A Homecoming and Premiere
Lainey Wilson | Friday, may 1
Festival Stage, 5:20 p.m.
Country music superstar Lainey Wilson's first time attending the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival will be her performance debut.
"There were a couple times when I was invited
to go, and I knew that I was going to have fun," Wilson mused. "I told myself,
'I'm not going to Jazz Fest until I play it myself.' I'm glad that I held out and waited. This is
a huge deal. It's really crazy to think that I'm going to be able to play in
such a place where so many iconic people have played, and I'm glad they trust
me to do that."
Wilson's growing
list of accolades is testament to her ability to instill such trust: Country
Music Association Awards, a Grammy, and becoming a member of the Grand Ol'
Opry, among many other awards and nominations. She beamed as she said, "My
parents took me to the Grand Ol' Opry when I was 9 years old. I remember where
I was sitting and who I was watching. It was Little Jimmy Dickens, Bill
Anderson, and Phil Vassar. I just remember the feeling that I had of wanting to
stand in that circle. I want to tell stories like they do.'"
Storytelling is at
the heart of Wilson's illustrious career. "Before anything, I'm a storyteller.
I'm a songwriter," she stated. Her lyrics are thoughtfully crafted to evoke
emotions and form connections with her fans and anyone who happens to be
"leaning in and listening."
"I focus on what
I'm saying in those three minutes. I've noticed that what you say and what you
sing is really important. There's something about country music storytelling
that takes you back to a certain time, place, memory, feeling. It gives you
somewhere to go in your mind. You can see it. You can feel it. You can hear
it."
Even the concerts
she performs around the world have the ability to move people. "It's just cool
to see people who speak different languages, were raised different, really be
able to relate to a story from a girl who grew up in a town of 170 people in Louisiana,"
Wilson explained. "It's really wild. We all bleed red, and we all want to feel
something."
Storytelling is the
avenue through which all of Wilson's ventures have come into existence. This
includes her small screen role on Yellowstone and big screen role in Reminders
of Him. Her touch can be experienced through Golden West Boots, the Lainey
Wilson Jewelry Collection, Lainey Wilson X Wrangler, and the Nashville
restaurant Bell Bottoms Up. "I didn't grow up dreaming about having my own
jewelry line, boot company, and all these things," she explained.
"Opportunities have presented themselves through my songwriting and through my
storytelling."
The popular country
songs of the 1990s were a particularly strong influence on her songwriting
journey, though Wilson strives to be more thoughtful in her lyrics. "I was
singing about tequila and cigarettes at 10 years old and not having a clue what
I was singing about. There's a lot of little girls at my show, specifically.
They show up just like I did when I was their age, leaning in and listening. I
want to make sure that I believe what I say. I feel like it's important to me
to say something that means something."
Wilson feels that a
lyrical renaissance may be happening in the world of popular music, at least in
the Nashville music community. "I feel like people are talking about how they
feel a little bit more," she said. "People are tapping back into that. It seems
like some of the fluff is getting cut out, which I love, and I'm proud to be a
part of something that means something."
She lingered on the
thought of writing moving songs, not just about your own experiences but
touching on themes that might strike a deep chord in others. "It's about
getting out there and realizing I might be telling a story and writing a song,
but this don't actually have anything to do with me. It's got something to do
with the people who showed up and are listening. It's my job to make them feel
something. That's the power of music. "
No matter how
astronomical the trajectory of Wilson's stardom, it all goes back to weaving a
good story, one that pulls you in and blocks all distractions. Living in the
moment and being present is increasingly difficult in a loud, digital
landscape. "I grew up on the edge of my seat, leaning in and listening to
stories that my mama and daddy would tell me just over and over. The ones that
got better every single time you'd listen. You'd hear them from a different
angle than you did before, and you'd learn something from them about yourself,
about other people—just the world in general. That's what all this is about.
It's about leaning in and listening or telling the story."
Wilson is elated to be able to share her stories with her fans and soon-to-be fans at Jazz Fest. She concluded, "I'm excited to be able to come home to Louisiana and be trusted to get up on that stage where so many incredible people have performed. It's really wild. It feels good to be able to come home and tip my hat to the place that raised me."
