More than 20 years into her Country music career, Miranda Lambert says she’s only recently experienced burnout for the very first time and is finding new ways to balance her time, creativity, and hectic work schedule. Lambert opened up about it all on an episode of Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde Podcast, available via Audacy now.
LISTEN NOW: Miranda Lambert and Bunnie Xo talk about juggling it all in a can't-miss conversation
“I reached a pretty high level of burnout last summer and I didn't realize what it was until I was like, ‘I think this is what they call burnout,’” she recalled to Bunnie. “Just from not taking a break or like, a long enough one, you know? Just a couple of days at a time just wasn't enough for like the amount of busyness.”
She continued, “I just think I'm starting to learn better how to balance. Like actually living your life. Because as a creative, if you don't go live your life, there's nothing to write about,” she shared. “It's really hard when you're so driven to relax into doing nothing, but if you don't recharge, it's like then you're only operating at 50 percent anyway.”
After a year of experiencing burnout for the first time, Lambert says she’s found some good outlets to recharge her energy including girls trips to the flea market, riding horses, and relaxing trips with friends and family. Upon recording this episode, Lambert had just returned from one of those relaxing trips which was to Europe to celebrate the birthday of her manager and good friend, Marion Kraft.
“Everything is slowed down,” she said of the European countries. “We're just chaotic Americans chasing all of our dreams and doing everything fast, you know? Which, I love that part about home. And I miss it when I'm somewhere really quiet like that. It's fun for a few days, then I'm like, ‘Okay, where's all the action? Where's the loudness?’”
While escaping to Europe or taking a day off to enjoy one of her other hobbies is always rejuvenating for Lambert, it isn’t always a reality in the hectic world she lives in filled with tours, studio time, and writing sessions. When getting away physically is not possible, Lambert says she pulls strength and energy from the things that excite her most within her work — including mentoring new artists.
“Just seeing the fire in the eyes of someone just starting, it re-ignites your fire, you know? It's like, Oh man, I remember the day of like, ’It's all right, it's all in front of you at this point. And like the world is waiting for you to just come in, come into the world and fly,’” she said of mentoring new talent through her label, Big Loud Texas.
“I feel like it's our job, especially when you've been in something a long time and you've kind of honed in on your craft. I feel like it's our duty to help the next generation and be there to mentor them and to learn from them to stay in the know of the new ways to do things.”
Hear more about Miranda’s approach to balancing the chaos, the importance she places on female empowerment, her forthcoming album and how she wrote a part of her hit, “Gunpowder and Lead” in a concealed handgun class by checking out her entire conversation on the latest episode of the Dumb Blonde Podcast with Bunnie Xo above.