The Master Of Intrigue

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November 8, 2011

With ever-changing technology and modernism closing in all around, author Alan Furst continues to cling to the past. He lives in the historic Hamptons in a house built in 1890; he writes historical novels set during the rise of Hitler; and he scribes his works on an IBM Selectric typewriter.

“I think the typewriter is a far superior tool for writing novels than any word program offered on the computer,” says America’s preeminent historical espionage novelist.

“On a typewriter, you hit a ‘D,’ you hear a loud clack and then there’s a ‘D.’ It’s wonderful! Why shouldn’t I work on something that pleases me emotionally?”

Furst is the author of 15 novels, including Night Soldiers, Dark Star, The Polish Officer, The World at Night, Red Gold, Kingdom of Shadows, Blood of Victory, Dark Voyage, The Foreign Correspondent, The Spies of Warsaw and his latest thriller, Spies of the Balkans, a stunning novel about a man who risks everything to right – in many small ways – the world’s evil.

This native New Yorker of Jewish descent is entranced with the dark places in Eastern Europe between 1933 and 1942, when the Nazi power was on the rise.

“Frankly, this period is endless,” he says. “No one will ever tell the stories or even know all the stories from that period, because it was such an immense kind of thing.”

Though Furst has been a household name in Britain for more than 20 years, it wasn’t until this past decade that he finally got the recognition he deserved in the United States, starting with his 10th novel, Kingdom of Shadows.

“My paperbacks had to be imported to the U.S. from the U.K. in the 1990s. Then all of a sudden in 2000, Kingdom of Shadows was my breakthrough here. It was my I-don’t-care-about-anybody-else-but-myself book. I was going to put anything I wanted to in this book and however I wanted to put it,” says Furst. “I had just about given up on ever being on The New York Times Best Sellers List and then all of a sudden the stroke of lightning came with this book.”

The novel made The New York Times Best Sellers List, as have all five that followed it.

Older generations aren’t the only ones intrigued with this 70-year-old’s masterful pieces; his works are starting to find their way onto college campuses.

“I was very surprised when my publisher told me last month that the trade paperback of Spies of the Balkans was showing up on best-seller lists coming out of college bookstores,” Furst says. “It is enlightening that young people want to read about this bygone era.”

Oklahomans will get the chance to meet this internationally acclaimed author when he comes to Tulsa Dec. 2 and 3 to receive the Tulsa Library Trust’s prestigious Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. He will receive the award at a black-tie dinner on Dec. 2 and give a free public presentation on Dec. 3 at 10:30 a.m. at Central Library.

“I’m elated to receive this recognition and am looking forward to visiting Tulsa,” says Furst. “I was greatly impressed by the authors who have received this award prior to me.”

Past winners of the Helmerich Award include Ian McEwan, John Grisham, Neil Simon, David McCullough, Ray Bradbury, Eudora Welty, John le Carré, Saul Bellow, John Updike and other internationally acclaimed authors. The award consists of a $40,000 cash prize and an engraved crystal book.

For more information about the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award, visit www.helmerichaward.org or call Larry Bartley, Tulsa Library Trust director, 918.549.7363.

In Concert: The Pixies

By

Staff

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November 8, 2011

It seems only yesterday that the Pixies jammed before an ecstatic crowd of devoted fans at Tulsa’s Brady Theater. They sang along, because that’s what enchanted Pixies devotees do. That was a year ago, and, lucky for us, a similar scene is about to play out under the roof of Oklahoma City’s Bricktown Events Center. Black Francis, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering are, indeed, still together and are bringing opening act Imaginary Cities with them to open their Nov. 15 show. They’re also bringing a set list that’s sure to include some of their best known work, including “Here Comes Your Man,” “Monkey Gone to Heaven” and “Where is My Mind?” Oft cited as an influential force in alternative rock, the infamously quarrelsome band turned out five albums from 1987 to 1991 before breaking the act in 1993. Resurrected in 2003, the Pixies have stayed together since. Credit all those encores. www.dcfconcerts.com

Closer Than Kin

By

Meika Yates Hines

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November 8, 2011

There’s no question about it – there’s a very special, organic energy that happens when family gets together to combine forces. It can’t be replicated. It can’t be duplicated. Simply put, it’s magic.

Muskogee’s Zach and Colton Swon – the Swon Brothers – discovered this invaluable gift early in life, finding their calling and home on the stage together when they were just children, cutting their teeth on the road while traveling with their parents’ gospel group on the family tour bus.

They’ve played with many musicians over the years, but both say that their duo as brothers has allowed them to function as “two brains working as one.”

“You just can’t beat family harmony. There’s something to be said about being tight in that way with someone else’s vocals. Our harmonies just fit. That’s chemistry you don’t really find with other musicians who aren’t your blood, and it’s a big plus when you’re performing or in the studio,” Zach says.

“It definitely has its advantages in the creative process. We both have two totally different styles apart. When we get down to writing songs, Colton writes more pop sounding songs, I’m more bluesy or traditional country; but when we bring our ideas together they merge into something very cool. That’s that brotherhood connection.”

Splitting time between their “music home” of Nashville and Oklahoma hometown, the brothers have kept a firm grip on their childhood dream, taking with them lessons learned on patience and perseverance through their experiences along the way.

Currently in the process of mixing a live album, recorded at the historic Roxy Theater in Muskogee, they are also busy writing for a new studio album in Nashville, due later this winter.

As is evident by their previously released independent CD, Another Day, and live shows, they possess a country style (think Rascal Flatts meets the Eagles) that’s wide enough to target many aspects of an audience, and is proving to be well-received no matter who they play for.

“We can’t help but write country, but it’s not traditional country. We will never limit ourselves to being in any one box or fit in any one category. We’re going to make good music and keep making different music. There are always new places to go in the creative process by keeping open-minded. We want to always push the limit. I think it’s how you stay sane as an artist,” Colton says.

Honoring The Fallen

By

Terry A. Hull

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November 8, 2011

Donald J. Gott and John N. Reese Jr. won’t be present when they are inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame on Veterans Day. They, along with 21 other veterans, will be memorialized at the Gaylord Center at Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond. In addition to Medal of Honor recipients Gott and Reese, the inductees include 14 Comanche code talkers. The Comanches used a coded version of their native language to transmit critical radio messages during World War II. All 14 Comanche honorees are deceased.

Gott and Reese are among only 20 Oklahomans to ever receive the Medal of Honor, the U.S.’s highest military decoration, for “conspicuous gallantry” while risking one’s life “above and beyond the call of duty.”

Gott was a bomber pilot whose Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” crashed in Germany in November 1944, after the craft was heavily damaged by enemy fire. The 21-year-old pilot ordered his crew to bail out. However, the co-pilot was unable to do so because his arm had been severed. Attempting to save his co-pilot’s life, Gott stayed with the plane, which exploded in the air.

Reese was killed in the Philippines in February 1945 during an attack on a railroad station defended by 300 Japanese soldiers. Against overwhelming odds, Reese and another soldier fought to within 60 yards of the station and killed more than 80 enemy soldiers between the two of them before being killed themselves.

According to Michael Dean, spokesperson for the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Military Hall of Fame, Oklahoma’s contribution defending our country exceeds that of many other states.

“In almost any field of endeavor, there are any number of Oklahomans who have excelled in that field,” says Dean. “For whatever reason, we as a state have excelled in so many areas, I think far more so than other states. Military service is a prime example.”

Oklahoma has more than 329,000 living veterans. The Sooner State is home to almost 50,000 active-duty military personnel stationed at Fort Sill (Lawton), Tinker, Vance and Altus Air Force bases (Midwest City, Enid and Altus, respectively), the U.S. Coast Guard Institute (Oklahoma City), and the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, plus another 10,000 Army and Air National Guard troops.

Many more Oklahoma men and women have paid the ultimate price. Oklahoma had 1,317 fatal casualties in World War I. Those heroes were joined by 6,463 dead in World War II. Fatal casualties in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan comprise more than 1,700, bringing Oklahoma’s total dead and missing in military service to approximately 9,500 men and women.

Still, many Oklahomans have never heard of the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame.

“My first relation (with the Hall of Fame) was when I was inducted,” says 88-year-old Pendleton Woods, who was a POW in Germany during World War II and became one of the first inductees into the Hall. “I hadn’t heard about it until that year, 2002.”

Woods now serves as a Hall of Fame volunteer. He says the Hall would draw much more attention when it finally has a tangible home where people can view exhibits telling the stories of military heroes. Woods says the Hall of Fame will have that home when a renovation on an Oklahoma Christian University building is complete.

Dean agrees that the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame needs a permanent home.

“I think that is really important. That’s going to give us greater visibility. It’s going to let people know that … we have so many men and women, dating back to the Territories, who have distinguished themselves in service of our country and have made lasting contributions.”

The Commish

By

Jami Mattox

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October 28, 2011

Michael Thompson serves as Commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. He oversees the Oklahoma Highway Patrol as well as roughly 1,700 employees that work in the agency’s offices statewide. Thompson also has a distinguished military career, having achieved the rank of Colonel and currently assigned as the Chief of Staff (Army) for the Oklahoma National Guard. He has served two tours in Iraq, including one at the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Thompson, however, is first and foremost a proud family man. He and his wife of 27 years, Deborah, have two sons – Brandon, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point currently serving in South Korea, and Jared, who holds the rank of second lieutenant and is attending flight school at Fort Rucker, Ala.

In 1984, I began working for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and soon worked my way up to correctional counselor. I was 21, very young. I started thinking that maybe there was more that I could do in this career field. For me, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol was top of the career ladder. Growing up in Purcell, Okla., I would see that Oklahoma Highway Patrol cruiser come through town, and I would think, “Man, that’s cool.” I knew I wanted to drive one of those cars, to be one of those troopers. It didn’t take me long to zero in on this.

It took me three times to apply before I was accepted to become part of the OHP academy, and in 1990 I was accepted to the 45th Patrol Academy. I was already accustomed to high-stress environments when I entered the Academy because of my military background. I watched guys stress out, but I told them, “Stick with it, keep your head and we’ll get through it.”

When I began my career in OHP, to reach (rank of) Captain was my goal. I didn’t have any expectations beyond that. In 2003, I was moved up to captain. I had no clue I was being considered for the post of Commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. In November 2010, I received a call to get my resume together. There were some good names being considered for commissioner, so it was an honor for me. On Dec. 7, 2010, Gov. Mary Fallin offered me the position.

The concerns for the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety are no different than any other state agency. We have taken budget cuts like everyone else has. But one of the things the Governor said in her State of the State address was that we’re not going to worry about things we can’t do; we’re going to worry about things we can do. Yes, we’ve experienced a budget cut, and yes, our ability is diminished, but the services we can offer, I want those to be courteous and professional. I want the OHP to operate with integrity and professionalism.

In March 2012, we will have our next patrol school, the first since 2009. There will be funding for 30 spots in the school. Our numbers have shrunk over the years. Twenty years ago, you’d have 1,000 people apply for one of 50 positions in the patrol academy, but now we’re lucky if we have 600 apply to patrol school. This will be my first round as Commissioner, so the most important thing I can do is hire the right guy. We want the right guys on the road. I feel quality is much more important than quantity.

An Evening of Wine & Roses

By

Staff

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October 25, 2011

In Black And White

By

Staff

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October 24, 2011

Practical Glamour

By

Jami Mattox

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October 24, 2011

Jefffrey Evans knows a thing or two about planning a dinner party. As the owner of Jeffrey Evans Design, Evans consults with clients who are planning parties, both large and small.

The first thing to remember about entertaining, Evans says, is to be kind to yourself.

“Know your limits,” he says. “Don’t try to learn to bake the day of a party. Only cook what you’re comfortable making, and don’t stress yourself by trying to make something that’s too fancy.”

When planning a holiday party, it’s best to consider small, personalized details that will make your guests feel both comfortable and special.

“Do one little thing that’s going to delight your guests,” Evans says. He suggests personalized name cards or a small box of candy at each place setting.

Evans recommends setting the table for a holiday party two days prior to the event. It allows you time to be creative and to devote your time before the party to the preparation of food.

“Use texture, color and lighting on your tabletop,” he says. “Don’t be afraid to borrow things from around the house that are interesting.

“I like to use lots of texture and give a tabletop an outdoorsy feeling for Thanksgiving. To me, (spring holidays) would call for brighter, monochromatic colors schemes with pastels, and winter holidays are glitzier and colors a little bit richer,” he continues.

Color is the most affordable way to decorate a tabletop, Evans says. He suggests using a white wedding china place setting and using brightly colored napkins to add a pop and completely change the look of the table.

“Use your dimmer switch for overhead lighting, or consider candle-lighting for the party,” he says.

Centerpieces are not always necessary, but there should be something interesting to look at on the table, Evans advises. Candles are a good option for this, be it votive, pillar or tapered candles.

When it comes to serving the meal, Evans urges his clients to set up a buffet or consider plating prior to the dinner party.

“If you plate it yourself, you can put it in the oven on warm and you don’t have to worry about the complication of passing things around the table. And it always looks more fancy if you plate it yourself,” he says.

Evans says that, in the end, a holiday party doesn’t have to be stuffy and formal; on the contrary, he says, it should be a relaxed and fun event. He says his ideal dinner party would include eight interesting guests seated at a round table with interesting conversation, an abundance of food and drink, where everyone is relaxed and doesn’t feel rushed.

Home Court Advantage

By

Corrie McGee

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October 24, 2011

When tackling a new build project for a high-profile Stillwater family, architect Scott Vrooman of Tri-Arch made sure the space would both meet the needs and reflect the interests of the active family.

“When we started the process we thought we knew what we wanted,” the owner shares, adding that she soon realized her family needed something more.

After sharing with Vrooman and interior designer Mary Kreider what was important to them as a family, the creative team came up with a space tailor-made for the young family.

“We use every inch of that house. They did an amazing job,” the owner adds.

Vrooman began with an inspiration piece.

“We found a circular window used in the old Gallagher-Iba arena and used elements from that throughout the home,” he says of the intricate, curved designs as well as detailed ceiling and beam work.

The curved, intersecting theme is also reflected in the design of the front door, created by Cox Interiors of Campbellsville, Ky., along with the detailed beam work in the formal living room.

“I loved that sense of organized randomness,” Kreider says of the dark wood beams. From the kitchen to the master bedroom each ceiling is at once unique and unifying to the home’s design.

While the family has a shared interest in sports, the owners do have differing styles.

“One has a more rustic style, while the other likes a unique, eclectic feel. It was our job to blend those in order to create a personalized space for them and their young family,” Vrooman says of the owners.

The result was a lodge-like exterior with muted, rustic stone and gas lanterns across the front, with an interior that exudes an eclectic, Mediterranean feel with linen tones and exquisite lighting.

In creating the interior, the owner wanted to be sure it was comfortable yet distinctive.

“She is not one for overbearing or vibrant tones, so the palette features earth tones. It’s all very subtle and elegant,” Kreider says.

The team brought pops of color to the rooms by adding modern artwork selected from the Phoenix Art Group.

The owner wanted the lighting to be unique and distinctive throughout the home, and that was achieved with the help of Corbett Luxury Lighting. The pendant lighting hanging in the clubroom and the pendant chandelier in the formal dining room are standout pieces. However, the piece de resistance of the collection is the large silver and gold pendant light that hangs above the island in the kitchen.

“This was a tough piece to find. We both had an idea in mind and kept searching, but when we saw this we both just said, ‘Wow,’” Kreider says.

In addition to all the ceiling work, the floor design is also the custom work of Kreider.

The patterned flooring is a mix of porcelain tiling and hand-scratched wood, like that featured in the Atherton Hotel at OSU, located on the campus in Stillwater. In addition to the kitchen, the floor design appears throughout the home, including in the entryway and living area.

The master bath design is also a particular favorite of the owners. With a barrel-vaulted ceiling and translucent onyx countertops that light up, it encourages luxurious relaxation. A paneled wall mirror equipped with a 50-inch television mounted inside adds the final touch.

It’s not all relaxation, though, for this active family.

Leading out of the clubroom through floor-to ceiling French doors is the outdoor living area complete with a pool and waterfall system that feed one another.

Because the backyard is at a slope, Vrooman worked with the builder to create a system that allows a gradual descent. The play pool is off the back of the home and comes complete with a slide and an infinity edge that feeds the pool below through a waterfall.

The family also has access to a pond where kids can enjoy catching tadpoles and fishing. In the front area through the porte-cochere is an area to play basketball both outdoors and indoors.

“It all flows together so easily,” the owner shares. “We love every room in the house.”

While paying homage to a great sport, this unique Oklahoma residence has created a place where they and their young children can grow and family memories can be made.

Straight Shooter

By

Meika Yates Hines

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October 24, 2011

There are two types of female country singers out there. There’s the girl with the pretty voice that sings cute, catchy pop country music. Her albums are safe – they please the masses and make mama say, “Well now, isn’t that sweet?”

Then there’s the country girl who blows you away – not just with her powerhouse voice, but with the meatiness of her songs, the authenticity of the conviction in her vocals and the fearless nature of her music.

You practically feel the grit from the dirt on her boots and smell the smoke from the end of her weathered shotgun. Her albums are hot to the touch and make mama a little uneasy, which only makes listening to them that much more exciting.

Want a quick lesson on the difference between these two types of gals? Throw in a Miranda Lambert CD, or better yet, catch her in concert, and hang on to your seat.

Then go back and check out her peers. The contrast will remind you of the tough hide that the original women of country music were cut from and make you sit a spell to re-evaluate what it means to be a female country artist.

Amidst the last leg of her headlining tour, The Revolution Continues, the current reigning female country vocalist of the year is still enjoying riding the high of the biggest year of her life.

With an armful of some of country music’s grandest and most sought-after accolades, a fiery new single and side project setting the pace for her new album, and her recent marriage to long-time love and fellow country star Blake Shelton earlier this year, Miranda Lambert has brought the country girl back into country music.

Oklahoma Import

A Texas native, Lambert opted out of living in Nashville to stay close to home, settling down on a working farm – complete with horses and cows and pigs and chickens – in a small town right here in Oklahoma, so that when she and Shelton aren’t touring, they can enjoy the simple, quiet country living they love so much.

Rather than choosing a pretentious couture designer gown, like celebrity brides tend to do, Lambert got married wearing the same ivory wedding dress that her mother married her father in 33 years ago. Pairing the dress with cowboy boots, she said her vows in a barn, on a cowhide rug beneath an arch made of antlers, serving her guests venison cutlets that she hunted and harvested herself.

Her fierce rock star appeal aside, it’s these down-to-earth details about her personality that seem to have resonated with her fans the most.

The “Ran Fans,” as they are called, are avid and can’t get enough of her.

“I’ve got the best fans. I have some that I know by name. I know a lot of them; they come to so many shows they’re like old friends,” Lambert says.

“I think that this new album shows the side of me as being a woman now instead of that crazy girl who wrote Kerosene at 18 years old.”

“I have a lot of die-hards. My fans are so passionate. Maybe it’s because I’m passionate, I attract those types of people. They’re the kind that’ll say, ‘You better love Miranda – if not we’re gonna beat it into ya!’ I love that. It feels good to have that foundation of support. They inspire me.”

It’s no wonder she’s gained such an aggressive following. The self-proclaimed “redneck chick” has an edge that commands the stage and sets the country music charts ablaze.

That said, the past year has seen Lambert catapult into the ranks of the country elite and earn the kind of notoriety that could very well help make her a one-name superstar.

Not that she needs the help. She’s got the talent and drive alone to reach those heights – and rather than waiting around for doors to open for her, she’s more than happy to kick them down herself.

It’s hard to picture it now, but she was once on the reality television circuit, competing on the short-lived, American Idol-esque show Nashville Star – but unlike the lion’s share of potentials who make it that far on those talent searches, Lambert’s 15 minutes never ended, and her career has instead thrived from the media exposure.

“It’s the reason I’m here. I’d like to think that I’d have gotten here eventually, but it probably would’ve taken me a lot longer if I didn’t have that avenue. Getting seen by the right people and having that TV audience that’s built in – you really can’t buy that,” she says.

Shootin’From The Hip

Just two years after her third-place finish, her 2005 debut, Kerosene, rocked the country music charts, going platinum with three hit singles, including the title track.

Her sophomore compilation, 2007’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, made her presence known as one of the music industry’s newest femme fatales, producing four more hit singles and the album of the year award by the Academy of Country Music (ACM).

But it was 2009’s Revolution that solidified her place in the big leagues, earning her honors from both the ACM and the Country Music Association (CMA) for album of the year, with her song, “The House that Built Me” making a clean sweep of the awards for best song and video of the year, top female performance, and the 2010 Grammy for Best Female Country Performance to boot.

After that kind of tremendous success, how does an artist even go about making a follow-up album?

“There’s always going to be that rock star part of me who loves to go on the road and rock out and head bang on stage.”

“It was pretty scary to be honest, but I had to get into the mindset that I can’t compete with myself. There really is no way to. I feel like to be a true artist you have to keep reinventing yourself, and that’s what I try to do,” she says.

“I’m excited for people to hear some different sides to my personality on Four the Record. I’m in a much different spot in my life – even more so than from Revolution, which was very different for me – so there’s been this whole transitioning of going from a girl to an older girl to a woman. I’m a wife now, and I’m about to be 28. I think that this new album shows the side of me as being a woman now instead of that crazy girl who wrote Kerosene at 18 years old.

“I feel like I’m opening up more and opening my mind up to more things. When I say that I’m married and a wife – that’s the settled down part of who I am – that crazy girl will always be there. There’s always going to be that rock star part of me who loves to go on the road and rock out and head bang on stage.”

Honest To Goodness

To the layman, it might be easy to write her off as just another pretty blonde pop tart, given the mainstream’s ever-present obsession with yellow-tressed songstresses – but one need give Lambert credit where credit is deserved.

She’s an artist whose musical repertoire packs a punch and dark undertones that have thrived at the core of country music since the beginning – digging deep into some of the most raw and vulnerable of human emotions.

By straying away from easy sentimentality to speak from an honest, insightful and sometimes jarring level, she is adamant about never compromising substance to sell out – and this is where the storyteller in her truly shines through her writing, setting her apart from all those other blonde girls who can sing and play guitar.

This straight-shooting, no-nonsense attitude sends an empowering message to women – not in an against-men kind of way, but more in a way that encourages females to be strong, have a backbone and be confident in their own skin.

Like her idol Merle Haggard, known as the “working man’s poet,” Lambert is fast becoming the “real woman’s poet.”

But despite her fierceness, growing up in the tiny town of Lindale, Texas, Lambert says she was actually a shy and quiet child who played in the church band and didn’t get into trouble.

As private investigators, her parents were rich with stories to share with their children – and these served as the perfect tools to get the creative juices flowing in the impressionable mind of their young daughter, who always shared her father’s affinity for country music.

“When I started writing songs as a teenager, I didn’t have much life to write about yet. So I spent a lot of time listening to my parents tell stories, and there was always a lot of cheating and revenge involved. I grew up in a great home with a loving Christian family – but from that sheltered household, I could still see the outside world. My parents never tried to hide anything from my brother and I,” she says.

“I feel like to be a true artist you have to keep reinventing yourself, and that’s what I try to do.”

“We took in abused women and children for awhile. That was very eye opening. I got a glimpse of some of life’s harsh realities without having to experience them myself. "Gun Powder And Lead" and definitely "Kerosene" – songs about doing crazy things in the name of revenge – I haven’t actually done any of those things, but I’ve heard stories about people who have.”

Lambert says that she didn’t start getting into her crazy ways until she was out of high school and started playing music in bars, attributing her frisky personality to the two-and-a-half years she spent playing rough and tumble Texas roadhouse honkytonks by the age of 17, dealing with drunks and finding herself on stage while working to launch her music career.

“I did a lot of growing up in the school of hard knocks on the road when I first started out. The experience made me tough and made me appreciate what I do,” she explains.

“It was good for me. I think every performer should have to go out and pay their dues like that. It really makes you find who you are. Now, when I go out to listen to music, I’m one of those sticklers when someone else is performing who says, ‘Shhhh. Don’t talk!’”

And when Lambert says, “Shhh!” crowds shut up and listen.

Case in point: Her newest side project, the Pistol Annies, has people paying attention in a serious way to their daring and rustic flavor of classic country that pays homage to legends like Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.

Comprised of Lambert and friends/fellow singer/songwriters Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley, the trio of Annies is topping the country music charts with their bold debut album, Hell on Heels.

“Ashley and Angaleena stand for the same things I stand for. We’re all feisty girls on our own, but put us together and we’re a force to be reckoned with. It’s pretty amazing to see a couch dream you have with your buddies turn into something this awesome. We’re having a lot of fun!” Lambert says.

Maintaining Balance

With her whirlwind year coming to a close, Lambert is ready to wind down and recharge her battery, anticipating establishing all of those fun newlywed habits and rituals with her new husband, whom she hasn’t gotten to see enough of since they’ve both been busy with touring post-wedding.

Although she loves her wild life on the road and onstage, her farm in the country – where she gardens, hunts, bakes cookies and tends to her animals – is where she says she’s happiest.

“The amount of gone time you experience on the road has been my biggest challenge. You try not to think about how many days a year you’re away from your friends and family,” Lambert says.

“Just being at my farm or my hometown in Texas to hang out and be regular – now more than ever, it’s all about balancing that real life with road life. I always want this to be fun, so I try to have that downtime at home so I don’t get burnt out. I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire right now, but luckily the irons are all hot. I’m just trying to keep afloat and keep my feet on the ground.”

Oklahoma Import

Shootin’From The Hip

Honest To Goodness

Maintaining Balance

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