How Lainey Wilson Established Herself as a Songwriter Before Making It Big

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Lainey Wilson first established herself as a songwriter with a great work ethic before making it big as an artist. Here’s her story.

Although country star Lainey Wilson first gained internet notoriety for her stellar vocal talent and putting bellbottom jeans back on the map, like many success stories, Wilson spent years working in the shadows as a writer before she ever made it to the big stage. Here’s the story of how Lainey Wilson went from sleeping in a camper trailer to being a not-so-overnight “overnight” success.

Connecting With Other Songwriters

Yes, the rumors are true. After moving to Nashville at 19, Wilson set up shop in the parking lot of a recording studio owned by a family friend, where she lived in a camper trailer for three years. During this time, she channeled most of her efforts into writing for other artists who were trying to break in on the scene, like Luke Combs, with whom she co-wrote “Sheriff If You Want To”. She even said in an interview with NewBeauty, “I’ve known Luke since 2014. He used to come over to my camper trailer where I lived and we’d write music together.”

In 2017, Wilson connected with songwriters Jason Nix and Jonathan Singleton, who would eventually collaborate with her on her breakout hit, “Things A Man Oughta Know,” and signed her first deal with Sony ATV. This publishing deal opened up a ton of new writing possibilities for Wilson, which would over time help her build a team of writers that would contribute to a number of her projects, including Sayin What I’m Thinkin’ and Bell Bottom Country. Some of these included Josh Kear and Randy Montana, who co-wrote “Watermelon Moonshine” with Wilson, and Trannie Anderson, who has written on 14 Lainey Wilson cuts.

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The Work Ethic Pays Off

During her years as a songwriter, Wilson was also actively releasing music independently. Still, it wasn’t until 2018 that she signed a major label artist deal with Broken Bow Records and started making efforts to release her first EP under a major label, Redneck Hollywood. The song “Things A Man Oughta Know” was featured as a single on the record and brought Wilson her first No. 1 in September of 2021.

During the 2020 pandemic, Wilson famously stated that she had written over 300 songs, and also mentioned writing over 1,000 songs before achieving success in Music City. In an interview with Rolling Stone UK, even artist Cody Johnson recognized that Lainey has “earned her stripes by her work ethic and conviction,” and he’s not the only one to express admiration for her dedication to her craft. Although she might be best known by many as an artist who had a quick rise to fame, in Nashville, Wilson has undeniably made a name for herself as one of the hardest-working women in country music.