Lanie Gardner Goes on a Journey of Self-Discovery With Debut Album, A Songwriter’s Diary

Rising country singer-songwriter Lanie Gardner has had quite the year, and she's topping things off with the release of her powerful debut album, A Songwriter's Diary.

After performing at this year's CMA Fest and touring with Jelly Roll and ZZ Ward, in addition to appearing on Twisters: The Album, today's big release really feels like the cherry on top for Lanie's fans. The album gives us a diaristic peek into her mind with 10 introspective and personal tracks that look inward, to her roots, while reminding us precisely why she's one of the hottest up-and-coming artists in the biz. Featuring beloved songs including "Mountains and Miller," "Lord Knows" and "Somewhere, Nowhere in Carolina," the album has also taken on a new kind of poignancy following Hurricane Helene, which devastated Lanie's hometown of Burnsville, North Carolina. Listen to the full album HERE, and keep scrolling to read our interview with Lanie on the creation of this album and what it means to her.

Sweety High: What does the album title A Songwriter's Diary mean to you? Why did that feel like the perfect summation of this group of songs?

Lanie Gardner: These songs were written as first experiences to many things. From girlhood to womanhood, a diary would be a coping mechanism of choice. However, I felt writing in a diary didn't quite cut it; as most songwriters fall too. Words as poetry and combined with a rhythm and melody are how we express ourselves and cope completely with things. I believe you are born with this, and blessed with the ability to connect and understand the music within all of us.

(Photo credit: BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville)

 

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SH: What do you feel are the overarching themes of the album? What kind of feel do you hope fans take away from it?

LG: Not anything complicated, I'd say. In fact, quite simple. There is something to say about the power of self-awareness and looking into the culture of where you come from. It can make your life colorful in a world so black and white. Knowing that where you come from and the experiences you've had good and bad shape who are today. With that confrontation and knowledge of yourself you can change anything you don't like about yourself or your life. The journey of that is terrifying… but beautiful and so so worth it.

 

SH: How would you describe the album's sound? Production-wise, how did you go about bringing these tracks to life?

LG: I wanted a listener to be able to listen to this in a quieter environment, as I wrote it. Laying in your bedroom floor. Driving home during a sunset. Drinking tea during a calm morning. I wanted to encompass the rawness and calmness of the Appalachian Mountains and its instruments that I so luckily got to grow up with. I felt it was important to add sounds of nature in some of the tracks to further a listener's experience of the album. Some tracks are bigger in production. Initially, all of these tracks were meant to cut back in production… but some songs had bigger messages and needed to be pushed a little farther.

 

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SH: How do you feel that these songs represent where you are in life right now?

LG: These songs calm my life today. I live in the hustle and bustle now of Nashville. I no longer have the sweet serenity of home everyday. If you grew up there or even visited, you will know what I'm talking about. These songs also remind me of myself in times of struggle and loss … that I still carry the culture of home inside of me. I sometimes just have sit in still environments and places and listen to where my connection to music began… which is this album.

 

SH: What's your favorite song on the album? Why?

LG: It's hard to pick a favorite. They all have a special place in my heart. However, I feel most calm listening to "Neon Notions," which came to me on a hazy, rainy evening. The memory of writing is one of the most beautiful I have etched in my mind. The words poured onto the page, truly.

 

SH: Was there anything that surprised you about the process of recording and putting together your debut album?

LG: I was pleasantly surprised about the initial reaction of producers and the rest of my team to these songs. Everyone had their favorites, and strangely they were all different. Everyone seemed to connect to a certain something different that brought them peace. Something that sparked something in their memory or their heart. Nostalgia, love or curiosity? With songs so personal, I realized we really might not be so different as humans after all.

 

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SH: How are you feeling about releasing it to the world?

LG: I've been waiting my whole life to finally start my own journey in this. I'll always be thankful to the virality of the "Dreams" cover… but I wasn't planning to start there and definitely am not planning to end there. It's time 🙂

 

SH: Is there anything else we should know about A Songwriter's Diary?

LG: Open your mind to it! Listen in a calm environment. Let it take you where it's supposed to. Listen from top to bottom. Find your favorites. I hope you can learn a little more about me or maybe learn a little more about you. We're all either trying to figure this thing out together or just need a break from it all, so let me help you.

 

For more new interviews with our favorite artists, click HERE to hear from Liamani on her debut single, "Sunkissed."