Named a 2025 Artist to Watch by the Recording Academy, Lanie Gardner wrapped a milestone week with her Grand Ole Opry debut and the release of “Faded Polaroids,” the title track from her upcoming sophomore album out now via BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. The bold, deeply personal track is fueled by distorted indie pop and commanding vocals as Gardner flips through snapshots, some crisp and others nicotine stained and weathered by time, mapping where she’s been and who she’s becoming. Gardner shares that the idea came from going through a box of old photos, explaining that how she experiences life today is because of those moments and the biggest thing she’s learned is how important it is to remember that 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,’ offering 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, North Carolina, Gardner grew up in a family of natural musicians, learning to sing from her mother and play guitar from her father before eventually leaving 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 summer.
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 plus 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 who’s honest, unfiltered and unforgettable. This loner turned artist with a gift for turning diary entries into cathartic anthems is proving she’s got staying power and a vision that sets her apart from everyone else fighting for attention in Nashville right now.