Named a 2025 Artist to Watch by the Recording Academy, Lanie Gardner wraps a milestone week with her Grand Ole Opry debut and the release of “Faded Polaroids,” the title track from her upcoming sophomore album, due September 5 via BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. Listen below.
The bold, deeply personal track is fueled by distorted indie-pop and commanding vocals. Gardner flips through snapshots, some crisp, others nicotine-stained and weathered by time, mapping where she’s been and who she’s becoming.
“‘Faded Polaroids’ is the heart of the album,” Gardner shares. “The idea came from going through a box of old photos. How I experience life today is because of those moments,” she explains. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is how important it is to remember. The simple things make you happy, and to understand that, you have to search for yourself.”
Faded Polaroids, produced by Oscar Charles, Jonathan Singleton, Chris Ganoudis, and Don Miggs, expands on the raw honesty of Gardner’s 2024 debut A Songwriter’s Diary. The album offers a sonic scrapbook of self-discovery, family roots, romantic twists, and personal healing. Across 18 tracks, Gardner blends country storytelling with indie-rock grit, small-town pop, and boundary-free emotion, delivering a sound that’s uniquely her own.
Born and raised in the tiny Appalachian town of Burnsville, NC, Gardner grew up in a family of natural musicians, learning to sing from her mother and play guitar from her father. A loner-turned-artist with a gift for turning diary entries into cathartic anthems, she eventually left home for Nashville to chase the Grand Ole Opry dream of her late grandfather, a dream that came full circle with her debut earlier this week.
Following her recent Polaroids EP and breakout debut album, which earned her “2025 Artist to Watch” nods from both the Recording Academy and Amazon Music and Apple Music Country’s “Riser of the Month,” Faded Polaroids finds Gardner stepping fully into her sound. From the soul-cleansing “Takin’ The Slow Ride” and smoldering “Concrete Cowboy” to the nostalgic title track and breezy “Love You Like Appalachia,” the album captures a rising star in her magic hour: honest, unfiltered, and unforgettable.
Gardner will bring Faded Polaroids to life on the road this summer and fall, supporting Gavin Adcock on select stops. Visit laniegardnermusic.com for ticket information.
ABOUT LANIE GARDNER:
Lanie Gardner’s extraordinary journey is a testament to her unmatched talent and unwavering determination, from her roots in the Appalachian Mountains to international stages. A gifted storyteller and songwriter from an early age, she crafted a distinctive blend of classic rock, R&B, and country that quickly set her apart. Her career skyrocketed after her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” went viral, amassing over 100 million views. With her debut self-penned album A Songwriter’s Diary, released in late 2024, Gardner delivered a deeply personal 10-track journey through her creative beginnings. Lanie’s rise includes being named a “2025 Artist to Watch” by the Recording Academy and Amazon Music, and CMT’s Next Women of Country: Class of 2025. From movie soundtracks (Queen of the Ring, Twisters) to touring with the Jonas Brothers, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, and ZZ Ward, she’s on the fast-track to stardom. Recent collaborations include Thomas Rhett (“What Could Go Right”), Warren Zeiders (“Love In Letting Go”) and Dorothy (“Tombstone Town”). This year alone, she made her Stagecoach debut, joined Corey Kent’s Black Bandana Tour, and will hit the road again this summer/fall with Gavin Adcock. She was also recently invited to make her Opry debut, further solidifying her place as one of the genre’s most exciting new voices. Faded Polaroids, her sophomore release dropping on September 5, offers a sonic scrapbook of self-discovery, family roots, romantic twists, and personal healing. Across the album’s 18 tracks, Gardner blends country storytelling with indie-rock grit, small-town pop, and boundary-free emotion.
