Conversations with Lindsay Liebro

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Liebro

Hi Lindsay, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a small suburb near Pittsburgh, PA, and the first song I ever fell in love with was “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson. I’m pretty sure I discovered it on one of those Kidz Bop CDs they gave out as McDonald’s Happy Meal toys in like 2009 which is a crazy sentence. I loved that song so much. I would sit at the computer and spin around in my chair listening to it on repeat. I even taped up the lyrics on my wall and sang it at my aunt’s wedding when I was four. Clearly, I have not changed because I am still as obsessive about music as I was when I was a toddler. Pretty soon after, I discovered Taylor Swift (probably also on a McDonald’s Kidz Bop CD and/or MTV). Immediately, she became my biggest inspiration, and I would not be the artist or songwriter I am today without her influence.
When I was 7 years old, I started writing songs, but I got more serious about it the summer before my freshman year of high school. That same summer is when I started teaching myself guitar, and I finally felt like I was getting somewhere.
Halfway through my sophomore year, COVID hit, and while in quarantine, I wrote incessantly. I was also going through one of the worst times of my life, having to deal with friendship breakups and a terrible unrequited crush, so I had a lot to write about. At the end of that summer, I accidentally clicked on a website I had bookmarked a while ago. It was for a local radio station in Pittsburgh, and they were having a singer-songwriter contest. I applied, just wanting to get some experience sharing my original songs for the first time. They asked me to send in a video of my song, and they broadcasted them via livestream. I didn’t even bother watching the stream because I didn’t think I was going to make it through to the next round. But then I got an email telling me I made it to the finals! At this point, I was shocked by my luck after not expecting anything out of this. I had to submit a new song for the final livestream, and I had a hard time deciding because it felt like a lot of pressure. But one day when I was sitting in math class, one of my own songs was stuck in my head, and I took that as a sign, so I went with my gut, and sent that one in. I didn’t watch this last livestream because I was sure I wasn’t going to win, and also because I was at school for play rehearsal. I kept refreshing my phone, holding onto just a little bit of hope, but I got nothing. (The school also had notoriously bad wifi.) At the end of rehearsal, we were packing up out bags, and right as I was about to leave, my friend shows me his phone, and says, “When were you going to tell me about this?!” It was a picture of me that said “Lindsay Liebro: 1st Place Winner.” It was one of the most special moments of my life, and I am still so proud of myself for being the youngest contestant at just sixteen and writing about what felt true to me.
One of my prizes for winning was that I got to get one of my songs professionally produced! I spent the next 9 months working on my song with a producer, and posted a snippet of my song on TikTok that got a lot of people excited. A week before the song was supposed to come out, I was sitting in my 1st period AP Literature class, and I started getting a bunch of messages that said, “Release Daydream Lovers!!” Now, I had never written a song called “Daydream Lovers,” and my gut instinct was to check Twitter. Wouldn’t you have it, the first thing I see is a video with fake 1989 (Taylor’s Version) cover art, and when I turned up the volume to listen, I could hear my song playing with the audio pitched up. They claimed that my song was actually a leaked 1989 Vault track called “Daydream Lovers.” I had to break the news that it was actually MY song called “Wasted Potential.” And to my surprise, people still loved the song regardless, and it has since earned over 2.8 million streams. It was such a bizarre experience but a cool story nonetheless, and I’m just so grateful that people were able to hear my song and resonate with it. For me, the best part about creating music is seeing people connect with it because then I know it was worth the vulnerability of sharing it, even if it just helps one person.
After that song had its moment, a small indie label in Seattle reached out to me. At first, I thought it was a scam, but after many conversations, I ended up signing a deal with them at the age of 17. We made a music video, released another single, and then I worked on my debut EP.
I spent a whole semester working on my EP with my amazing producer Steve Stout (Lifehouse/Øzwald), and it was so fulfilling to see the songs I wrote so many years ago finally come to life.
Currently, I am independent and very excited about the new creative freedom I will have with my upcoming releases. I spent this past summer going live on TikTok just for fun, and I ended up building the beginnings of a loyal fanbase. I just can’t believe people want to watch me sing my songs in my bedroom, and one of them even drove all the way from Ohio to see one of my small gigs in Pittsburgh. I moved to Nashville, TN for school, and I am now in my junior year at Belmont University as a Commerical Voice Major with a Songwriting Emphasis.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Haha, I wish I could say it’s been a smooth road, but nothing is. I’ve faced a lot of struggles when it comes to love and friendships and navigating new periods of my life, but I feel so lucky to be able to have songwriting as an outlet. That process always feels the most healing for me, and being able to play it for others creates such a special connection.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a singer-songwriter, and my latest project is my debut EP taller, which I worked on with my producer Steve Stout! Out of all the music I have out, this is the one I am most proud of. Working on this EP was so special and unlike anything I’ve worked on before. Steve helped bring these tracks to life, and just completely understood my vision. I literally felt like Hannah Montana when I’d go to the studio in between my classes.
There are five tracks and were written between my junior year of high school and my freshman year of college. I think these songs are held together by the sheer need to write them. These songs were like my lifeline at the time, so when it came to start recording them, I had to make sure that the essence of how I felt when I was writing the songs was maintained. I started writing most of these songs over a year before an EP was ever in the picture and before I even had any songs released. I think not having that pressure allowed these songs to kind of be really authentic and pure. I was just writing these songs to give myself some solace, but I felt really lucky to be able to finally release them. I feel like I don’t really write with a project in mind. I think this EP just became a product of who I was at the time and everything I was going through. I think that is the most authentic way to do it. My favorite track is “two ghosts.” That song has always been really special to me, and the production just captured the essence of the song perfectly.
Steve was just the best possible person to work with on this project. I feel like he really let me explore all of my ideas and just perfectly captured every emotion with his production. He is someone who really trusts what I am doing as an artist which can be hard to find, so I just feel really lucky to be able to work with someone who is not just incredibly talented but also incredibly kind. I also loved working with his wife, Courtney, who took all of the stunning photos. I remember she came prepared with a vision board, a gorgeous floral dress for me to try, and the best vibes ever. My favorite shoot I’ve ever done by far.
I really think my songwriting sets me apart. I’ve always tried to be as honest as I can, and as I continue writing and growing, I can feel myself really developing my craft which makes me really proud to see how far I’ve come.

What makes you happy?
Connecting with fans! I’ve dreamed my whole life about people caring about my music, and I can’t believe I get to be so lucky to actually experience it. I feel like I’m living in a movie every day because of them, and they never fail to bring a smile to my face. I cannot thank them enough for listening to all the songs I wrote in my bedroom. Lilies forever!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/lindsayliebro
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lindsayliebro
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindsayliebro/
• Twitter: https://x.com/lindsayliebro
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LindsayLiebro
• Other: https://tiktok.com/@lindsayliebro

Image Credits
Photographs by Madeline Walczak, Orchee Sorker, and Courtney Lay Stout