LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Using her own travels from Nashville to the Big Apple to the West Coast as the basis for the story, up and coming Americana Roots artist Lina Vandivort weaves a tale of someone running from love in her debut single, “On the Run,” which hits all streaming platforms on March 1.

Vandivort, who grew up in Connecticut, said she’s moved many times across the U.S. as she pursued her education and job opportunities, while the protagonist in her single is being pursued by her own sense of restlessness and discontent.

“I was always moving toward something, but what if someone is running away?” she said. “I wanted to write this song about someone who leaves people behind and I think in writing it I got to the core of why she is leaving, why she is running away instead of running towards something. To me the crux of the song is in the lines where it says, ‘some lives are left unbroken when some hearts are on the run.’ She thinks everyone is better off if she keeps going. She’s a heart on the run.”

Vandivort started playing piano in kindergarten before learning to play her father’s guitar at age 13. She quickly took to composing original songs, but it was not until she moved to Nashville and began working at the Grand Ole Opry that she truly identified her sound.

Vandivort said her new single, “On the Run,” is her first attempt to record and release a single and give it the promotion it needs for a chance to take off.

Vandivort showcases her poetic lyrics and mesmerizing melodies to build an emotional landscape for the everyday moments in life.

The song showcases her storytelling abilities and melodic ear and positions her to be the next Americana roots singer/songwriter to watch.

“I am very much a lyrics-first songwriter normally, but with this song, a lot of the chorus came out while I was writing the melody,” Vandivort said. “The last four lines of the chorus are ‘some lives are better left unbroken, some bullets better kept in the gun. Some words better left unspoken and some hearts are on the run.’ That line just kind of came out while I was singing and playing. I didn't write the second verse and the bridge until later. I really had to think about what I was saying about the narrator telling this story.”

Vandivort said she’s worked in the music business for years, and composed her own songs the whole time, but she’s never released any of her music professionally until now.

Using a term from Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way,” Americana singer-songwriter Lina Vandivort has decided she doesn’t want to be a “shadow artist” anymore, so she’s pulling out all the stops to make it in the LA music scene and across the country.

“Shadow artists are people who stay close to the chosen medium they love and want to create in that space but aren't actually creating,” Vandivort said. “That definitely was me for a while. I worked at Sony Music Publishing in Nashville and then I worked at the Grand Ole Opry for a couple of years. Then I got my MBA at Columbia Business School so I’m well versed in business. I moved to LA recently and it’s a great time in my life. My friends are all aspiring songwriters and that creative energy has been great. That’s part of the reason I've decided I don't want to be a shadow artist anymore. I want to be an artist. I want to share my music, starting with releasing this first song.”

Now a recent entrant to the LA music scene, Vandivort has quickly established herself as a coveted performer through shows at Hotel Cafe and Kibitz Room in anticipation of her upcoming 2024 EP release. 

So her plans now are to promote “On the Run” while working on a second single to be released in the two months after her debut single.

After that, watch for Vandivort’s first EP later in 2024.

“I’m trying to waterfall the releases,” she said. “I have so many songs, I feel like I'm really backlogged on my work, but it’s also an expensive process so I'm just trying to be patient. I picked some of my best songs for the EP and I’m excited about really showcasing my writing ability.”

Follow Lina Vandivort and hear her performing at the following social media and streaming platforms:
Spotify
Instagram
Youtube