A Chat with Lindi Ortega: She's Back After a Series of Challenges

Lindi Ortega: 00:00:06

I just was not singing it.

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It's really hard to describe,

but it was a very strange thing.

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So when I lost that, uh, completely,

um, I struggled really hard because

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I was like, I don't have anything

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the confidence was

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just, you know, and then like, in the

course of all of that, like, so I, I

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lost, I, I had to step back from my

career because I felt like I couldn't,

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deliver the performances, and I got

really bad anxiety from it, so I was

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having panic attacks before shows,

and I just felt bad that people were

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coming to the shows, and I was terrified

to perform for them, and um, So I

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stopped performing and then like, um, I

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had to figure out other things to do

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Jason English (Host): characterized

by her fierce individuality and her

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haunting jazz tinted voice, Lindi

Ortega is an artist who has consistently

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defied norms in the music industry.

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With her blend of roots, country and

rock, Ortega has managed to carve

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out a niche that's uniquely her own.

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After facing significant challenges in

her career, including issues with her

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vocal cords and stage anxiety, Lindi

She has taken a break, but her fans

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will be excited to hear that she's

back and more motivated than ever.

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Her journey in Americana and country

music has been both tumultuous and

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triumphant from being bullied in

school, to finding her calling in music,

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Lindi's story is one of resilience when

she lost her vocal abilities due to

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faulty in your monitors Ortega faced

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one of her darkest periods filled

with anxiety and self doubt.

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Yeah.

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Yet she managed to climb out of those

depths, teaching herself how to sing

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again and finding renewed purpose in a

craft she thought she'd lost forever.

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A hiatus from music found her picking

up a paintbrush and painting houses, an

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unexpected turn that provided its own form

of therapy and a moment of introspection.

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But the lure of music was always

there, waiting for her return.

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This phase in her life gave birth to new

music, leading her to create an album

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that's described as both deeply personal

and innovative, straying from her country

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roots into more experimental territory.

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Her latest work is called From the Ether,

and it marks yet another chapter in her

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storied career, one that explores themes

of ghosts, both real and metaphorical.

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As she navigates her personal losses

and professional challenges, Lindi

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emerges stronger than ever with

a renewed sense of self, ready to

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share her voice with the world.

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Once more, I caught up with Lindi during

Americana Fest: 2024

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new album with her new recording label.

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we talk about all these things and

more and even got some insight into

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her perspective on dating post divorce.

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We also hear a song about her late

father Paco called the spiritual advisor.

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from Creston, British Columbia.

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Here's Lindi Ortega.

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Let's dive in.

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Lindi Ortega.

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It's a pleasure.

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So nice to meet you.

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Lindi Ortega: Thank you.

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Thanks for having me here.

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Jason English (Host): So we're

at Americana Fest in Nashville.

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I guess.

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What, what was the best

part about your week here?

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Lindi Ortega: Oh man,

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There's

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so many great wonderful things.

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I think the best part of my week was

that, so I have a record coming out and

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it's, it's being launched on a brand

new label called Truly Handmade Records

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which is part of the Guy Clark Estate.

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I got to go to the launch party for it and

I'll be the first release on the label.

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And

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just the amazing people that I met

there and, you know, I don't know.

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This whole music thing is wild for

me, this whole, because I haven't

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been doing it for the past four

and a half, almost five years.

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So, I never expected to have any

sort of record deal or, anybody

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interested in what I was doing.

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I thought I was just gonna

print it myself, put it out

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myself, and that was that.

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I had no idea that there'd actually

be anyone interested in my music.

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So, uh, to be here, um, and to

actually have people that are

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wanting to put my music out and

give me, a place, a home for, uh,

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for my music is just unbelievable.

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Jason English (Host): I,

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Obviously, we don't know each other a

lot, but a lot of musicians surprisingly

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to me Lack confidence sometimes and a

little insecure and so I that has to give

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you just a ton of confidence right now

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Lindi Ortega: that I've really suffered

with a lot of confidence issues

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my whole life in many different

areas but never was music one of them

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It was my one thing my whole life.

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I was like, not my whole life.

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When I discovered that I could actually

do music, I was like, Oh my gosh, it's one

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thing that I could do that I'm good at.

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Because before that I was like bullied

in school and I had to leave one

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school cause I was bullied and went to

another school and got bullied there.

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And so I was really low on myself.

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And then one day somebody.

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told me I had a good voice and I, I

was like, Oh my gosh, I have a thing.

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Like I have something.

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So I just kind of ran with that.

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It just changed the course

of my thinking and my life.

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And so it was nice to have a party

trick of being able to sing and

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then subsequently write songs.

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And, um, but then I lost, I

lost my ability to do that

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about four and a half years ago.

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Jason English (Host): right.

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I, so it had to do with

the in ear monitors

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Lindi Ortega: so I had these,

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Jason English (Host): or something.

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Is that right?

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Lindi Ortega: yeah, so I had these

in ear monitors and they were great.

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They were wonderful ear-in your monitors.

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But what happens is many musicians

will tell you when you travel, you

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know, they just throw things around.

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Guitars get broken all the time.

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And so something must have happened,

you know, in the course of all my

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travels that had just shaken up

the inner workings of the system.

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And there was, um, like distortion

happening in my ear, but nobody else

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was really believed that this was

going on, like people were like,

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Have you had your ears checked?

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Because the, the monitor people or

people that were doing sound were like,

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Well, I've got it jacked all the way.

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You should be able to hear yourself.

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And I was like, I don't hear anything.

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And I just, all I hear is like distortion.

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And they're like, I don't get it.

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And so, and so for a while I like

was maintaining that there was

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something wrong with my in ears.

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But everybody was like, it must

be something wrong with your ears.

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Your ears are like your actual ears

. And then, um, uh, it turns out that

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I sent them back to the manufacturer

and they were like, oh yeah, there's

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def These are, these are messed up.

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We're sending you a whole new unit.

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But I'd spent so long singing with

them like that, that I'd actually

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developed really poor vocal technique,

um, trying to like sing over how I was

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hearing it so I could try to hear myself

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and then it was,

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um, committed to sort of my muscle

memory, like the poor technique.

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And I had this really terrible thing.

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I just, it was certain vowels

I couldn't get out right.

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It was really weird.

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It wasn't like it was like, you know,

people's talk of vocal problems and

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it's like, well, I can't sing my voice.

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It was nothing like that.

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I just couldn't sing vowels.

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Like, things just wouldn't come out.

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And so, um, it was such a struggle.

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I'd, I'd seen so many, like,

vocal coaches and nobody was,

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everyone was like, that's weird.

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I, I don't know what to tell ya.

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And it was just like, and it

ultimately ended up being a thing.

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I'm sure some of the vocal technique

things that I learned from different

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vocal coaches were helpful, but

it ended up really being a thing

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where I just had to teach myself

how basically how to sing all over

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again.

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Jason English (Host): did it

damage anything or was it just,

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it was just the technique?

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Lindi Ortega: thing.

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It's just, it's like a placement thing.

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I, it's really hard to describe.

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So it didn't, I don't

have damaged vocal chords

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or anything.

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I just was not singing it.

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It's really hard to describe,

but it was a very strange thing.

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So when I lost that, uh, completely,

um, I struggled really hard because

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I was like, I don't have anything

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the confidence was

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just, you know, and then like, in the

course of all of that, like, so I, I

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lost, I, I had to step back from my

career because I felt like I couldn't,

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um, deliver the performances, and I

got really bad anxiety from it, so I

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was having panic attacks before shows,

and I just felt bad that people were

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coming to the shows, and I was terrified

to perform for them, and um, So I

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stopped performing and then like, um, I

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had to figure out other things to do.

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I was like, who am I?

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If I'm not a singer, you know,

like, I don't know who I am.

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And that was a real crushing.

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Jason English (Host): Was it stage fright?

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I

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Lindi Ortega: had, I had

really bad stage fright.

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It was, I, it went from

being my most thing.

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I was most confident about.

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And, and then to, to like

completely losing that and just

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feeling, yeah, like a shadow of myself.

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And, um, and then, you know, two years

after that I lost my dad, he died, uh, of

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cancer and, and then, you know, a couple

of years after that I lost my husband.

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He didn't die.

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He just left me for a younger girl.

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And then, um,

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yeah, so

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I just felt like I just had dealt with

like all this, I was just crushed.

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I was in a ditch, you know, just

crushed, and then, um, but then, you

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know, when you're at your lowest,

lowest, then it's like you can

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either just like bury yourself or

you can climb out of it, you know?

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So I decided to climb out of it.

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Jason English (Host): good for you.

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Yeah.

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The new album is From

the Ether is that right?

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And it's, it's ghost inspired.

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Right.

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So is it, is that a metaphor for some

of these ghosts, you know, like the

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divorce and the grief and you know,

the kind of the, the up and down

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Lindi Ortega: No, I feel

like subconsciously it is.

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Um, it wasn't meant to be initially.

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It was just like, I'm really in, I

think paranormal stories are fun.

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Like I like the paranormal.

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And I always like to

stay in haunted hotels.

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And whenever there's like a venue that

I go to, I'm always like, is it haunted?

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And where's the haunted place?

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And what's the name of the ghost?

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And I want to go talk to it.

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Yeah.

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So then I, I was just, you know,

wanting to, I was thinking of, you

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know, cool concepts for records.

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That just came to me.

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Jason English (Host): Yeah.

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Cause We all have, we all have the

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ghosts.

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Lindi Ortega: do.

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Jason English (Host): And, uh, yeah,

so I, I was married a long time, 25

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every marriage has its ups and downs,

you know, mistakes and all that stuff.

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But, um, I'm so happy now.

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Lindi Ortega: Yeah,

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well here, that's the thing is like

at the time you're just, you're

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devastated because you, you, you had

an idea of what you thought your future

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was going to be with this person and

then, you know, and you don't see

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it coming and, and it is a, such a

crushing blow to, to your self worth.

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Uh, but now that I look back, my

life has just elevated so much since

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then that I can only see that it's.

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For the best, you know,

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Jason English (Host): good.

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All right.

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So can I ask you some random,

like, like dating relationship

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Lindi Ortega: oh, yeah,

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sure.

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Yeah,

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Jason English (Host): do you have an ick?

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Lindi Ortega: an ick?

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Jason English (Host): Yeah.

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Lindi Ortega: think dating is my

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ick.

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I haven't dated since my divorce

and I have no, like, desire

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to.

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Yeah.

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I just, I've just been focusing on

what I do and like writing and getting

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back to music and I, You know, my

friends, they're all on the apps.

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They all do the, and I hear horror

stories, and I'm just like, why

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does anyone want to do this?

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Yeah, so I don't know.

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Jason English (Host): So dating's the ick.

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All

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Lindi Ortega: It's, it's the ick for me.

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Jason English (Host): So when

you're, when you are ready to kind

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of, you know, as they say, get

back out there, what, what are some

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red flags and green flags for you?

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Lindi Ortega: Oh,

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oh, I don't, gosh, I haven't

even thought about that.

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I think, um, well, red flags, I guess,

would be what I didn't, um, heed.

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prior, which would be the love

bombing thing when people sort of

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want to rush in and get married

right away or like move too quickly.

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And I want to be a snail.

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So I'd be like, you're gonna have to

wait like a long time for everything.

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Sorry.

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Jason English (Host): Yeah, that's good.

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At least you learned.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Okay.

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No, it's a, it's a whole thing.

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Like I'm, I'm 50 and uh, the

whole dating thing was just wild.

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Lindi Ortega: It's crazy.

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I think I'm 45.

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So I think like at our

age, it's just it's you.

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I remember in like my 20s, you

know, and it's just it's just

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like this whole different world.

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yeah,

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Jason English (Host): So what,

what do you hope, uh, is the

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album coming out in October?

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Is that right?

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Okay.

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So, uh, From the Ether in October,

I guess, what are you hoping the

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fans that have been waiting for you?

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I don't know if you want to call

it a comeback, but maybe you

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don't call it a comeback, but

uh, have been waiting for this.

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What, what are you hoping that they

sort of glean from where you are

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at as an artist or as a person?

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Lindi Ortega: Well, I took

some risks with this record.

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It's very different.

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I think in a lot of ways to some of

my prior work, which was definitely

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more country leaning and this is, I

wouldn't call this country music, you

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know, there's elements of like rootsy,

folky stuff in the beginnings of it.

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Um, and then it's very like, um, The

percussionist producer that I work

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with is an amazing percussionist

and, um, it's so it's very like a

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percussion beat driven kind of, I say

beats, people are gonna think it's

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EDM and it's not at all that it's not.

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It's very like organically percussive,

you know, beat driven stuff.

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So it's, um, It's different for me.

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Uh, but I think, I don't think people

are going to think it's too far fetched

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in that I still write, like, about

dark, I always wrote about dark things.

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You know, they used to call me, I don't

know who coined this, but they said

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I was gothic country, which, uh, And

then I've been referred to as a roots

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noir and I was like, okay, I can hit

the dark part is absolutely bang on.

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So yeah.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Jason English (Host): And this is your,

this is kind of your second sort of,

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uh,

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comeback, right?

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Cause I didn't, you, you had, I know

you had a song called final bow or

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something that was like sort of a, people

thought that that was your kind of good,

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goodbye way back

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Lindi Ortega: I mean, I, I was, I

think I was getting pretty burnt

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out, um, because I was touring a lot

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And, um, I was just ready for a little

bit of a break, but I wasn't getting one.

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And, um,

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so I

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kind of was like, maybe I just

need to step away for a little

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bit.

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Um, so I was going to, yeah, I

was going to step away and then I

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ended up making my Liberty record.

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Jason English (Host): right?

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Lindi Ortega: Guess

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not.

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It's got away.

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But this time when I, you know, had

the vocal issue, I definitely was

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100 percent believing I was never

going to be able to sing again.

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: 00:15:41

Jason English (Host): I

mean, how did that feel?

319

: 00:15:43

Lindi Ortega: Awful.

320

: 00:15:44

It was awful.

321

: 00:15:45

Yeah.

322

: 00:15:45

Jason English (Host): your, it's like your

life's mission or like your, your meaning.

323

: 00:15:49

Right.

324

: 00:15:49

Lindi Ortega: You know, I think the

saddest part for me was, um, like I,

325

: 00:15:53

I'm so lucky in that I have supporters

of my music who are very encouraging

326

: 00:15:57

and they're always like, you can do it

and you'll be back and music is in you.

327

: 00:16:02

And there came a part point

where I kind of resented it

328

: 00:16:04

because I didn't believe it.

329

: 00:16:06

Like, I just didn't

believe in myself at all.

330

: 00:16:08

And I'm so grateful that

they kept encouraging me and

331

: 00:16:11

they still did, you know?

332

: 00:16:13

I just had no faith in myself.

333

: 00:16:15

Jason English (Host): And the

first single is, is it ghost,

334

: 00:16:17

Lindi Ortega: the ghost of

335

: 00:16:18

You

336

: 00:16:18

Jason English (Host): of you.

337

: 00:16:20

One of the lines is you give

me the feeling I'm being

338

: 00:16:22

haunted by the ghost of you.

339

: 00:16:24

Is that, is that back to the marriage

340

: 00:16:26

Lindi Ortega: No, actually no.

341

: 00:16:28

You know, I, I, I wonder

342

: 00:16:30

Jason English (Host): You don't

want to give him that much

343

: 00:16:31

credit.

344

: 00:16:32

Lindi Ortega: I'm like, you are so vain.

345

: 00:16:35

You probably think the song is about you.

346

: 00:16:38

Yeah.

347

: 00:16:38

No, it's not.

348

: 00:16:39

Actually it was, the idea of that

song for me, I thought was kind of

349

: 00:16:42

a funny, it's like tongue in cheek.

350

: 00:16:43

It's like, um.

351

: 00:16:46

You just like, you want to

be haunted by someone because

352

: 00:16:49

you don't want to be alone.

353

: 00:16:50

So

354

: 00:16:51

it's like, kind of, somebody goes and,

like, I, in my mind, it's like this,

355

: 00:16:55

like, you know, ghost buster who's like,

356

: 00:16:58

falls

357

: 00:16:58

in love with a ghost.

358

: 00:17:00

You know?

359

: 00:17:02

It's like that kind of a thing.

360

: 00:17:03

It's like, let me whip

out my EVP machine and

361

: 00:17:06

like

362

: 00:17:07

get you to come and hang out with me.

363

: 00:17:10

I know it's weird.

364

: 00:17:10

I

365

: 00:17:11

have weird, my brain is

366

: 00:17:12

Jason English (Host): It's not weird.

367

: 00:17:13

It's deep.

368

: 00:17:15

No, that's good.

369

: 00:17:16

Is this your, is this

like your sixth album,

370

: 00:17:18

Lindi Ortega: I don't know.

371

: 00:17:19

I've, I've been, I don't

372

: 00:17:20

know.

373

: 00:17:21

Jason English (Host): Well, so

I guess where, it doesn't matter

374

: 00:17:24

really the context of this, but

like, where do you think you're,

375

: 00:17:27

you're at as an artist today?

376

: 00:17:28

And then where do you want

to, where do you want to be?

377

: 00:17:31

Lindi Ortega: Uh, where am I at?

378

: 00:17:32

So I feel, well, it's

all new to me right now.

379

: 00:17:36

So even this whole, this whole

Americana Fest that been at all

380

: 00:17:40

week, uh, it's, it's like, Oh yeah.

381

: 00:17:43

You know, cause I've, I've played

it before, but I forgot, you know,

382

: 00:17:47

and I was just like, Oh yeah.

383

: 00:17:49

Okay.

384

: 00:17:50

this so I'm still kind

of like getting back in.

385

: 00:17:53

in the groove of what it means to be an

artist, musician, versus painting people's

386

: 00:17:59

houses for a living, which is what I did.

387

: 00:18:01

Jason English (Host): I

was, I need to ask you about

388

: 00:18:03

that, which is

389

: 00:18:03

great, but yeah.

390

: 00:18:05

Lindi Ortega: yeah.

391

: 00:18:06

Jason English (Host): So,

392

: 00:18:06

did, did any of that stage

fright creep back in this week

393

: 00:18:09

Lindi Ortega: Yeah, it you know what,

because it's much better than it was.

394

: 00:18:13

So I have to say, my first venture back

into doing music was playing a kid's

395

: 00:18:18

show in the little town where I live.

396

: 00:18:21

And it was like the, I thought

it would be a safe space.

397

: 00:18:24

I was like, you know what?

398

: 00:18:25

it's kids songs.

399

: 00:18:26

They're fun,

400

: 00:18:27

They're funny.

401

: 00:18:28

And so yeah, I, I recruited another

musician in the little town where

402

: 00:18:33

I live and we made a band called

the snickerdoodles and we just

403

: 00:18:36

did, we, we just did a bunch of

kids songs for a bunch of kids.

404

: 00:18:40

It was great.

405

: 00:18:41

I loved

406

: 00:18:41

Jason English (Host): Well, they

all, they all covers obviously, or

407

: 00:18:43

Lindi Ortega: were most, I wrote one

408

: 00:18:45

on the spot, something

about stars and I don't

409

: 00:18:48

know,

410

: 00:18:49

Jason English (Host): amazing.

411

: 00:18:50

Lindi Ortega: no, I think it

was actually about spiders.

412

: 00:18:53

I don't know.

413

: 00:18:53

Something with an S.

414

: 00:18:54

Yeah.

415

: 00:18:55

Jason English (Host): Yeah.

416

: 00:18:56

Okay.

417

: 00:18:57

Lindi Ortega: I did that.

418

: 00:18:57

And then, um,

419

: 00:19:00

And then I, uh, I did a couple

shows in Canada that were really

420

: 00:19:04

low key kind of songwriter in the

round kind of things where I only

421

: 00:19:09

had to play four songs a night.

422

: 00:19:11

But the first night I was terrified

because it was in a theater and I hadn't

423

: 00:19:14

done that forever and I was really scared

424

: 00:19:17

Jason English (Host):

How'd you get through that?

425

: 00:19:18

Lindi Ortega: Hope in a prayer.

426

: 00:19:20

I don't know.

427

: 00:19:21

I just kind

428

: 00:19:21

of like,

429

: 00:19:23

Stealed myself and then reminded myself.

430

: 00:19:26

Um, because I've it's a bit

It's been a journey of building

431

: 00:19:29

self worth since my divorce and

everything And, uh, I, I just have

432

: 00:19:36

believe in myself and convince myself

that I'm worth it and that I can do it.

433

: 00:19:40

And also I like to say that I'm in

the matrix, so it doesn't matter.

434

: 00:19:44

That's all, I

435

: 00:19:45

tell myself that all the time.

436

: 00:19:46

I'm like, you're in the matrix, Lindi.

437

: 00:19:48

You

438

: 00:19:48

can do anything.

439

: 00:19:49

Are there ghosts of the Matrix?

440

: 00:19:50

in mine there are,

441

: 00:19:51

Jason English (Host): Yeah.

442

: 00:19:52

Okay.

443

: 00:19:54

All right.

444

: 00:19:54

Um,

445

: 00:19:55

so

446

: 00:19:55

yeah, let's go.

447

: 00:19:56

I want to ask you about

the house painting.

448

: 00:19:58

How many songs did you write when

you're painting houses in your head?

449

: 00:20:01

Lindi Ortega: Um, I mean, I'm sure ideas

came to me while I was painting houses.

450

: 00:20:06

I would sing a lot when I was painting,

and the funny thing was, is I would

451

: 00:20:11

sing and then people I'd be painting for

would be like, oh, you have a nice voice.

452

: 00:20:15

Have you ever considered music?

453

: 00:20:17

And I'm just like, well, I mean,

I did do a bunch of things.

454

: 00:20:21

Touring and then they're like well can I

look can I look anything up online and I

455

: 00:20:24

said yeah You probably could and then they

would come the next day and they'd be like

456

: 00:20:29

I listen to your records And I really like

that and I'd be like, oh, that's awesome.

457

: 00:20:32

So glad and I'm like painting

behind their toilet It's awesome.

458

: 00:20:38

Jason English (Host): Is it therapeutic

because I, I don't paint every day,

459

: 00:20:40

but when I do, it's, it's pretty

460

: 00:20:42

Lindi Ortega: Yeah, I hate doing ceilings.

461

: 00:20:44

I have to admit that I'm not I,

I'm gonna say, I'm gonna like toot

462

: 00:20:47

my own horn right now and say that

I'm a, I'm a really good painter.

463

: 00:20:51

Um, I love cutting in, I love doing

like the straight lines and getting

464

: 00:20:55

a nice coat of paint on there.

465

: 00:20:58

And, uh, I care, you know?

466

: 00:20:59

I care about the houses that I paint.

467

: 00:21:01

I want them to look good.

468

: 00:21:03

Jason English (Host): while you

were doing that, were you able

469

: 00:21:05

to work on the voice at all?

470

: 00:21:07

Lindi Ortega: Yeah.

471

: 00:21:08

Jason English (Host): Yeah.

472

: 00:21:09

Lindi Ortega: I

473

: 00:21:09

did.

474

: 00:21:10

Well, I think also once I got

divorced and was living on my

475

: 00:21:13

own and not annoying anybody with

my trying to get my voice back.

476

: 00:21:18

Cause yeah, you have to do

repetitive singing to like

477

: 00:21:21

learn, relearn things, right?

478

: 00:21:24

So, was annoying people when

I was doing that before.

479

: 00:21:27

And then I wasn't annoying

anyone except for my cats.

480

: 00:21:31

Jason English (Host): Okay.

481

: 00:21:31

You're a cat lady.

482

: 00:21:33

Lindi Ortega: I am childless cat lady

with barrels and barrels of wine.

483

: 00:21:38

Jason English (Host): I can see that.

484

: 00:21:39

Not really.

485

: 00:21:40

All right.

486

: 00:21:40

uh, so at this point in your career,

given everything you've gone through

487

: 00:21:46

again, the ghost, the metaphorical

ghosts and stuff, the albums,

488

: 00:21:50

the houses

489

: 00:21:51

you've painted, what do you, uh, what

are you most curious about right now?

490

: 00:21:56

Lindi Ortega: terms of,

491

: 00:21:57

Jason English (Host): Just as

a person, as an artist, what

492

: 00:21:59

are you most curious about?

493

: 00:22:01

Lindi Ortega: Oh, that's a

really interesting question.

494

: 00:22:05

I'm curious about a lot of things.

495

: 00:22:07

I

496

: 00:22:07

feel like I'm forever curious every day.

497

: 00:22:09

I have curiosities about life in

general, why we're here, you know,

498

: 00:22:14

um, Are ghosts actually real?

499

: 00:22:17

You know, um, what, what's,

what's the future hold.

500

: 00:22:22

I'm curious about that.

501

: 00:22:23

I'm curious about, um, I find songs

so interesting about like how they

502

: 00:22:29

are born and where they come from

and how weird it is to write songs.

503

: 00:22:35

It's such a weird thing.

504

: 00:22:37

Jason English (Host): Yeah.

505

: 00:22:37

Do you think, do you think Anyone.

506

: 00:22:39

can write a song?

507

: 00:22:41

Lindi Ortega: Anyone.

508

: 00:22:43

you didn't say a good

song, so I'm going to say

509

: 00:22:45

yes.

510

: 00:22:45

I think anyone

511

: 00:22:46

can write a

512

: 00:22:46

song.

513

: 00:22:47

Jason English (Host): point.

514

: 00:22:47

Lindi Ortega: Yeah,

515

: 00:22:48

Jason English (Host): Fair point.

516

: 00:22:49

Uh, so why now in terms of kind of

the album and the comeback, like, you

517

: 00:22:54

know, what, what do you want to Did,

did things just have to process for you

518

: 00:22:58

or is it, you know, why not next year?

519

: 00:23:01

Or, you know, why not six months ago?

520

: 00:23:03

Lindi Ortega: Um,

521

: 00:23:04

Well, it just kind of all happened

naturally in that, uh, I had a

522

: 00:23:08

whole bunch of, um, songs that

were very spicy from my, you know,

523

: 00:23:15

Jason English (Host): yeah, exactly.

524

: 00:23:16

Lindi Ortega: and,

525

: 00:23:16

um,

526

: 00:23:18

I needed to record them and get them out,

uh, onto something, um, physical and, um,

527

: 00:23:26

and then just this, this natural process

happened where my producer's partner.

528

: 00:23:34

um,

529

: 00:23:36

I ended up loving her so much as a, as

a human being and, um, a friend and,

530

: 00:23:42

uh, she was sort of helping me figure

out what I wanted to do musically.

531

: 00:23:47

She's like, well, what do you want to do?

532

: 00:23:48

Do you want to play shows?

533

: 00:23:49

Do you want to?

534

: 00:23:50

And I was like, I think, yeah, I think I

want to like do things again, you know?

535

: 00:23:55

And, um, she was sort of

spearheading things for me.

536

: 00:23:59

And then I just was like, Do

you, would you want to manage me?

537

: 00:24:03

It was so, it was such a natural thing.

538

: 00:24:05

And, um, Thank goodness she said yes.

539

: 00:24:09

And um, so I, I think really the plan

is, is to just keep, I love writing.

540

: 00:24:15

I actually, I wrote the entire time that

I wasn't actually singing and performing.

541

: 00:24:20

My issue was with singing and

performing and the fear around

542

: 00:24:24

that, the anxiety around that.

543

: 00:24:26

But I always wrote.

544

: 00:24:27

I, I have, my phone is

full of, I'm writing every

545

: 00:24:31

day,

546

: 00:24:31

Jason English (Host): Like, I constantly.

547

: 00:24:33

Yeah.

548

: 00:24:36

Lindi Ortega: Oh, yeah,

549

: 00:24:38

Yeah, lots.

550

: 00:24:39

I just, I constantly write songs.

551

: 00:24:41

Yeah.

552

: 00:24:42

I'm, they're not all good.

553

: 00:24:43

Like I said, but,

554

: 00:24:44

Jason English (Host): Okay.

555

: 00:24:44

Lindi Ortega: but some of them, um,

might end up on other, I mean, we, the,

556

: 00:24:48

the great thing I love about my team

of people that I work with is that, um,

557

: 00:24:54

We're just so there's the creative and

we just want to do creative things all

558

: 00:24:59

the time and no ideas off the table.

559

: 00:25:01

I've had managers who were

like, Lindi, we're going to put

560

: 00:25:04

that on the table for later.

561

: 00:25:07

And, um, like, or we're not going to put

that on the table at all or whatever.

562

: 00:25:12

And these, this group of people are

like, they're willing to entertain

563

: 00:25:16

any wacky idea I have, which I love.

564

: 00:25:18

Yeah.

565

: 00:25:19

So I'm like, okay, let's, let's get wacky.

566

: 00:25:21

Let's do all kinds of crazy

567

: 00:25:22

Jason English (Host): Okay, do

568

: 00:25:23

you, do you plan to support

the album with some, some shows

569

: 00:25:26

and some stuff later this fall?

570

: 00:25:28

Lindi Ortega: would like to.

571

: 00:25:29

I mean, we're going, the plan is to

go to Europe, I think, uh, cause I

572

: 00:25:33

haven't been there in a really long

time and I, I love, I love going to

573

: 00:25:37

haunted castles in between shows.

574

: 00:25:41

You know, I like doing the dungeon

thing where I'm always the one that

575

: 00:25:44

gets picked and they pull my guts out.

576

: 00:25:46

It's fun.

577

: 00:25:48

Jason English (Host): Lindi Ortega.

578

: 00:25:49

Alright.

579

: 00:25:50

There's so much to you.

580

: 00:25:51

That's awesome.

581

: 00:25:52

Um, well, congrats on, on everything.

582

: 00:25:55

Welcome back.

583

: 00:25:56

Um, I really appreciate your time.

584

: 00:25:59

Lindi Ortega: Thank you.

585

: 00:25:59

Thank you for having

586

: 00:26:00

me.

587

: 00:26:00

Jason English (Host): you

play, play some music?

588

: 00:26:01

I'm

589

: 00:26:01

Lindi Ortega: I'm gonna

do, yeah, I'm gonna do

590

: 00:26:03

Jason English (Host): I'm

591

: 00:26:03

Lindi Ortega: Let's do it.

592

: 00:26:04

Okay.

593

: 00:26:07

Hi, I'm Lindi Ortega, and this is

594

: 00:26:10

a song called Spiritual Advisor, The

Spiritual Advisor it's a song I wrote.

595

: 00:26:16

about my

596

: 00:26:17

dad.

597

: 00:26:20

It's about, uh, my dad,

598

: 00:26:22

uh,

599

: 00:26:23

I want him to have tea with me,

600

: 00:26:25

because I

601

: 00:26:28

I wish have some tea

602

: 00:26:33

some of the hard