Lindi Ortega (Ontario)

With her singular and signature look (bright red lipstick and red boots) and a distinct voice that’s been described as a blend of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Emmylou Harris – Lindi Ortega plays “a firebrand style of decidedly non-mainstream, outlaw country” (exclaim!) that is catching the ear of critics, audiences – and this summer lucky you!

She grew up in Toronto listening to her mother’s country records and immersing herself in her father’s Mexican heritage, particularly the work of painter Frida Kahlo. Her biggest inspiration was Johnny Cash. She left her hometown to make her own way in Nashville, armed with talent and uncommon amounts of guts and savvy – basic requirements in that very competitive city.

The three albums she’s released have been lauded for their mix of charm and grit, featuring a sort of modern, edgy, honky-tonk sound – calling her music just “country” doesn’t really tell the full story.

Rolling Stone writer Marissa Moss says of Lindi “The Great White North has a lot of southern soul, and this retro-styled spitfire is one of Canada’s biggest claims to the nouveau-twang throne. A two-time nominee for the Polaris prize (including a nod for her 2013 Dave Cobb-produced record, Tin Star), Ortega’s style is a pinup saloon-door-swingin’ take on classic country, shifting through tales of relationship doom and emotional turmoil with moody grooves that pivot out of her wink-and-a-smile delivery, full of every kind of tear imaginable.”

Lindi Ortega is making a name for herself on her own terms – a bona fide rising star in the music world you will definitely want to meet at VFMF 2015. Songs of longing, loneliness and heartache will never made you feel so good!