Lindsay Ell aims to inspire young girls to shred on the guitar

By Chris Brown on November 1, 2018.

cbrown@medicinehatnews.com @MHNBrown

Lindsay Ell knows how important it is to have someone to look up to. She grew up in Calgary when a certain Canadian was ruling the country and pop airwaves at home and abroad.

“I started paying piano when I was six years old and picked up guitar when I was eight because it was a lot cooler to play Shania Twain songs on guitar,” Ell said recently.

The list of “guitar gods” is a long one, and Ell herself has named Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton as some of her heroes. The list of “guitar goddesses” isn’t quite as long, nor are they as well known.

But Ell, who’s toured with country guitar aces Brad Paisley and Keith Urban, is on the fast track to reaching that “guitar goddess” level. Her curiosity about guitar has remained since her childhood and her skills have only improved over the years, particularly since moving to Nashville.

“You really are surrounded by so much talent and people that sort of keep you on your toes every single day,” the 29-year-old said.

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She hopes she can be an inspiration to young girls the way Twain was to her.

“One of my favourite things is for fans to come to me and say I inspired them to start playing guitar,” she said. “I remember watching Shania Twain, she inspired me to pick up a guitar so the fact I can influence fans and little girls wanting to make music a part of their lives, it really feels like this is all worth it.”

One of the ways she’s doing that is through her online What the Ell series, a partnership with Premier Guitar. After first being asked to contribute to its Rig Rundown series, the magazine approached her about having a series all her own. In it Ell shares advice about songwriting, guitar exercises and more. She says it’s been cool to share her passions and knowledge with anyone and everyone.

Ell used her time on the road with Paisley, Urban, Luke Bryan and Sugarland to learn everything she could. Urban’s guitar playing in particular was a highlight and Ell says he has had the exact career she hopes to build.

“To be able to watch Keith play, he’s just so effortless with (the guitar), she said. “It seems like it’s another extension of his body.”

After opening for some of country’s biggest names, Ell began her first headlining club tour last week. She performed in Indiana and Georgia and will go to Florida after her show at the Esplanade on Nov. 2.

“This is the story of my life. My mantra is ‘as long as it’s physically possible I will do it,'” she said of squeezing the Medicine Hat show into her schedule. She adds she has fond memories of waterslides at the Medicine Hat Lodge during family trips between Calgary and Regina.

Of her first headlining tour Ell — a “social media fanatic” who wants you to say hi on Instagram — says it’s another milestone in her career and feels fortunate she’s reached this point.

“There’s some days where I wake up and I’m pinching myself like ‘Is this real life? This is crazy.'” she said.

Tickets are available at tixx.ca, by calling 403-502-8777 or in person at the Esplanade box office or the Medicine Hat Mall customer service desk.

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