NEW YORK – Singer Lindi Ortega is receiving a lot of attention in Nashville and it's not just for her signature red cowboy boots. The Canada native is following up her award-winning records with her fourth studio album "Faded Gloryville," out August 7. She sat down with FOX411 Country and told us how she got her start.
FOX411 Country: How did you get your start in music and what drew you to country music specifically?
Lindi Ortega: When I was very young, my dad was in a Latin band. He was sort of the band leader so he would have keyboards, and guitars, and a whole sound system and a PA and everything in the basement. And I would go down, and it would be like a treasure trove. And I would tinker around on everything and that’s kind of what made me first get interested in music. And then I guess country music came about through my mom. She had an extensive record collection and she loved Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson and I remember being very young and watching "The Dolly Parton Variety Show" with her when I was a kid and so it was her that got me to go towards country music.
FOX411 Country: What song are you excited for fans to hear off of your new album?
Ortega: We did shoot a music video for a song called "Ashes," so I think that will be the kick off single for the record and it’s a sad little love ballad.
FOX411 Country: You have a more traditional country music sound. Do you think there's room for that in mainstream country music?
Ortega: I think there’s room for everything and I think there just needs to be more of a level playing field as opposed to a fight. It just seems that the mainstream country world, as far as radio is concerned, is kind of stuck in what they call "bro country." It seems you hear the same themes over and over again with it and it’s this sort of cyclical thing that keeps going. I think there needs to be room for other things, some more variety and diversity within the genre and it should be allowed to coexist.
For more of FOX411 Country's interview with Oretga, watch the video above.