All Heart

Growing up, battered women were a common sight in Miranda Lambert’s home, as her parents always kept their door open to victims seeking refuge from abusive partners. 

No stranger to vulnerable circumstances herself, the country music superstar’s emergence from humble beginnings in east Texas even included a stint with homelessness when her parents’ private investigation business went dry. So, it’s no wonder that philanthropy and giving back to the community play a central role in Lambert’s adult life today. But the recipients of her good works aren’t like you and me – they’re more of the four-legged variety.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of MuttNation Foundation, a nonprofit that Lambert founded with her mother, Bev, to support adoptions of shelter dogs, ensure animals are spayed and neutered, and raise public awareness about the importance of this cause. 

To commemorate its milestone birthday, the organization donated $150,000 to animal shelters nationwide as part of a related initiative, Mutts Across America. To date, Mutts Across America has given $900,000 in grants to more than 250 shelters.

In addition to hosting adoption drives and other events in all 50 states, MuttNation works with transport partners to assist and relocate animals under threat of euthanasia and during natural disasters. Plus, a pet product line, MuttNation By Miranda Lambert, benefits the foundation as well. 

For Lambert, raising more than $4 million since the organization’s inception has been a labor of love that came with the territory of “getting to a certain place in your career,” she says. 

“My manager came to me one day and asked, ‘What do you want your legacy to be?’ Having grown up on a farm in the country, animals have always been a passion of mine, and I remember how there were stray dogs everywhere,” says Lambert, who owns nine dogs, ranging from a Great Pyrenees to a chihuahua.

“It’s always been the way of our family to take care of others – animals or humans. Now that I have a platform where I can really help, I am truly a believer in using it for good and for change in whatever area you’re most passionate about. There’s not one person who can say anything bad about dogs, so it can also put a good light on what I do for a living.”

With six studio albums that have all debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album Charts, it’s not like Lambert’s fans need persuading. In 2018, she became the most awarded artist in the history of the Academy of Country Music (ACM). She already holds 33 ACM awards, two Grammys and 13 Country Music Association Awards, among other honors. 

This month, the singer-songwriter is releasing “Wildcard,” her highly anticipated seventh studio album and the second since her divorce from fellow country music star Blake Shelton. It’s a marked departure from the rock ’n’ roll feel of her previous records; critics are noting that it feels gentler and kinder and is permeated with classic country, funky gospel and, of course, her signature tongue-in-cheek humor.

Lambert spent a year and a half writing “Wildcard,” she says, describing it as completely autobiographical.

“It’s about a transition from one stage of life to another. There is a real air of joy and sarcasm and sappiness in this record, and it feels really good to be back in that place because I think it was missing from the last one,” says Lambert, who’s currently on the Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars tour, featuring a rotating roster of female artists.

Her personal life has been a roller coaster ride since her highly publicized split from Shelton, in 2015. Lambert went on to date fellow country singer Anderson East for several years, followed by a brief dalliance with folk musician Evan Felker and then tying the knot in January with NYPD officer Brendan McLoughlin.

Although her second marriage has been much more low-key than the first, Lambert, who turns 36 this month, spoke about being in a better place with ET. 

“It’s great to really be happy, and I feel like it’s contagious,” she said. “Having someone positive in your life [who] you wake up with and go to sleep [with] really changes the outlook that you have on your day. So, I’m thrilled to be married and having a great time.”

She continued: “You go through life’s journey, up and down, and you don’t know what to expect, and you have fails and victories. But I love love, and I’m always in search for it. I’ve found the person who loves it as much as I do. And it just works.”

A large part of her professional success is due to her willingness to be vulnerable, Lambert acknowledges. 

“All my records have been honest about who I am, and I own all my moments even if they haven’t been so pretty. Balancing being strong and feisty with being vulnerable and sensitive is important in your art because you are showing who you really are.”

In addition to her work with shelter animals, Lambert also provides financial support to one young woman every year to help her pursue a career in the music industry via the Miranda Lambert Women Creators Scholarship at Belmont University, established in 2015. Worth $40,000, the award provides a Belmont student majoring in music business, songwriting or entertainment industry studies with the financial boost to follow her dreams. Lambert has met or spoken with each of the recipients personally.

“I’m really proud about helping to give these young girls a chance and a head start,” she says. “Moving to Nashville to follow your dream is a scary thing to do.”

Her message to listeners of her latest album, especially those going through tough times, is just as applicable to the young women whose careers she’s supporting. 

“Be who you are, and own it,” she says. “Don’t be ashamed of your mistakes; just move forward. It gets better – it does – it makes you strong on the other side, and then, one day, you’ll be able to help someone else get through something like this, too.” O

Photos by Ellen von Unwerth and Jamie Wright