Miranda Lambert on Finding Inspiration in West Texas

Back in April, when Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall won the ACM Award for song of the year for her “Tin Man,” they took the stage to thank the academy and the fans. “Thank you guys so much for sharing my broken heart with me,” Lambert said at the time.

But now, she’s elaborating on the topic.

In the new issue of ACM Tempo magazine, Lambert opened up about how productive her trip to Marfa, Texas was.

It’s a small town about 600 miles west of Lambert’s hometown of Lindale, and was dubbed the capital of quirkiness by CBS. And it’s where Lambert, Ingram and Randall got together at a ranch house at the foot of the Davis Mountains while they were there on their songwriting mission.

“We were just free. We didn’t have any goals or plans, we just wrote. I think being out in West Texas where it’s vast and beautiful and there’s nothing for miles just makes you listen to yourself and the thoughts. It really stirs up creativity,” Lambert said of the writing retreat.

And when they started on “Tin Man,” Lambert recalls, she had a gut feeling about the tune. Kind of a songwriter’s intuition.

“We knew (’Tin Man’) was special the second the first verse went down on paper,” she said. “I’m thankful to be able to share in the good and the bad and ups and downs of life through music. Telling the truth is scary but it’s worth it.”

And that approach to songwriting? That’s what Lambert maintains is the key to her longevity so far. “Growing as a songwriter is the most important thing to me. Being recognized for something I wrote with two heroes and friends is truly unforgettable,” she said.

Lambert’s next appearance will be her performance at the Loretta Lynn: All-Star Birthday Concert in Nashville on April 1.