Country singer/ songwriter Lindi Ortega was feeling a little lost in the music business after releasing five recordings, that is until she moved to Calgary in February after meeting a man and started listening to songwriter Townes Van Zandt, which rekindled her love for music and songwriting, which lead to her new EP “Til the Going Gets Gone.”
She will be playing the Wide Skies Music Festival at Southminster United Church, July 27 with at least her guitarist Champagne James Robertson.
“ It wasn’t really inspired by Townes Van Zandt, but it was inspired by me thinking of getting out of the music business and getting a job,” she said.
“ I’m in my late 30s and I’ve got a lot of bills to pay, which is difficult to do in the music business,” she said.
“I’ve retooled how I do things. I’ve learned a lot like not to overspend on tours, which has helped,” she continued.
“The first one was in 2002, but I don’t play the first two anymore because I was doing a totally different style of music then,” she said.
“I’m definitely excited to release a new CD,” she said
She has done a lot of touring since she was last in Lethbridge.
“ I played the Grand Old Opry twice,” she enthused, adding getting the opportunity to play the Opry was definitely ahighlight of her travels.
“I played the Ryman Auditorium and got invited back to play the other auditorium. I never expected that as they usually have new country artists there, which I definitely don’t do. But they have the circle of wood form the original Opry. So just to stand there were Crystal Gayle played, who I grew up idolizing was awesome,” she said, adding she also enjoyed seeing the displays of items from classic country artists like Porter Wagoner.
She loves living in Calgary.
“I moved here in February and I still love it. I really like the people. It’s clean and I love the fact that there is a river flowing right through it, which people float down. It’s raining now, which is great because my lawn is brown,” said Ortega, who returns to Lethbridge to play the Wide Skies music festivals, July 27 with Phil and Dave Alvin at the Southminster United Church.
