year-old singer/songwriter reflects on difficult times. “I’m thankful for those lows in life because I think they make you who you are and help you become a whole person. I’m very real with my songs and don’t have a fake bone in my body. So whatever I put on my records is very honest about where I am in life. My dad later started an assistance farm when I was very young, and we literally lived off the land.
“What’s funny is that the first thing I did when I had some money was to buy my own farm, so growing up like that really taught me what’s important in life, be appreciative of what I have, and how to be happy with what you’ve got. I didn’t sign up to be a role model for women—just to be someone who women can say, okay, well she’s normal and she’s successful…she’s a regular sized woman so if she can do it, I can do it too. I think my success speaks to giving women a sense of empowerment; that’s very important to me.”
Be yourself
Lambert, who is country’s reigning female vocalist of the year for the second straight year, says her best advice came from her own role model – her mom, who still lives in the small town of Lindale, Texas with her dad. “She told me to be who you are and stick with it,” Lambert says. “I’ve never swayed in my image of who I am, so I think that carried me through life. Just know what you stand for, know your values and always stand by them. I’d say my brand and me are one and the same. I’m very open and honest about who I am.”
Believing that everything in life happens for the greater good, Lambert is open to taking chances and venturing outside her comfort zone. So how does the crooner kick off her cowboy boots and take life down a notch or two? “Smoke some ribs out back, be with Blake and family. If it’s date night, sitting on the couch and watching a movie. We’re very low key. Go hunting, fishing…just chill out at our Oklahoma farm. I carry a pistol most of the time when I’m on the farm because I hate snakes. I’m a pretty good shot.”
Staying country strong
Another way Lambert de-stresses is exercise, “which I truly hate but I love the results. I just hate the process.” Staying country strong is key to Lambert’s professional and personal successes in life. Mixing up her workouts between Pilates moves, circuit training, Tai Bo moves and outdoor activities helps keep her body in tip-top shape. “I have a trainer, and we don’t necessarily go to a gym because we’re on the road so much. So we use boxing gloves and pads, resistance bands, jump rope and park benches for crunches and dips.”
Yet she still keeps a critical eye on herself. “I think as women, we’re critical of ourselves,” she says. “I always have to work on my arms. I’ve got big, strong girl arms, so I have to make sure they’re toned. And my legs – I call them cheerleader legs – because they’re pretty much killer, so if I do a couple of moves for a few weeks, it definitely shows.”
Girl talk
To nourish her own soul and keep everything honest and true, Lambert makes a point of getting together with her friends for girl talk and writing songs. “I think having close girlfriends like the Pistol Annie’s keeps me in check,” she says. “So if we’re on the road, it’s definitely more fun being with them and writing songs about what females go through…it’s therapeutic and great for my general well-being.”
Another contributor to Lambert’s well-being is eating healthy food. “I pretty much will eat anything except tomatoes,” she says. “I try not to overeat, and do a lot of salads, grilled chicken and vegetables, but I’m a Texas girl, so I love my fried foods. I can make the best chicken fried steak with double batter.”
And then there’s Cheetos, which she admits are her guilty pleasure, and she doesn’t care about tell-tale orange fingers and smudges. “Eating healthy is definitely a choice I have to make every day. I have to make a conscious decision to start off with oatmeal instead of bacon and eggs,” she admits.
State of contentment
Lambert’s world is now brimming over with happiness. She’s reached a comfortable, interesting place in her life, anticipating a three-month break in the fall, albeit still writing music. “I just really want to live. I’ve got a great team surrounding me,” she says. “I’m married and feel settled on that front; somebody has my back forever. I feel like I’ve got a good life in Oklahoma with my husband. I don’t feel like I’m treading water anymore. I’m just in a comfortable spot.” And while talk of children is tabled until her 30th birthday, it’s something she says she looks forward to.
If Lambert were going to write a song about where she is in life at the moment, what would be the title? For the first time during our long conversation, there’s a moment of silence as she ponders and pushes the blond hair from her face. “Content. That would be the title, and the first line of the song would be: I’m content in who I am and who I’m surrounded by.”
