When Miranda Lambert rolls into Las Vegas to play the iHeartRadio music festival, she'll definitely be all warmed up and ready to go. The country superstar has been busy on the road with her own solo headlining tour--and just jumped into touring this month with her other musical project, "Hell On Heels" girl-trio the Pistol Annies.
It's a good thing she's keeping her muscles warm, because the remainder of 2012 in general isn't slowing down one bit for Lambert. She's nominated for four trophies at the Country Music Association Awards in November, she's got a TV series in the works, she's working on new music for both herself and the Annies--and, of course, she's got to keep up with fellow celeb husband Blake Shelton's doings on the hit reality show The Voice. One definitely has to be the "Fastest Girl In Town" to keep up with all of that! However, Lambert managed a few minutes to catch up with Yahoo! Music about everything she's juggling at the moment.
Miranda Lambert (Photo: Rick Diamond)YAHOO!: How do you feel about playing the iHeartRadio fest, knowing that your performance will be streamed to a much larger audience than even the biggest arena can hold? Do you have any special plans for your set?
LAMBERT: You know what, we're just going to do what we've been doing. We've been touring all year since January, we're winding down, and it was an amazing tour. So I think we're just going to bring what we've been doing! It's worked all year and it's been awesome. And I've got the Pistol Annies coming out, so that's a special extra little something that people get from us. I'll do my set and then have the girls come out and do two songs, and we're gonna do what we do and move on.
YAHOO!: And you just kicked off your tour this week with the Pistol Annies, right? In New York City--at a club with a name that may confuse some non-New Yorkers!
LAMBERT: Terminal 5. It's actually a venue; really really cool bar in New York City, kinda reminds you of the House of Blues. A lot of people are like 'You're playing an airport?' and I'm like, no, it's a club!
YAHOO!: OK, so you're not playing at an airport, but can you tell us the strangest place you have played live?
LAMBERT: I have played in front of a grocery store before--a grand opening. I've played some really odd places, but that's the one that comes to mind first! (Laughs)
YAHOO!: So now you're out for a while with the Annies, which must be a lot of fun for you. Do you prefer touring by yourself or as part of a group?
LAMBERT: All of September is dedicated to Pistol Annies. Of course I love touring in general, I've worked really hard and finally made headlining status, so I've had a great tour this year. But it's really fun to do something different and be part of a band.
YAHOO!: In addition to your tour, you have the CMA Awards to look forward to in November. You're nominated for four awards--including Song of the Year for "Over You," which you wrote with your husband. Very few married couples have been jointly nominated for this award! You must be really excited about that one.
LAMBERT: It's huge. People have been asking me lately, in interviews, "What's your next goal? What would you like to accomplish?" And I kept saying, I'd love to write a song that got nominated for song of the year. And not only did it get nominated, I got nominated with my husband. It's so cool to be in that category with him. We're really, really thrilled.
YAHOO!: And the song itself is so meaningful--about Blake's older brother who passed.
LAMBERT: It's awesome and such a good feeling to know we shared it. It's just a moment. And it's a song that's really close to our hearts. Just a unique experience.
YAHOO!: Speaking of Blake. I noticed on your Twitter feed that you said you don't let him tell you anything about The Voice--because you want to watch it like a regular fan would. Were you being serious? You seriously don't let him fill you in at all?!
LAMBERT: Yes! And no, I really don't know anything! I've been watching the last three days just kinda like as a fan--and I don't know anything that's coming up or what's gonna happen. It's awesome!
YAHOO!: That's pretty hardcore. I don't know if I could be that strong!
LAMBERT: I was out in L.A. with him for a bunch of the taping, and I didn't go to the studio at all. I stayed home. It's been hard, all this time without hearing a word! He's been wanting to talk about it--he's been coming home after taping all day, and wanting to talk, and I'm like, "Nope! You can't say anything." And so I'm really watching...when people say, who is he gonna pick, I'm like--"I don't know, I haven't seen it!" (Laughs)
YAHOO!: So, it's not too hard on him? I imagine he'd be bursting to tell you what happened. Blake doesn't mind having to keep his mouth shut?
LAMBERT: No. It's been kind of a cool game for us this whole time! We got to watch the first night together, and it was fun--he wanted to see my facial expressions, since I knew nothing. It was really cool.
YAHOO!: I hear you are going to be involved in your own TV show. Can you talk a little about that?
LAMBERT: There's a show that's going to be kind of loosely based on my family dynamic. Two parents that are private investigators, and the girl who wants to be a singer, and the son who's really smart, kind of a genius kid. That's my family dynamic and it's interesting--we were approached about it, actually, and have this amazing writer, and NBC bought it. We get to be the producers of it. More what I care about--I get to be part of the music part of it. Pick what music's in it, and stuff. So, it's loosely based on my family, and it's scripted--not reality. In the show will be true cases that my parents worked; it's a really really unique idea. I'm really into it.
YAHOO!: Will you appear on the show?
LAMBERT: You know what? I don't know. Probably! I might make a little cameo here and there! (Laughs)
YAHOO!: You have tons of stuff going on. Are you also working on any new music right now?
LAMBERT: I'm writing like crazy right now because the Pistol Annies are making a new record. The last week of November we're going into the studio for our new album for next spring. After that I'll start really focusing on my own record. Yeah--right now I'm working on new music every second.
Linkin Park, Brad Paisley, Aerosmith, Taylor Swift, Mary J. Blige and six other superstar artists will perform at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on Saturday, September 22. Green Day, Lil Wayne, Rihanna and Miranda Lambert are among the acts playing Friday, September 21, the event's opening night. The shows begin at 7 p.m. PST and will be streamed exclusively on Yahoo! Music.