Lainey Wilson defends small-town Louisiana roots against misconceptions

Lainey Wilson has not forgotten her roots.

Wilson, 33, reflected on his childhood in his small farming town of Baskin, Louisiana — home to about 170 residents — and the misconception “city people” tend to have about working-class towns.

“Where I’m from, it’s really like a big farming community,” she said during an appearance on the “No Filter” podcast. “Like my dad grew corn and wheat and soybeans and oats. Very working-class town. We don’t even have a red light. We have a warning light.”

The country music star noted that “everyone knows everyone,” which taught him the importance of community. “It’s like, the best thing and the worst thing…it’s like they’re there when you need them, and they’re there when you don’t need them. They’re just there.”

Lainey Wilson defended her “blue-collar” roots in a recent interview. (Brianna Bryson/Wireimage)

Wilson’s perspective sparked a broader conversation about how rural life is perceived.

“It’s interesting because I think city dwellers in particular like to have this view of the country that’s kind of unacceptable, but, actually, when you’re in a very small town, in a very small community, it’s the opposite,” said host Kate Langbroek.

“Oh, 100 percent,” Wilson agreed.

“And my parents, in particular, are the kind of people who would get a call in the middle of the night and go help the neighbor,” she added. “I mean, they’d give you the shirt they wear. That’s the kind of people I come from.”

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Lainey Wilson grew up in a small town in Louisiana. (Getty Images)

Wilson also pulled back the curtain on the narrative that she found overnight success in the country music industry. Wilson spent 15 years building his career before breaking through, including three years in a 20-foot RV in Nashville. It wasn’t until eighth grade — after signing a publishing deal and pitching her music to labels — that she felt the momentum shift.

“I knew my storytelling was what set me apart at that time,” she said. “And so it was with this foot that I led.”

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The “Yellowstone” star noted that she sometimes feels like she’s swaying in the wind. Wilson revealed that she took every opportunity to play as much as she could.

“I probably tried out for ‘American Idol’ seven times,” Wilson revealed. “I tried out for ‘The Voice’ a few times. And I walked around Music Row, knocking on doors, handing out CDs.”

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Lainey Wilson moved to Nashville in 2011 to start her career. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for the Recording Academy)

Although she never made it past the first round of the singing competition, Wilson said she was grateful for the failure.

“I’m so grateful it worked out the way it did,” Wilson said. “But there were definitely times when I was like, ‘I must be absolutely crazy to not want to pack up my stuff and move home.'”

Wilson said she had a “strange sense of peace and faith” that everything would work out.

“I was just holding on to this feeling of like, this is what I was supposed to do.”

Lainey Wilson is engaged to Devlin “Duck” Hodges. (Getty Images)

Wilson’s “I made it” moment came after his career breakthrough. Wilson began to gain momentum in 2021 when his single “Things a Man Shoulda Know” reached #1 at country radio. She continued to enjoy success, winning the CMA for Best New Artist in 2022 and landing a role in “Yellowstone.” Wilson was subsequently named Entertainer of the Year in 2024 and 2025.

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“It was one of those things where now I’m invited to the CMA Awards, the Country Music Awards,” the “Heart Like a Truck” singer said. “Now I can sit with these people and sit at the same table as them. It’s the craziest thing. And then they start treating you like you’re one of them. »

Wilson said she can’t help but think back to her youth watching the same award shows.

Lainey Wilson found success in country music with her single “Things a Man Shoulda Know.” (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for ACM)

“I just remember being a little girl looking at all these awards thinking, ‘Man, it would be really cool if I could be up there in the mix with these people.’ Because I felt like I was one of them,” she noted.

Keith Urban and Lainey Wilson perform onstage during the 2024 CMA Music Festival at Nissan Stadium on June 8, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Terry Wyatt/WireImage)

This feeling deepened once the wins started coming.

“It was one of those moments for me where I’m like, ‘OK, in this industry where I’ve been working on my relationships for 15 years now, these people came to defend me,'” Wilson explained.

“And now people like Keith Urban and everyone else I’ve met – when your peers and people you look up to are proud of you and vote for you. It makes you feel like, ‘OK, like that little 9-year-old girl isn’t so crazy.'”

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