The poetry lover, songwriter, singer and musician takes her inspiration from observing relationships and keeping a watching brief on the world around her. Alison Dewar found out more:
Ingrid Andress is all about being honest. Never afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, her hotly-anticipated second album Good Person is out on August 26, already preceded by early track releases including Blue and Pain.
Both were among the songs showcased at an intimate fan gig in London last month (see https://sixshootercountry.com/2022/07/07/live-review-ingrid-andress-serves-up-a-musical-treat-as-she-previews-new-album/).
When we spoke recently, I was keen to find out more about where her ideas come from, as well as how she copes when loved ones hear those most intimate of songs for the first time.
“Usually, I try to keep my songs about what I am going through, without dragging someone through the dirt,” she says. “I know there are many notorious artists who like to (do that) but the goal is to never make somebody feel bad, it’s more just bringing to light ‘this is how you made me feel’, or ‘this is what I’ve observed’.
“I’m not saying that you’re a terrible person, it’s just these are the feelings that invoked in me, whether they’re good or bad. I feel I usually know that I’m going too far if I can’t play it for someone.”
She continues: “The goal is so they understand how you’re feeling, or what you were feeling. I always try to keep it as much about me as possible and using myself as the vessel, rather than throwing other people under the bus.
“I’m all about speaking your truth. I think art has a place and if it makes somebody feel uncomfortable, sometimes it’s necessary. I can’t control how everyone in my life feels about what I do, I do my best, but at the end of the day, it’s just how I feel and I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings.”
Really listening to an advance copy of the new album, I was struck by her poetic descriptions and creative use of words – Blue is a particular case in point, conjuring up images of Levi jeans, a California swimming pool and a Colorado sky – and asked if she was a poetry lover.
“I am, I actually got into songwriting from taking a poetry class at school. I’ve always been obsessed with words, I just never tried to put music to them,” Ingrid reveals.
“Then one of my professors said ‘you should try songwriting, these sound like they could be songs’ and I was like ‘ok’. Luckily it came really naturally, so it did start with poetry and the simplicity of making your words beautiful without melodies.
“Not many people know that because nobody really notices, maybe that’s because most people don’t read poetry.”
When it comes to inspiration for those songs, she takes her cue from watching the world around her and the relationships she observes.
It’s one reason, she says, why she loves playing small intimate shows like the one at Nola’s last month, as it gives her the opportunity to really talk to her fans.
Photo credit: Craig Dewar
“Obviously arena shows are awesome and have their own energy, but I feel, as somebody who writes all their own stuff, it’s more important to me to share the stories of the songs with fans, because to me that’s where it all starts.
“For me, writing is so personal. I like meeting people who also can relate to things that I’m singing about because technically – if you like my music – we’re probably similar people. So, at the end of the day, I want to hang out with people who get me, and they just so happen to like my music, which is awesome. It makes me feel like I’m just out with my friends.”
Yearbook was one of the stand-out songs of that night for me, telling the story of how couples stay together since school largely because that’s the expectation. The song references ‘mom and dad’ and I was keen to find out if this was really about Ingrid’s parents.
She admits to there being ‘definitely hints’ of her own folks in the words, but says it is also related to her own experiences of living in the south for the past few years and experiencing the culture of the church.
“It’s like once you’re married, you’re married forever. I’m like ‘ooooh…’, so the song was really inspired by observing a lot of different relationships and being curious. I’m not married so I’m constantly looking for role models, or like an ideal situation for me. What is it that people do to stay together or why….”
She says she is curious how Yearbook will make people feel because it is such a different take on the concept of marriage and what she calls the taboo of staying together, even though you don’t want to.
She adds: “I’m always trying to bring a different perspective to a topic that people just kind of breeze over…they are like ‘it is what it is’ and I’m like ‘is it?’”
Which led me neatly on to where she is now in life and if she is already making plans for the next album – dare we ask if there will be any happy songs on it? Interestingly, the answer is a resounding yes, combining her comments with plenty of laughter.
“Yeah, for the first time…I’m really trying to soak up the present moment …‘cos my life right now is where the album (Good Person) ended up, which is very much in love. I’m very happy, I’m getting to tour, so I’m just kind of soaking that in because it’s such a new feeling for me.
“I feel even that process is going to help me write. So yay, probably more happy songs and more songs about what’s happening in the world. I think that’s probably where my head is at, what with everything going on and trying to make sense of it. I will need to write about it for my own sanity, so I think that’ll probably be my next target.”
Talking of touring, Ingrid is currently supporting Keith Urban on his The Speed of Now World Tour.
“I am having the time of my life. He is such a wonderful person to learn from, I have talked with him so many times and it’s so inspiring.
“He’s been doing this longer than I’ve been alive and he still is curious and is wanting to change things and write with different people – I think that’s why he’s still relevant to this day because he is just a genuinely curious person who’s passionate about what he’s doing.
“I so appreciate that, ‘cos not every artist wants to step out of their comfort zone and try new things, some people are just ‘this is my thing and I’m never letting go’. I’m very similar to Keith in that way of like ‘let’s try things…we don’t know, it’s art, we’re here to make people feel things’. It couldn’t be a better pairing.”
Putting all her love for Keith aside however, there is one person that Ingrid really wants to channel right now – and that’s acclaimed singer, songwriter and producer Stevie Nicks.
“I’m going through a bit of a rock phase. I got to open for Stevie Nicks for one of her shows and ever since then, I’ve just got the bug,” she says.
“I want to be more like Stevie Nicks, I wanna do this, so I’m already thinking of what that would look like, ’cos she is so much of a singer songwriter, and a creative and instrumentalist. I’m like, that feels really genuine to me, so we might try a bunch of different things.”
For the time being however, she is just having fun, focusing on the launch of Good Person and enjoying the success of her current single, Wishful Drinking with Sam Hunt, which is nearing the Top 15 slot at US Country Radio.
And, saving the best till last, there is good news for UK fans too…Ingrid promises that she’ll be back on these shores before too long.
“I am coming back, I can’t wait to tell you when, but I have a lot to make up for. You will be seeing me.”
Good news indeed.
Good Person will be out on August 26. Available to pre-save on all streaming channels or visit and follow Ingrid on socials via www.ingridandress.com
Good Person Tracklist:
1. Good Person (Ingrid Andress/ Steph Jones / Sam Ellis)
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis
2. Yearbook (Ingrid Andress / Pete Good / Shane McAnally /Derrick Southerland)
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis
3. Seeing Someone Else (Ingrid Andress/ Derrick Southerland / Jesse Frasure )
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis
4. Talk (Ingrid Andress / Alex Stacey / Tommy Gee / David Fremberg / Mich Hansen)
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis
5. How Honest Do You Want Me to Be? (Ingrid Andress / Sam Ellis / Derrick Southerland)
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis
6. No Choice (Ingrid Andress / AJ Pruis / Derrick Southerland)
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & AJ Pruis
7. Pain (Ingrid Andress / Laura Veltz / Sam Ellis)
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis
8. Feel Like This (Ingrid Andress / Julia Michaels / Sam Ellis )
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis
9. Blue (Ingrid Andress / Sam Ellis / Derrick Southerland / Shane McAnally)
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis
10. Falling For You (Ingrid Andress / Derrick Southerland / Sam Ellis )
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis
11. All the Love (Ingrid Andress / Derrick Southerland / Sam Ellis )
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis
12. Things That Haven’t Happened Yet (Ingrid Andress / Derrick Southerland / Sam Ellis )
Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis