Country singer LeAnn Rimes feels right at home onstage.
The 33-year-old should, considering she started performing at age 11 and still holds the record for the youngest winner of a Grammy Award.
The Tribune caught up with Rimes ahead of her Sept. 11 show at Sandy Amphitheater, discussing being a lifelong performer, her foray into the EDM world and why Christmas music speaks to her.
First, let's talk about what draws you to a song and what makes a song resonate for you as a vocalist.
I guess it's been different with every song. Some can be really personal or tell a really great story. Others have a melody that is so infectious for a song that you can't get it out of your head. Some have a story you as the audience can dig into even if I can't relate to it. It really depends on the song. There are songs I'm drawn to that I don't even like, but it's so infectious, I sing it. It differs from song to song.
You have been a successful musical artist since age 11. What has it been like to grow up and live your entire adult life in the spotlight?
I guess it's hard to put it into words sometimes. It's odd and amazing all at the same time. I had all these incredible experiences at such a young age and I feel like at age 33, I've lived a whole life. Growing up, I didn't know any different, that was my childhood. As I got older and had stepsons, I see the differences in their lives now, but at the time, it didn't register with me how different my childhood was. I know now that it wasn't a normal childhood, but it was normal at the time.
Your country fans seem to have been pretty hard on you recently. "Spitfire" debuted to some fairly disappointing sales numbers. But then you released "Dance Like You Don't Give a … Greatest Remixes," which trends quite heavily into the electronic dance music world. What motivated the release of that remix album?
My fans, actually, I don't think they've been that hard on me. I'm really proud of the "Spitfire" record, and my fans love it. It was a fantastic personal triumph for me that the album was so personal and so open. But I've done everything — well, everything except rap, but I'll probably get there at some point. EDM was from my fans wanting some of those remixes. I've had several remix dance hits throughout my career, but that was a way for me to put them all on one album. I have so many types of fans from all different walks of life. And my fans really do love that EDM world. The greatest hits album was a perfect place to put all those remixes together after 20 years of one kind of music.
Your recent Christmas album "One Christmas — Chapter 1" definitely puts a country feel on holiday classics. You've got a new Christmas album coming out this fall called "Today Is Christmas." What is it about holiday music that draws you to it?
I love the holidays, it's my absolute favorite time of the year. I don't know, there's something — a spirit about it. People are a little bit more cheerful and more giving. It's just something that I've always loved, I play Christmas music 24/7 by the time it's appropriate to do so, and sometimes even when it's not appropriate yet. It was great to put my own spin on Christmas songs. The new album will have a couple of new songs, too, so there will be some original music on it. There's just something about the holiday season that has always drawn me in.
What do you hope your fans get from your music?
I hope it moves them and makes them feel alive, if it's tearing their heart out or making them get up and dance. Hopefully as I've gotten more into songwriting, people can relate to it. I've been performing for my whole life, and music is part of their DNA. It's affected how their life played out and there are these really important moments that they associate with my music. It's really part of someone's life.
Any thoughts on Utah and performing here?
I love it there, and there are great fans there. I love the Paris Bistro, it's such a cute place and I love it.
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LeAnn Rimes
When • Friday, Sept. 11, 8 p.m.
Where • Sandy Amphitheater, 1245 E. 9400 South
Tickets • $35 to $60; Smith's Tix outlets and smithstix.com; more information at www.sandyarts.com
| Courtesy Country singer LeAnn Rimes performs Friday, Sept. 11, at Sandy Amphitheatre.
