Lainey Wilson is one of the biggest names in country music today. This comes after more than a decade in Nashville and a lifetime of chasing the dream she’s currently living. The more one learns about the Louisiana native, the clearer it becomes that luck has little to nothing to do with her success. When other artists talk about her, they nearly always mention her out-of-this-world work ethic. In the latest installment of CMT’s On the Road, Wilson shows viewers what that work ethic looks like in practice.
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The episode follows Wilson for four days as she plays a short residency at the Virgin Theater in Las Vegas. More than that, it shows the work that the Grammy-nominated country star does behind the scenes between shows.
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In the opening moments of the episode, the producer asks Wilson how she’s doing. “I’m doing good. I’m tired but I’m doing really good,” she replied. “When I do feel like ‘Man, how am I gonna muster up enough energy to get through all these things that are incredible things?’ I always go back to that place of when I first moved to Nashville of keep your head down and grinding it out,” she explained. “It’s really crazy how that part of me has never really gone anywhere. It’s like I’m still using that part of me just to get further on down the road.”
Later, Wilson notes that it is rare for her to have an entire day off.
Lainey Wilson Finds Peace, Embraces the Chaos
During the On the Road segment, Wilson reveals that she does her own hair and makeup before shows. “I enjoy doing my own hair and makeup,” she said while sitting at a vanity getting ready. “It gives me some time to unwind and also time by myself. I’m always around people. Always around the band, always around the crew, and it’s nice just to lock yourself in the back of the bus and slap ‘er on.”
“I don’t know what downtime looks like right now. The truth is, we’ve just been at it so hard for so long. We’ve been on a rocket, that’s the best way for me to explain it,” she said. “I do feel like we’re seeing a payoff. … My team has just been working so hard and my band and everybody, especially the folks on the road the last few years. They have sacrificed a whole lot to be out here to watch my dreams come true, and their dreams, too.”
Wilson is constantly grinding and exhausted. However, she’s thankful for every minute of it. She said, “I always think back to a time in my life where I wish I was busy. I wish people were noticing me or my music and I was praying for opportunities.”
Featured Image by Terry Wyatt/WireImage
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