Lindsey Stirling remains fearless enough to always dream big. In four years since the release of her 2012 self-titled debut, the electronic music impresario, classically trained violinist, dancer, and artist quietly and humbly became one of the 21st century’s most innovative stars by clinging to her groundbreaking vision of cinematic violin-driven electronic music. After bowing at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the Dance/Electronic Album Chart, holding #1 on the Classical Album Chart for 21 consecutive weeks, and receiving a Billboard Music Award for “Top Dance/Electronic Album,” her sophomore opus Shatter Me would not only garner an RIAA Gold certification, but it would rank as the #2 Dance/Electronic Album and #1 Classical Album on Billboard’s 2015 Year-End charts. Attracting nearly 8 million subscribers and 1.3 billion-plus views on YouTube by 2016, Forbes placed Lindsey at #4 on its yearly YouTube artists list, making her the highest-ranked female. Her headline tours would play to a cumulative audience of over 500,000 people worldwide, and her literary debut The Only Pirate at the Party - co-written with her sister Brook S. Passey - became a New York Times Bestseller.
When it came time to begin work on her third full-length album, Brave Enough [Lindsey Stomp Music, LLC], she took a look at her journey thus far and asked herself an important question….
“I basically wrote Shatter Me about overcoming my anorexia,” she admits. “So, I thought, ‘What’s the next step of the process?’ I realized that breaking free is just the beginning. In order to continue through the journey you have to decide every day not to crawl back into that shell when things get tough. It’s easy to fall into our old habits. You can’t feel true joy, if you numb the bad. Brave Enough is a continuation of the story. It draws on the same contrast of light versus dark, but the flow is very different. It starts in a place of less surety. As the record progresses, it softens and turns more optimistic and hopeful. I’m way closer to the place I’m seeking than when I started this album.”
However, she faced one of the toughest years of her life in the process. Finishing up a whirlwind of touring, Lindsey returned to Los Angeles to commence writing in August 2015. Her best friend and pianist Gavi was then hospitalized, tragically passing away shortly thereafter. His influence and spirit left an indelible mark on the entire creative process.
“That was the hardest thing I ever went through,” she sighs. “I just wanted to become a workaholic and mask all of my feelings. But I had to feel them, let them sink in, and express them. I believe that our loved ones can be close to us even after they pass. Every day I went to the studio, I wore something that reminded me of him, whether it was one of his old shirts, a necklace he had given me, his beanie, or something. I’d ask for his help that way. Now, I feel his presence throughout the music because I know he was there with me inspiring me. When he died, I didn’t know where this album was headed. It came out very differently than I’d imagined in the best way possible. I lived what I learned from Shatter Me.”
“I want people to feel like they can be brave enough do the things they want to do,” she leaves off. “Everybody has hopes and dreams. Teach yourself to gain the courage you may not have in the moment. This record is proof you can.”