Miranda Lambert Says ‘Palomino’ Was Inspired by Linda Ronstadt and ZZ Top
Country singer-songwriter Miranda Lambert released her album Palomino on April 29, 2022. Palomino is Lambert’s ninth studio album and was recently nominated for Best Country Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards. In an interview with Music Connection, Miranda Lambert explained the inspiration behind Palomino.
How Miranda Lambert’s album ‘Palomino’ came to be
Palomino is a character-driven album that allows Lambert to flex her skills as a songwriter. While it is not a concept album, Lambert does sing from different perspectives.
In an interview with Music Connection, Lambert shared details about the making of Palomino.
“I started writing the songs in 2020. We spent a lot of time developing these characters and these stories. It’s not a concept record, but it’s definitely got a thread,” Lambert said.
She continued, “I spent a lot of my writing career writing about personal experiences, or those of people close to me, and this is one that was like ‘Let’s go out of ourselves and find some cool places and some cool people that we can make up.'”
Linda Ronstadt and ZZ Top inspired ‘Palomino’
Speaking with Music Connection, Lambert revealed some of her inspirations for Palomino. According to the country singer, rock band ZZ Top and singer Linda Ronstadt were inspirations.
“I pulled a little bit more from other influences, more than I have in the past. Linda Ronstadt and ZZ Top—trying to get those coming in,” Lambert told Music Connection.
When asked how Ronstadt was an inspiration, Lambert explained, “Watching her documentary, she was so committed. ‘I had to sing this song or I would just die.’ She meant it, with that fire inside her eyes. I want that commitment, that crazy passion for something, even just a tenth of what she had. The skillfulness and the longevity of her career are very inspiring to me.”
A song from ‘Palomino’ is a standout in Miranda Lambert’s Las Vegas residency
In September, Lambert kicked off her Las Vegas residency, Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency.
Speaking with Music Connection, Lambert revealed that performing “Carousel” from Palomino is “a huge moment in the show.”
“It’s a huge moment in the show. It’s not stripped down, but it’s more dramatic because of lighting and production. Sometimes it’s hard to get through. Being a writer on it, I’m still so in it and so wrapped up in the story every time I sing it. And it’s heartbreaking. Singing it every night, I want to make sure that I’m getting the story across,” Lambert shared.
She continued, “I sing as close to the mic as I can, and we use the tricks of the trade with the lighting and everything. That’s something I appreciate about the Las Vegas setting. You can highlight lyrics more because you’re indoors and it’s controlled. For a song like that, it’s really cool to set it up and make the production a part of the story.”
