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Lainey Wilson hasn’t forgotten her roots.
Wilson, 33, reflected on growing up on his small farm in the small town of Baskin, Louisiana — home to about 170 people — and the misconception that “city people” often have about green cities.
“Where I come from, it’s like a big farming community,” he said during an appearance on the “No Filter” podcast. “Since my father grows corn, wheat, soybeans, oats. It’s a very green city. We don’t even have a red light. We have a warning light.”
The country music star noted that “everybody knows everybody,” and it taught him the importance of community. “It’s like, the best thing and the worst thing … it’s like they’re there when you need them, and they’re there when you’re not. They’re just there.”
Lainey Wilson defended her “blue collar” roots in a recent interview. (Brianna Bryson/Wireimage)
Wilson’s vision sparked a wide-ranging discussion about how rural life was perceived.
“That’s interesting because I think mostly city people like to have this world view that it’s not welcoming but, in fact, if you’re in a really small town, in a really small community – it’s the opposite,” said host Kate Langbroek.
“Oh, 100%,” Wilson agreed.
“And our people, especially, are the kind of people who get a call in the middle of the night, and then go to help their neighbor,” he added. “I mean, they would give you the shirt off their back. That’s the kind of people I come from.”
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Lainey Wilson grew up in a small town in Louisiana. (Getty Images)
Wilson also closed the curtain on the story of her overnight success in the country music industry. Wilson spent 15 years building his career before his breakthrough, including three years spent living in a 20-foot camper in Nashville. It wasn’t until the eighth year – after he had signed a publishing deal and had his music placed on labels – that he felt a shift in momentum.
“I knew that telling my stories was something that made me different at that time,” she said. “That was the way I walked.”
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The “Yellowstone” star noted that it feels like it’s going on air sometimes. Wilson stated that he used every opportunity to do what he could.
“I tried out for ‘American Idol’ about seven times,” Wilson said. “I tried to find ‘The Voice’ a few times. And I went up and down Music Row, knocking on doors, and it brought out CDs.”
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Lainey Wilson moved to Nashville in 2011 to start her career. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Although she never made it past the first round of the singing competition, Wilson said she was grateful to fail.
“I’m very grateful that it happened the way it did,” explained Wilson. “But there were times when I was like, ‘I must be completely crazy not to want to pack up and move home.’
Wilson said he had a “strange sense of peace and faith” that everything would be okay.
“I’ve been holding on … to that feeling that, this is what I’m supposed to do.”
Lainey Wilson is engaged to Devlin “Duck” Hodges. (Getty Images)
Wilson’s “I made it” moment came after his career success. Wilson began to see momentum in 2021 when his single “Things a Man Oughta Know” reached No. 1 at country radio. He continued to see success, winning a CMA for best new artist in 2022 and starring in “Yellowstone.” Wilson was later named artist of the year in 2024 and 2025.
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“It was one of the things where I am now invited CMA Awards, Country Music Awards,” said the “Heart Like a Truck” singer. “Now I get to hang out with these people and sit at the same table with them. It’s the craziest thing. Then they start treating you like you’re one of them.”
Wilson said he couldn’t help but think back to when he was younger watching similar award shows.
Lainey Wilson found success in country music with her single “Things a Man Oughta Know.” (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for ACM)
“I just remember being a little girl watching all these awards and thinking, ‘Man, it would be really cool if I could be there and meet those people.’ Because I feel like I’m one of them,” he said.
Keith Urban and Lainey Wilson perform on stage during the 2024 CMA Music Festival at Nissan Stadium on June 08, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Terry Wyatt/WireImage)
That feeling deepened when the wins started coming.
“It was one of those times for me where I was like, ‘Okay, this industry that I’ve been working on for 15 years in my relationship, these people are coming to beat me,'” Wilson explained.
“And now, people like Keith Urban and all the other people in between that I’ve met — when your peers and people you look up to are proud of you and voting for you. It makes you feel like, ‘OK, like that little 9-year-old girl wasn’t smart.’
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