Lanie Gardner‘s journey from the Appalachian Mountains to international acclaim has been nothing short of impressive. Following the success of her viral cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” Lanie quickly captured the attention of music fans around the globe. With the release of her debut album A Songwriter’s Diary in 2024, she showcased her undeniable talent as a gifted storyteller, blending classic rock and country influences into a distinctive sound that’s all her own.
As Lanie Gardner gears up for a major 2025, including her debut at Stagecoach and a tour with Corey Kent, we caught up with her to talk about her new music, career milestones, and the inspiration behind her latest hit, “Buzzkill.”
You released your debut album last fall – how has the response been to the album and what did it feel like to be able to release a full project?
I think a lot of people were able to get a glimpse into where I’m from and who I am, and I think that’s probably the biggest impact that it’s made for my career and for me too. Making the album was kind of like, I had to dig deep in a lot of stuff, so I knew it was going to be something that people were going to be able to dig deep in and figure out who I am.
You’re already releasing new music – can you talk about the song “Buzzkill” and what inspired you to write it?
There’s some tea on this. It was a guy, who also is an artist, and he just had a habit of bringing around these girls that just had bad intentions and I said something about it. So I definitely piped up and said exactly what I thought and so much so that I just wrote a song about it. I sent it to his mother because I thought it was hilarious and she did too.
It’s such a fun song, and also relatable. I read that fans were begging you to release it after playing it live. Is that how you gauge how and when to release songs – by testing them out on the road?
Yeah, a little bit. I also use TikTok and just see kind of what raises its hand, but definitely you can tell the live reaction of songs is a telltale sign that it might do well.
Can you talk about making the “Buzz Kill” music video? It looks like it was a lot of fun…do you have any funny memories from the shoot?
It was. Oh man, funny moments… It was the girl that we cast for “Buzz Kill.” She really just lit up the entire room and I think we all just fed off of her energy. You can just tell in the music video that she is just a pro. And I think it’s her personality as well a little bit. But that was really, really fun. I filmed it with Ryan Hood and we call him ‘the definition,’ and Jonathan Craig. They kind of wrote the whole thing out and they took my personality as to what it would kind of be like, so it was cool. It was really fun.
Your music blends country roots with a bold, rock edge. Who are some of your biggest influences when it comes to crafting your sound?
Oh man, Joan Jett was a big one that I grew up just loving her voice. The rasp in it, and just being completely carefree about how she came off and the things that she wrote about. And Miranda Lambert was the same way. I’m a big Miranda Lambert fan. She’s kind of my idol growing up. And then I think there’s some vulnerability spots where I think R&B kind of started playing a role interestingly, and that was more like SZA and LMA. I love music and so I think I kind of just stole pieces from each genre.
What’s been the most surreal moment of your career so far?
The “Dreams” cover, definitely. I had posted a video of “Dreams” back in 2020 and it blew up and there hasn’t been much that’s beat that just yet, because it was just such a blow up moment. But I think this year I’m playing Stagecoach, I think that might be a milestone moment, so I’m excited for that.
You’ve got a huge year ahead with your sophomore album, touring with Corey Kent, and making your Stagecoach debut. What are you most excited for in 2025?
Excited about? Probably Stagecoach. That’s going to be really cool. I went last year for the first time and I just remember seeing the artists up there, just being jealous of them. So I’m excited to be one of them this year.
You posted a photo with Jelly Roll, thanking him for believing in you – can you talk about your friendship with him and maybe share some advice he’s given you?
Jelly Roll is literally a big teddy bear, and I think he really does love taking other rising artists out on the road and just giving them opportunities that they haven’t had ever. So my relationship with him, you know he’s a busy man and I haven’t grown too super close to him. Sometimes you don’t really need to because he’s just so kind and genuine. You don’t have to spend a lot of time with him to know that, so he’s awesome.
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