Lindsay Ell talks about her EP "Love Myself" and her gig as Shania Twain's guitarist

Lindsay Ell has won awards and top 10 albums since the Canadian guitarist released her debut album in 2008 at the age of 19. But the last few years have brought her both ups and downs. If recent events in her life are any indication, she’s ahead. At the top.

A Stratocaster guitar virtuoso whose influences include Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton, Ell has carved out a unique space for herself as a guitarist, singer and songwriter who blends blues, rock and pop into her country style. After honing her skills in clubs across Canada and the US, she made her breakthrough in Music City in 2017 The project and 2020s Heart theory.

But in 2023, Ell was caught off guard when she was diagnosed with an eating disorder, the result of working too hard and dealing with personal conflicts, including sexual assault and “countless bad relationships,” she said People.

She talks about the struggles she endured and the lessons she learned on her new EP. Love myself. And as she tells Guitar.com, her fans are grateful for the message she’s sending.

Lindsay Ell performs at the Lasso Montreal Festival at Parc Jean-Drapeau on August 19, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec.

(Image credit: Mark Horton/Getty Images)

“It’s one of my favorite things to get messages from fans like, ‘Thank you for writing this music, thank you for releasing these songs.'” They inspired me to talk to a family member or a friend and to do therapy,” she says.

Additionally, Ell says she has learned to find comfort in the things that make her happy instead of trying to please others. After moving to Nashville from Canada 15 years ago, she was constantly told she wasn’t “country” enough. Meanwhile, she struggled to be accepted as a guitarist.

Now she has let go of the weights. As Love myself makes it clear that she is looking for the aspects of music and career that make her happy. “I get to play things that make me feel happy versus being accepted as a guitarist,” she says.

And one of those connections to joy is her current position as Shania Twain’s guitarist. As a five-time Grammy winner and one of the most successful country artists, Twain sought Ell out on dates with her as a support act Queen of mine tour in 2023. Since then, Ell has jumped on the Twain track as a member of the band, performing at the singer’s Las Vegas come over Residency shows and the Legend slot at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

Shania Twain – Man! I feel like a woman! (Glastonbury 2024) – YouTube

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It was all a surprise to Ell – which is really saying something, considering she began co-writing her debut album with Randy Bachman and touring with Buddy Guy when she was a teenager.

“I never thought sidemaning was part of my job,” says Ell. “When she asked me to be her lead guitarist earlier this year, I was like, ‘Um, how can I say no to Shania?’ ”

For Ell, the experience was affirming and “a full-circle moment where I pinch myself,” she says The standard.

“I mean, I started singing because of Shania. I think the first song I fell in love with Shania was “Nobody Needs to Know,” one of her very first singles, and now I’m playing that song on stage with her. I’m about three feet away from her on stage and I’m like, “This is a wild moment, this is so crazy!” ”

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Lindsay Ell talks about her EP “Love Myself” and her gig as Shania Twain’s guitarist

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