Lindi Ortega

Canadian born singer/songwriter Lindi Ortega is set to make her mark in 2012 with her diverse blend of country style pop and rockabilly roots. Music News caught up with one of Toronto’s finest to find out more about the girl with the red boots that’s destined to be the breakthrough act of 2012.

With over a decades experience as an independent musician, Lindi Ortega is a veteran on the Toronto indie seen, but it wasn’t until 2010 that her distinctive sound officially reached UK shores. Taking to the stage as a backing singer for The Killer’s frontman Brandon Flowers on his solo tour, Lindi managed to reach a wider audience, touring across Europe, the UK and the United States, which, despite, already having so much history in the music business, was an educational experience.

‘I got to experience living on a tour bus, I learned about how larger scale shows work, and learned what it was like to take a back seat and be a backing singer instead of a front person. I also learned what it’s like to do all the big festivals’, a lesson that’s sure to hold her in good stead when she heads back to Europe next summer to play the festivals.

Having a sound that’s an eclectic concoction of heady commercial pop and credible country soul, made Lindi’s music a hit on the underground scene of her home country, Canada, with the nations ‘authority in music’, Exclaim!, describing her voice as ‘the closest thing to vocal perfection’. She puts this unmistakable sound down to her wide range of musical influences, ‘I’m mostly inspired by old school traditional country and outlaw country music, but I also listen to a lot of Blues, Rockabilly, Folk, Roots, and Rock too’. 

However, eight years and several releases down the line, ‘indie Lindi’ (as she was sometimes called), decided to throw in the independent towel and signed to a commercial label, preferring the stability of being signed, uncertainty being something all independent artists can relate to. ‘Being on a label is nicer because people help me with all the stuff I was trying to do before, by myself. My current label is great and has been really supportive and good at getting my music out there’.

Since teaming up with Last Gang Records, she has released critically acclaimed album ‘Little Red Boots’ - named after the leather cowboy boots she has worn every day since she was given them whilst on tour with Kevin Costner’s band. The album is a feast for hungry ears that Lindi says covers all bases. ‘It's a record that runs the gamut of human emotion. There's happy, there's sad, there’s dark, there's cheeky. It's got a lot of old school influence with a modern twist, but all in all, I think it’s a pretty fun record’.

Tracks like ‘Little Lie’, ‘Black Fly’ and ‘Angels’ exemplify Lindi’s ability to write beautifully crafted, contemporary tunes, whilst making her country sound completely accessible; the latter of which has been much talked about since the music video was filmed on Lindi’s iPhone. ‘It was just some silly idea I had, and the next thing I knew the LA Times were interviewing me about it and I won Best Music Video at the iPhone Film Festival. Go figure!’

She modestly maintains that, contrary to what all her accolades may suggest, the video wasn’t a spark of genius, ‘It was just a bunch of scenes in a graveyard and me with smeared eye makeup and angel wings, I honestly didn't think anything would come of it but people seemed to like it’, and It’s not just Canadians either. Lindi’s music (and videos) has made such a splash across the pond, that UK listeners and artists alike, love her.

She has toured with British uber bands Keane, and Noah and the Whale, so it’s safe to say there’ll be a lot of UK love for Lindi in 2012; thankfully, Lindi knows the feeling will be mutual. ‘I love the UK. Firstly, for Primark, it’s my favourite store ever! But I also just like the people, and all the venues I've played there have been really cool. I also dig the atmosphere. I get excited every time I get to visit the UK!’ Just as well that she’s coming back then. ‘I’m spending Xmas with my family in Toronto and moving to Nashville in January, but I’ll be coming back to the UK for some solo dates at the end of January’.

It doesn’t stop there, Europe are also set for a treat as Lindi will be doing a 12-date-French tour called ‘Les Nuits des Alligator’ with her band, in support of Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, and also heading to Switzerland, Holland, Belgium and then on to UK and Ireland until early March. So, it’s set to be a hectic year to team Ortega, with extensive touring and the possibility of am Autumn 2012 album, but no matter what happens, we’re certain that 2012 will be the year of Lindi; watch this space.


Little Red Boots is available now!