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Lindi Ortega on Side Hustles and Being Grateful

Tuesday, November 19, 2024 By Mayer Danzig

Lindi Ortega

Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?

It was a Mini Cooper clown car, which was a hilarious and not so comfortable way to tour. But I have since upgraded to a Bronco Sport. 8000 KM… I don’t know what that is in miles. No major repairs cause it’s brand new! No. But my clown car almost got hit by a bald eagle once.

How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?

Well I just don’t really eat I guess. Nutrition drink for breakfast and green room snacks for dinner. Unless we are lucky enough to get a buyout for a proper dinner.

How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?

I don’t really break a lot of strings. I guess I am a gentle player.

Where do you rehearse?

My rehearsal space is my living room! Pretty sure it’s haunted by a ghost named Arthur.

What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?

It was called “Faded Dress” and it was about how I didn’t get to go to prom because I was never invited but I bought a dress that just hung in my closet and collected dust. The line is “Faded dress, I never got to wear”.

Describe your first gig.

I played at my high school assembly. I played a song called “Bizarre Love Triangle”.

What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?

I do some side hustling of social media management for the board of tourism for my town, and I also paint peoples’ houses on occasion.

How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?

Well, I have been on hiatus for the past five years… so nothing! I’m pretty sure in 5-10 years I will be a multi-trillionaire.

What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?

Relish what you do. Because you never know if something might happen that could take it away. Be grateful, surround yourself with a very trustworthy team and have fun.

Lindi Ortega is a Canadian country singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, who had lived in Nashville, Tennessee then moved to Western Canada in 2017. She spent nearly a decade as an independent artist in the Toronto music scene, releasing two albums and an EP in that time. Ortega left Last Gang management and records in November 2017. She subsequently released Til The Goin’ Gets Gone EP and her full-length Liberty on her own label Shadowbox Music.

On February 7, 2012, Ortega was nominated for two Juno Awards – New Artist of the Year and Roots & Traditional Album: Solo. She has twice been a long-listed nominee for the Polaris Music Prize, for her album Little Red Boots in 2012 and Cigarettes & Truckstops in 2013. In July 2014, Ortega was nominated for two Canadian Country Music Association Awards – Female Artist of the Year and Roots Artist of the Year. Her album, Tin Star was also nominated for Album Design of the Year.

After a multi-year hiatus, Ortega returned in October 2024 with From the Ether, a haunting album crafted for kindred dark souls. Released through Truly Handmade Records, the album marks the label’s first release.

Connect with Ortega online and on the road.

Filed Under: Americana, Interviews, Singer/Songwriter, Why It Matters Tagged With: Lindi Ortega

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