Miranda Lambert is a force to be reckoned with. A singer, songwriter, guitarist... and now a certified Texas legend, thanks in part to an honor she will receive next month in Austin from the Texas Cultural Trust. The Longview, TX native (and hitmaker of country classics "The House That Built Me" and "Gunpowder & Lead" tells us about her love for the Lone Star State - and her plans for the year ahead.
How does it feel to be one of the honorees at this year’s Texas Medal of Arts Awards from the Texas Cultural Trust?
Miranda Lambert: It is such a huge honor for me. I am a very proud Texan, like we all are, so this means the world to me; especially because it’s about songwriting.
What characteristics do you feel you and other Texans share to make our state, its culture, its arts, unique and wonderful?
ML: Texas is so vast, and every part of the state brings something different to the table. I also think there is such an amazing music scene, which makes it so much more welcoming for new singer/songwriters.
What Texan musician would you love to collaborate with and why?
ML: I actually do collaborate with a quite a few artists. Recently with Jon Randall and Jack Ingram, we made a record around the fire out in Marfa, Texas called “The Marfa Tapes” and it is one of my favorite projects I have ever done.
What do you consider the greatest song ever written about Texas and how does it make you feel?
ML: I love so many, so that is a hard one. Off the top of my head, I would pick “If It Wasn’t for Texas” by the King, George Strait. I also love “Girls From Texas,” written by Jon Randall and Shane McAnally. Pat Green and Lyle Lovett did a great version.
What do you miss about Texas when you are away?
ML: Everything! The music and the Tex-Mex mostly.
This is our New Year issue. Tell us, what are you looking forward to in 2023?
ML: I have been doing a residency in Las Vegas called Velvet Rodeo. I’ve had a lot of fun putting that show together, so I’m excited to get back out there for the third run in March/April of this year
How do you keep mentally strong and physically well while you are recording, on tour, traveling?
ML: I exercise and try to rest as much as possible during the down time. I used to not balance my life very well, but I think I have finally learned about self-care and how to do it a little better than in my 20s.
What makes you feel optimistic for the future?
ML: Being happy and at peace with myself has made everything seem a little brighter. I love spending time with my husband and we make a lot of plans together for travel and adventure.
What places are your must-visits whenever you’re in Austin?
ML: Maudie’s! I love that place. I also love walking up and down SOCO and shopping and bar hopping. We also like to go to Lady Bird Lake and just wander around.
My cheer-up, belt-out song is your duet with Keith Urban, We Were Young. What song do you crank up and sing in the shower or in karaoke to lift your mood and lighten your load?
ML: Well thank you! I am a ‘90s country girl for sure, but I also love the “Hold My Beer” albums from Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers. They always put me in a Texas state of mind.
The night you will be honored as one of the Texas Icons of the Year will be a great celebration. How will you prep for such a big night out, on the inside and out?
ML: I am so excited to come home and celebrate with my fellow creative Texans. I’m sure it will be a night to remember so I just wanna soak it all in.
Your lyrics ‘If I was a cowboy, I'd be wild and free, Rollin' around these towns like tumbleweeds…’ stir up great images of Texas, and telling women to grow up to be anything they want to be! What advice would you give your young fans on making it in the music industry?
ML: Just know who you are and stick with it. Don’t change for anyone. Being authentic and true to yourself will take you all the way.
To learn more about the Texas Medal of Arts Awards and the work of the Texas Cultural Trust, go to txculturaltrust.org
For more information about Miranda’s Vegas residency Velvet Rodeo, go to mirandalambert.com
And the other honorees are...
The Texas Medal of Arts Awards strives to honor both distinguished Texas artists and persons or organizations that have encouraged the advancement of the arts in Texas, whether through personal achievement or unfailing support. Nominees must have been born in the State of Texas or completed a major portion of their work in Texas to be considered. Here are three other honorees being celebrated at this year’s event:
Brothers-in-law Juan Miró, from Barcelona, and Miguel Rivera, from San Juan, Puerto Rico, moved to Austin in 2000 and co-founded Miró Rivera Architects. The prestigious design firm has won over 100 design awards, including the Architectural Digest AD100 and Arch Daily’s list of the World’s Best Architects: "As architects, it is humbling to be awarded this medal together with the other arts because we believe that architecture can indeed be a wonderful artistic expression. We made Texas our home twenty-five years ago and we are grateful for the support of all the people that have made our work possible. Receiving the Texas Medal of the Arts is a great honor that motivates us to keep having a positive impact through architecture."
Deborah Roberts is a mixed media artist whose work challenges the notion of ideal beauty. Her work is in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Brooklyn Museum, New York; The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; LACMA, Los Angeles, California; Guggenheim Museum, New York, and the Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, Texas, among several other institutions.: “I was really moved to hear that I would be a recipient of the Texas Medal of Arts award. As a native Texan I’m extremely proud.”
Lela Rose is a fashion designer who continues to redefine and refine modern feminine grace with eponymous collections that span a woman's complete wardrobe—from accessible everyday separates to the perfect wedding gown: "Growing up in Texas, I have always had an abiding love for the state. I've always been deeply proud of my roots here and so much about Texas—from our gorgeous landscapes to our signature hospitality, the rich marriages of our culture and Texans' singular signature styles—has been a major influence in my life and my design sensibility. This is an unbelievable honor that I'm proud to share with so many amazing fellow Texans."
For more information on Miranda’s looks:
Black Cowboy Hat / Plaid Shirt:
Jeans, Hat, Belt, Shirt: Daniel X Diamond
Necklace, Earrings: Sierra Winter Jewelry
Necklace: Monica Rich Kosann
White Dress:
Dress: For Love and Lemons
Shoes: Free People
Jewelry: Tennessee Turquoise Company
Denim Shirt:
Shirt: Idyllwind by Miranda Lambert
Necklace: Established Jewelry
Ring: Mud Lowery
Black Dress:
Dress, Belt: Nudies Rodeo Tailors
Shoes: Jessica Simpson
Ring: Established Jewelry
Earrings: Sierra Winter Jewelry
Vegas Performance:
Top, Skirt: The Blonds
Belt: Eileen Kelly
Jewelry: Mud Lowry
Tights: d.bleu.dazzled
Cover:
Dress: Nudies Rodeo Tailors
Hat: Idyllwind by Miranda Lambert
Don’t change for anyone. Being authentic and true to yourself will take you all the way.