A Conversation with Lindi Ortega – HuffPost 6.8.11

Mike Ragogna: Hi Lindi, let’s do this thing. Why did you really tell a little lie or three when she looked at you and asked if you loved him still? Was it that he really didn’t know what was true or was it just a bunch of game playing?

Lindi Ortega: It’s not really about playing games, it’s about when a relationship starts breaking down and no one is listening to the reasons or seeing the signs as to why things are deteriorating. Yet, we sometimes cling on to these dead relationships because we are used to them, or we can’t quite find the courage to say the words “it’s over.” So, its that moment of slight resentment that the other person refuses to figure out, and you don’t want to spell it out, so you indulge them with half-truths or little lies because they don’t listen to you when you try to tell them what’s wrong. That’s why the crux of the song is “…look a little closer, than the truth becomes clear.” In other words, it shouldn’t have to be spelled out.

MR: How could you stand waiting this long to release your full-length album debut?

LO: My career has never been instant gratification, it’s always been a long slow climb. I am use to waiting, I am okay with the fact that my record has taken this long to come out because it’s given me time to learn and grow which is a good thing. In saying that though, I admit I am very excited to share this record with people, it’s been a long time coming for me. I’ve been itching to put a full-length out for a good while, and I can’t wait for people to hear it!

MR: How would you describe your music?

LO: I would describe my music–or at least my romantic version of it–as a roadside motel love affair between old school outlaws and country crooners. But I suppose it falls under the “Alternative Country” category, whatever that means. As long as people are listening, they can call it whatever they like!

MR: Who are your musical influences and heroes?

LO: Musically, I am influenced by old school outlaw country cats like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr, and Kris Kristofferson, but I also really dig Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, and Dolly Parton. In addition to that, I grew up listening to Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Cohen. But there is a hint of an homage to Tom Waits in my song “Little Red Boots.”

MR: Okay, what’s so special about your little red boots that we’re going to know you by them?

LO: Ever since I got me this pair of little red boots, I have not stopped wearing them. When I played shows across the Midwest with Kevin Coster and his band The Modern West, people who saw me perform would come up to me commenting on my red boots. I figured if they stood out so much, then they surely deserved a song, so that’s when I penned the tune “Little Red Boots” and started imagining the comic book version of Lindi Ortega. Me and my boots go hand-in-hand–you wont see me on a stage singing my tunes without wearing those boots!

MR: I certainly hope not! (laughs) Lindi, if you’re no Elvis Presley, seriously, who are you? Okay, not so seriously…

LO: (laughs) I am just a gal that loves to write songs and sing ’em, I don’t have any grand illusions about my talents. I do, however, sometimes picture myself as that character in some spaghetti western comic book in my mind where I am this busted-hearted outlaw named “Bootsy.” I know there is a Bootsy Collins, but I just have such an affection for wearing boots that I kinda appropriated the name for myself. Indeed, I am no Elvis Presley, just a bit of an odd bird with a penchant for creating my own fiction to spice up my reality.

MR: How do you come up with your arrangements?

LO: When I write songs, I like to kind of think of the songs as planets and each song has their own atmosphere and I get to decide what that atmosphere is. I like to set a tone and a mood with each song using instruments that reflect what I am trying to convey. It’s up to me to take the listener on a three-minute journey through my world, so I try to make it interesting for them.

MR: What is your advice for new artists?

LO: My advice for a new artist is to listen to those who are more experienced than you and do not be offended by constructive criticism. I would also advise recording shows and watching them back to see where things could improve, and never stop being a student of your craft.

MR: If all the stars do align as you suggest, what would you say the result will be regarding your career and music?

LO: Well, really, all I want is to be able to do what I love and make enough to sustain my existence…you know, pay my rent and feed myself. Its tough wondering how you’re going to make it from month to month in this business. It would be nice to be at a level someday where maybe someone like Willie Nelson would consider singing a duet with me. That’s more of a dream than a reality. But if it happened, I would certainly think some kind of stars were aligning.

MR: What did I forget to ask you?

LO: I don’t think you forgot to ask me anything, but if you did, feel free to ask me any ol’ time!

MR: (laughs) Lindi, all the best, thanks a lot for the fun and for your time.

LO: Okay then. Thank you for writing about me and my music. I really and truly appreciate it.