There is a version of Ingrid Andress that the world thought it knew. The Grammy-nominated songwriter with the literary lyrics. Of course, that version is still there. But on the Lowkey Sessions tour, and on the third album taking shape in studios right now, a different Ingrid Andress is stepping forward. "I feel like on this album, there are a lot of songs where I just say things the way they actually are," she says. "And it's kind of uncomfortable, but I would rather say those things and have people really actually know me than do the thing I did before, which is maybe half true just so that it's safer."
The Lowkey Sessions tour, which kicks off this month in Newport, Kentucky, is not the kind of show Andress has done before. There are no elaborate productions and no full bands and that's entirely the point. "I wanted these shows to be more stripped back so that I would have the opportunity to share the stories behind the songs," Andress says. "Because I think it's important for me to realize that I started as a songwriter and I will still always be a songwriter. And giving my fans a peek behind the curtain just for them to know, 'Here's what I was thinking when this happened.' And the best way to do that sometimes is just stripping everything down and have it be more like a storytelling session."
The setlist is roughly evenly split between familiar favorites and newer material, though Andress admits she is still working out exactly how the new songs translate to a stripped-down format. Some of them are guitar-driven in ways that don't easily convert to solo piano. "It can get very Broadway very quickly," she laughs.
But that creative problem-solving is part of what makes this moment feel alive for her. Just the day before our conversation, she sat down and tried a few of the newer songs in a stripped arrangement. "I was like, 'Huh, that would actually sound really interesting on piano," she says. "So I guess I'm still working that out."
Andress' third album represents a genuine sonic departure. Where her previous work has been rooted in piano, this record leans into guitar in ways that have surprised even her. "I kind of gave up because I'm not the best guitar player," she admits freely. "I only know maybe four chords on guitar." But rather than retreat to her comfort zone, she leaned into collaboration, letting co-writers steer the sonic ship while she focused on what she does best, telling the truth in her lyrics.
The result, she says, is something more rhythmic, more textured, and more raw than anything she has released before. She is particularly excited about a track called "Tattoos," which she describes as darker and drum-heavy in a way that she thinks will genuinely surprise people. "I think live, it will actually slap really hard because the beat is so... It's probably one of my favorite tracks on the album," she says.
Ask Andress about her creative process and she says she doesn't write on a schedule. "Because I am a woman that is almost impossible," she says. "My moods - it is truly terrifying how many different versions we are of ourselves within one month. So based on how I'm feeling heavily controls the creative narrative of how inspired I am or not. I'm learning now how it is just part of who we are as women and noticing those little differences," she says.
It's a perspective that extends beyond songwriting into how she thinks about her life more broadly. At 34, she says she is finally giving herself permission to want what she actually wants — not what the industry, or anyone else, has decided she should want. "I'm excited for people to hear stories about me not being perfect and still trying to figure things out," she says. "And maybe not wanting the same things that everyone else around you wants. And that's okay."
Andress does have advice for women looking to break into the music business. "It's not for the faint of heart, but it is so worth it when you discover your voice, and when you discover other people who like the same things as you," she says. "Don't be in this business if you just want to be famous because there are now so many other things you could do to do that. But truly remember that it starts with the music first. And I know the rest of the world is going to tell you it's about how you look and what you wear. But I have found that as long as you focus on the music and making it the best it can be, people will find you."
When asked about what she thinks of Franklin, she replies, "I love how homey it is there. Because I have a couple friends who live there, and I know every time that I go to Franklin, I know what type of experience I'm going to have. And that feels very safe to me. Whether we're going to a cute coffee shop or we're going to have a cute little dinner, we're going to be able to walk around. And it's actually pretty peaceful. It doesn't feel like I'm in Tennessee for some reason. It feels like it's its own little magical wonderland."
Ingrid Andress is just getting started. IngridAndress.com
"It is truly terrifying how many different versions we are of ourselves within one month. I'm learning now how it is just part of who we are as women."