Lindi Ortega taking fans on musical journey at Regina's Winterruption festival
Those attending Regina's Winterruption 2018 festival will get to see a musician take them from darkness into the light.
Lindi Ortega, from Toronto, Ont., has been performing professionally since 2001 and is known for her distinct country sound and emotional lyrics.
She has released eight albums in the last 10 years and has a new album titled "Liberty" set to debut in March of this year.
Ortega said her newest album, which has a noticeably different sound than her past albums, was inspired by people she met at her shows.
"People would come up to me and tell me that certain songs of mine helped get them through some really dark times in their life," Ortega told CBC's Saskatchewan Weekend host Shauna Powers.
"It made me feel like that was sort of my purpose for music, to create in order to help people through certain things in their life and I thought I should make a whole record with that in mind," Ortega said.
Music inspired by her own struggles
Ortega has been through hard times of her own.
She considered leaving the music industry altogether earlier in her career, she said.
"The independent music world is not the most lucrative business venture you can get into," Ortega said.
After releasing four records, and in her late thirties, Ortega said she had no money to pay rent.
"I kind of felt like a failure," Ortega said.
"It made me question what I was doing, and if I could continue to do it, because if you can't pay rent how do you survive, so I was at a very very dark time in my life."
Ortega said those feelings inspired her to write an album that included what she thought would be her final song.
Fortunately for her fans, however, she met people who helped her with the business side of music, which allowed her to continue making music.
Ortega says she wants her music, especially her new album, to help people get through tough times.
"I think everybody can sort of relate to trying to come out of dark moments in life and how difficult that struggle is, but also how wonderful and liberating it feels when you are able to overcome it," Ortega said.
Ortega is performing Saturday night at The Exchange.
