Some country music fans see Lainey Wilson’s current level of success and think she blew up overnight. However, few things could be further from the truth. Wilson has working her way to the top in Nashville for more than a decade. She released her self-titled debut album in 2014. Bell Bottom Country, the 2022 album that put her on the map was her fourth full-length and second on a major label.
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Wilson appeared on the most recent episode of Artist Friendly with Joel Madden to talk about her life and career. During the conversation she discussed success, making her latest album, and her mental health. Additionally, she reflected on the struggles and setbacks she faced while working her way to the top.
Lainey Wilson on Embracing Heartbreak
Lainey Wilson had some help when she moved from Baskin. Louisiana to Nashville. Jerry Cupit was a songwriter and producer who also ran a small label. Wilson’s grandfather gave Cupit a few hundred dollars when he moved from Baskin, Louisiana to Nashville to help him get established. As a result, when it was time for the “Watermelon Moonshine” singer to make the same move, he was there for her. He allowed her to park her camper at his studio, wrote hundreds of songs with her, and released her debut album on his label. He passed away in September 2014, a month after releasing the album.
“That was definitely a dark time in my life because when you write 300 plus songs with somebody, you become really close,” Wilson said about his passing. However, that wasn’t the only heartbreak she was dealing with at the time. “During that time, too, I was dating a boy who got a girl pregnant,” she added.
“It was all happening at the same time,” she told Madden. “I was like, when it rains it pours. I’m telling you, I learned how to just embrace the heartbreak. I’m just like, ‘Is this happening to me? Like, am I getting punked? Is it happening just so I can have something to write about?’” she added. “Now, I’m learning how to adjust with my life changing. It is a lot of pressure.”
Featured Image by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
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