Lindi Ortega gives fair warning: “Don’t come any closer to my heart /If you’re afraid of the
dark.”

However, that shroud is slowly lifted in Liberty . As the narrative unfolds in this concept album, a
central character emerges – one who finally sheds the darkness of her past and emerges into the
light. As melodies and tempos change throughout Liberty , her journey carries her steadily
forward. Listen closely and you’ll find Ortega’s experiences in the lyrics too.

“I think the most important thing for me was that I ended on a very positive note because I've
had so many people tell me that my songs helped them through really hard times in their life,”
Ortega says. “That struck a chord for me, because just like everybody else, I have had hard times
in my life, and continue to have pockets of difficult moments here and there. If I can provide
some sort of solace with my music, then that gives me every reason to make music. I wanted this
record to be all about helping people through the darkness.”

The melodies and arrangements of Liberty draw on the epic work of Oscar-winning composer
Ennio Morricone, who became one of Ortega’s musical obsessions during the writing and
recording of Liberty . Moreover she enlisted Nashville producer Skylar Wilson (Justin Townes
Earle, Rayland Baxter) when she discovered their shared passion for Quentin Tarantino movies.
It is fitting that NPR’s All Things Considered has described Ortega as “ genre-defying in both her
music and her personal style.”

During the sessions at Battle Tapes studio in East Nashville, Ortega and Wilson scaled back the
boot-stomping, throwback country approach that she’s known for, instead polishing a set of
music that reflects her lineage. Her father is Mexican; her mother is Irish. The sonic landscape of
Liberty is enhanced by Nashville band Steelism, known for their dramatic blend of pedal steel
guitar and electric guitar, as well as Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie McCoy on
harmonica.

In 2017, Ortega opened select dates for Chris Stapleton and Dwight Yoakam. In addition, she
married Canadian musician Daniel Huscroft and relocated from Nashville to Calgary. Liberty
concludes with “Gracia a la Vida” from the pen of Chilean composer Violetta Parra. The title
translates as “Thank you to Life.”

“Even though I always tried to have a silver lining, whether it's by making my songs
tongue-in-cheek, or writing some dark lyrics to happy music, there's always been an element of
balancing light and dark on my previous albums,” Ortega explains. “But this is a full story, and I
wanted everybody to be able to take something away from it at the end of the day.”