Dumb Blonde Podcast: TBT – Miranda Lambert

Host: Bunnie XO
Guest: Miranda Lambert
Date: September 25, 2025

Episode Overview

In this candid, laughter-filled episode, Bunnie XO sits down with Miranda Lambert. They dive deep into Miranda's journey in country music, discuss burnout and self-care, celebrate female empowerment, explore Miranda's childhood with PI parents, dissect the roots and realities of her songwriting, touch on her new album Postcards from Texas, and discuss her heart-driven dog rescue nonprofit, MuttNation. The conversation is rich with relatable moments, honest advice, and the signature humor and authenticity both women are known for.

Key Discussion Points

1. Life, Burnout, and Recharging [04:03–10:50]

• Miranda's European Vacation: First non-work trip to Europe ("...first time I've ever been to Europe without work." [04:41]) – a two-week reset celebrating her manager’s birthday.
• Learning to Relax: Both agree it takes days to unwind from always being "go, go, go."
  • "I reached a pretty high level of burnout last summer…if you don’t recharge, then you’re only operating at 50% anyway." – Miranda [07:15]
• Embracing Life Changes:
  • Both talk about appreciating life’s little joys more with age.
  • "At 40, you just go, I really just want to go after the good and not deal with any of the other noise." – Miranda [09:55]

2. Hobbies, Horses, and Antiquing [10:50–13:00]

• Miranda's Hobbies:
  • Horseback riding for mind and spirit.
  • Antiquing at Round Top in Texas, a vast flea market: "It's like the biggest flea market ever in the world." [11:49]
  • Finds joy in things with stories: "I crave it. I’m like, it has stories." [12:38]

3. Female Empowerment & Industry Mentorship [13:06–18:13]

• Female Solidarity:
  • Miranda supports women authentically: "There’s room for all of us...we can really dig in and kind of join together as a team." [13:30]
  • Her management team is all women; she feels a responsibility to mentor and uplift younger artists.
• Advice from Italy: Quoting a friend:
  • "There’s a difference in wanting to win and wanting to beat everybody." – [15:53]
  • Both discuss how the right kind of ambition and support lifts the whole community.

4. Roots, Family, and Growing Up with P.I. Parents [18:45–34:06]

• Miranda's Upbringing:

  • Raised in Longview/Lindale, TX, surrounded by strong women (her "Yayas"): "They were wild. But they were so inspiring because they were just who they were." [19:05]
  • Parents were private investigators specializing in divorce and custody; Miranda even assisted as a child!
    • "You had so much material....I had to put my cheerleading uniform on and pretend to sell cookies for the cheerleading squad [as part of a case]." [31:13]
  • Frequently, her parents sheltered domestic abuse victims—deeply influencing both her worldview and songwriting, especially songs like "Gunpowder & Lead."

• Impact on Songwriting:

  • "I saw the ugly up close and personal, you know, in our own home...I really absorbed a lot." [34:08]

5. Songwriting and Turning Trauma Into Art [29:26–30:31, 40:29–45:29]

• On Revisiting Old Wounds:
  • Some songs take years before she’s ready to sing them: "Some of the songs I cut...one of the toughest songs...was almost 10 years old. It's called 'Run' and it's very raw." [27:40]
  • Realism in writing: "You don't have to go and, like, find the sadness and the pain. Just...if you've been through enough, you can revisit that." [28:24]
• Collaboration with Her Dad:
  • Miranda started writing songs with her dad, who was a musician/cop, from a young age.
• Decision to Go All-In:
  • Her family was instrumental—her dad taught her guitar, her mom was her first booking agent. "My mom started being my booking agent…they were the kind of parents who were like, you can be anything you want to be." [44:24]

6. Breaking Into the Industry [46:05–53:12]

• Reality TV Breakthrough:
  • At her mom’s insistence, she auditioned for Nashville Star. Initially flunked Dallas auditions, was bluntly told off by her mom:
    • "She just, like, turned and looked at me…that was terrible. You wasted my time." [48:59]
  • Auditioned again in Houston, made it onto the show, placed third, and got a record deal with Sony—avoiding restrictive winner contracts.
• Transition from Texas Bars to Country Stardom:
  • Earned stripes in tough Texas honky-tonks: "That is not a glamorous scene, and it’s not a female empowering scene." [47:23]
  • First tour was with Keith Urban—straight from bars to arenas.

7. New Album: Postcards from Texas [54:20–59:56]

• Personal Evolution in Music:
  • Describes the record as rooted in Texas honky-tonk but representing "two decades worth of information." [58:33]
  • Features songs from various stages of her life, both fun and heavy.
• Notable Story:
  • Husband Brendan (retired NYPD) co-wrote a track (“Dammit Randy”) after a playful challenge from songwriter Jesse Frasure and a writing session with Miranda and John Randall.
    • "He wrote some of the greatest lines in the song…he had the same emotion in it that I did." [57:24]
  • Album drops September 13th.

8. Personal Life: Marriage & Mindset [59:59–65:03]

• Love Story with Brendan:
  • Met when Miranda was performing in NYC; her bandmate spotted him as a "hot cop."
  • They became pen pals: "I was like, do you want to be pen pals?" [62:21]
  • Share similar backgrounds despite different states; both families are in law enforcement.
  • Value honesty and not surrounding themselves with "yes people.”
    • "He calls me on my...and I want someone like that in my life, but he’s also super supportive." [63:50]
  • Prioritize communication and actively prevent emotional/physical distance in their relationship.

9. Breaking Barriers: First Female Broadway Bar Owner [66:10–67:49]

• Casa Rosa: First woman with a branded bar on Broadway in Nashville.
  • "On that row...of all those boys' bars, it was like, all right." [67:25]
  • Recognizes hard work behind "overnight" success: "Overnight successes are 10 year successes." [67:51]

10. MuttNation: Passion for Animal Rescue [71:46–76:44]

• Origins & Mission:
  • Started with her mom in 2009; now a 15-year-old nonprofit supporting shelter animals, disaster relief, military/service dogs, and more.
  • Vetting shelters is key: "My mom uses her PI background to like vet all these shelters we give money to." [73:47]
• Advice to Listeners:
  • “If you can’t give money or adopt, you can always just go volunteer…Just getting them out of their enclosures and walking them…it just increases their chance of adoption so much.” [75:50]

11. Miranda's Boot Brand: Idle Wind [77:12–77:44]

• Offers Bunnie boots from her Boot Barn line, laughs about stretchy jeans, and "supporting the cause."

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Burnout:
  "If you don’t recharge, then you’re only operating at 50% anyway." – Miranda [07:47]

• On Female Competition:
  "There’s a difference in wanting to win and wanting to beat everybody." – Miranda quoting Elizabeth [15:53]

• On Mentoring Young Artists:
  "I want to just be an artist for the artist..." – Miranda [22:21]

• On Her Early Family Influence:
  "My parents have been out all night, like, rescuing this mom and their kids or whatever...I saw the ugly up close and personal..." [34:08]

• Turning Pain into Music:
  "I always call it turning trauma into art." – Bunnie [29:23]

• On Relationship Boundaries:
  "You can’t have distance emotionally and physically. That’s not gonna work." – Miranda [65:50]

• On Casa Rosa:
  "Overnight successes are 10 year successes." – Miranda [67:51]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:03] – Miranda's Italian vacation & learning to unplug
• [07:15] – Burnout, self-care & life balance
• [12:38] – Antiquing and finding meaning in old things
• [13:30] – Commitment to female empowerment and mentorship
• [19:05] – Childhood influences: The “Yayas” and early family lessons
• [31:13] – Hilarious PI stories from Miranda’s childhood
• [34:08] – Domestic abuse victims in childhood home influence songwriting
• [40:29] – Songwriting beginnings with her dad
• [48:59] – Tough love from mom on audition etiquette
• [54:20] – Brendan gets a songwriting credit on the new album
• [58:33] – On Postcards from Texas as a snapshot of two decades
• [62:21] – The cop-meets-country-star love story
• [66:10] – Casa Rosa: first female-owned Broadway bar
• [71:46] – MuttNation Foundation: mission, impact, and volunteering tips

Tone & Style Notes

• The conversation is authentic, funny, and welcoming, marked by open talk about tough industry truths, mental health, women’s solidarity, humble beginnings, and the importance of family and animals.
• Bunnie and Miranda’s chemistry shines through—playful ribbing, real-life stories, and southern warmth.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a masterclass in resilience, womanhood, and authenticity, peppered with humor, music industry wisdom, and touching stories about love, family, and making a difference—whether it’s on the charts or in a dog’s life. Miranda’s honesty and Bunnie’s candid curiosity make this a must-listen for fans of country music, self-empowerment, or just a good, honest story.

Miranda’s new album Postcards from Texas drops September 13th. Learn more about her nonprofit at muttation.com.**

For more, follow Miranda Lambert and Bunnie XO on all socials.