It’s been nearly two months since Lainey Wilson won the Grammy for Best Country Album, but she’s still feeling the glow from the victory.
“It’s a blessing to get such a positive response from the fans and my industry peers,” Wilson, 31, tells Us Weekly exclusively. “I’ve been working towards this for over a decade, so I’m excited to build on this energy for my upcoming tour and connect with fans all over the world. It doesn’t necessarily mean less stress, but it’s validating, to say the least.”
The Grammy win capped off a victory lap for Lainey, who also won Entertainer of the Year at the 2023 Country Music Association Awards and Album of the Year (for Bell Bottom Country) at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards. Yet, she tells Us that she’s not in the music business for the awards.
“I’m so grateful and incredibly humbled by the success of Bell Bottom Country,” she notes. “I love to write, I love to perform, and I love to connect with people. That’s what fills my cup.”
Speaking of filling up cups, Lainey spoke with Us about launching her pop-up bar in partnership with Barmen 1873 Bourbon. The Hold My Bourbon Bar will open April 5-7 at GoodTimes Full Service Bar in Nashville, Tennessee. Plus, 100% of the proceeds from the pop-up experience will go to Wilson’s charitable fund, Heart Like a Truck, which supports a variety of causes focused on changing lives for the better. (Check out HoldMyBourbonBar.com for times and details).
“Bourbon is one of my drinks of choice, usually before a show, served on the rocks,” Wilson tells Us. “I love the way bourbon warms me up from the inside out, and my love for it has only grown since being introduced to Barmen 1873.”
Wilson noted that everything at the Hold My Bourbon Bar is “thoughtfully curated” by her. “From the cocktails to the decor and even the on-site activities,” she notes. “There will be bandanas for all of the attendees to customize with chain stitching.”
Wilson also shared that her favorite cocktail that will be served at the pop-up is Wildflowers Old Fashioned, which “is a fun take on the classic Old Fashioned with added ingredients like grapefruit syrup and a rose petal garnish.
“I’ve never worked as a bartender,” she noted, “but I am excited for the cocktails we’ve dreamed up to come to life through my partnership with Barmen 1873 Bourbon. I consulted with the experts at Barmen to craft three specialty cocktails for this experience, each of which are inspired by my songs.”
When Wilson spoke with Us, she was busy down under, playing to her fans in Australia. After a few dates in the U.S., she’ll spend most of April performing in Europe. She’ll return stateside at the end of May before spending the rest of 2024 touring North America.
“When I started writing songs growing up, I never thought someone on the other side of the world would be able to relate to my story,” she tells Us. “Man, was I so wrong about that!?”
Wilson said it’s been an “honor to see the energy and excitement from my Australian fans at shows over the past week.” She hadn’t even left the country and was “already itching to come back.”
When she returns, she may bring a few friends with her. Wilson has been one of the loudest voices championing country music’s recent mainstream comeback, waving the banner with her Country’s Cool Again Tour and being one of the first to support Beyoncé’s entry into the genre, Cowboy Carter.
When asked which country star will have a breakout year in 2024, Wilson had a few names in mind. “Where do I start? There are so many artists — I’m such a fan of folks like Anne Wilson whose record I’m featured on with a new song we wrote called ‘Praying Woman.’”
Wilson picked Ian Munsick, Zach Top and Jackson Dean — the acts joining her on the Country’s Cool Again Tour this summer – as others on the verge of superstardom. “These boys make incredible music that a lot of folks are gravitating to,” she said. She also picked Kameron Marlowe, the opener for her Australian run. “He’s got some great new music on the way,” adds Wilson.
“I think they all have something so unique that they’re bringing to the table,” she concludes, “and I’m excited to see what they do this year in country music and beyond.”
