Ingrid Andress writes and performs sensitive story songs filled with humor and pathos. Her sweet, clear voice creates an immediate sense of intimacy, as if she’s confiding in a close friend. You can hear the emotion behind her narratives in a quiet sigh or the slight ache in her tone. She rarely needs to raise her volume to make an impact.
Before breaking out as a solo artist, Andress cowrote hits for other performers, including Charli XCX (“Boys”) and Bebe Rexha (“Girl in the Mirror”). Still, she’s best known today as a Nashville country-pop artist with an impressive run of chart success under her own name.
Her accolades include multiple Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Country Awards for Most Performed Songs of the Year (2020 and 2023). She has also earned four Grammy nominations: Best New Artist (2021), Best Country Album for Lady Like (2021), Best Country Song for “More Hearts Than Mine” (2021), and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Wishful Drinking” with Sam Hunt (2023). She hasn’t taken home a Grammy yet, but she’s only released two albums, Lady Like and Good Person, with a third on the way.
Andress is currently finishing that third full-length record and will preview new material alongside fan favorites when she performs at xBk in Des Moines on May 14. “The album doesn’t have a name yet,” she said in a recent phone interview. “I like to wait until all the songs are recorded and I figure out what order to put them in before giving it a title.” While many artists leave that decision to their artists and repertoire (A&R) team, Andress prefers to handle it herself.
“I have an A&R person, and I like hearing other people’s feedback,” she said. “I almost didn’t put ‘Wishful Drinking’ on my record because I thought it was too embarrassing, but others convinced me.” The song went on to become a number one hit. Even so, Andress wants to remain in control of her artistic direction. Playing new songs on tour, she said, helps her decide what belongs on the album.
Although piano is her primary instrument, Andress will be touring with a guitar player this time. There are two reasons for the shift. First, she has been writing more on guitar lately. “Musically, the piano is a heavy instrument,” she explained. “I was concerned it would give the material a Broadway feel, and that wasn’t the mood I intended. I wanted the songs to have a more stripped down mode.” Second, she wants to interact more freely with the audience and share the stories behind her songs, something that feels more natural with a guitar than behind a piano. She’ll still play keys during the show, but she doesn’t yet feel confident enough to rely on guitar alone.
Andress looks forward to getting on the road again. She traveled a lot as a child because her father was a Major League Baseball coach whose job caused him to drive around the country. Touring now gives her the opportunity to read and to meet new people. The first thing she looks for in a town is a good breakfast place for bacon and eggs, and she is sure the capital city will have many. That said, going out with new music is not relaxing.
“I still get nervous before every show,” Andress confessed, and said she would be worried if she were not anxious. She has spoken openly about her mental health challenges, and recently participated in a South by Southwest event focused on mental health awareness among country musicians. She told tales about her past difficulties that were comic but sincere and heartfelt. Many in the audience were familiar with the performer’s history and applauded her courage.
As an artist, Andress is known for her emotional openness. “I have cried onstage multiple times to my horror,” she said. Songs like “More Hearts Than Mine” can bring both her and her audience to tears. “Seeing someone in the crowd crying can be contagious,” she said. “It makes me want to cry, too.”
In addition, her songs offer identifiable details that can put her in a less than flattering light. “I used to be better about knowing what to keep out of my songs. I was worried about being too brutal and therefore not relatable to others.” However, she discovered the opposite was true. “I monitor myself less on my new songs. The best way to relate to others is to not polish the truth. I have made a conscious decision to be more honest.” She said there are some things, some people, she would not write about out of respect because it could hurt them.
The songwriter admitted that Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” makes her cry, especially the orchestral version. “She takes a simple idea and blows it up into a beautiful painting,” Andress said. “Through perspective she shows the importance of the little things in life and how they matter.” She continued to make her point that music should bring people together.
Andress’s other influences include the Chicks, Stevie Nicks, and Sheryl Crow. She praised their sonic adventurousness and how their individual work or style can’t be pigeonholed. Andress admires the writing of Bob Dylan, but not his voice. “I’d rather read him on the page than hear him sing,” she said.