Acclaimed country singer-songwriter Lindi Ortega to play Prosser on June 1

Lindi Ortega grew up surrounded by music.

Her father played bass in a Latin band, and their house was stocked with instruments and gear.

Her mother also was a music lover, with a record collection that included everything from outlaw country to Leonard Cohen.

So it’s no surprise Ortega found her way into the music world — and that she’s forging a career that honors her influences but is uniquely her own.

The acclaimed country singer-songwriter — a Toronto native who’s been hailed as a musical “old soul” with a voice that evokes legends like Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Johnny Cash — stops in Prosser on June 1 for a show at Brewminatti, 713 Sixth St.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and music starts at 7 p.m. The show is open to all ages.

Ortega expects to play a variety of songs that pull from her musical catalog. And she’ll hold nothing back.

“I’m always giving it my all and being myself on stage,” she said. “I like to put all my energy and passion on stage.”

Ortega has been making music for years. As a girl, she tinkered with an organ tucked away in her family’s basement.

Then she picked up guitar, eventually writing her own music. One of her first original songs, Faded Dress, was about being dumped the day before prom.

She was a teen when she wrote it, and plenty more tunes followed.

Ortega’s most recent release, the EP Til the Goin’ Gets Gone, includes three original songs and a cover of Townes Van Zandt’s Waiting ‘Round to Die.

It’s been hailed by critics.

Rolling Stone Country said it “shows the full breadth of her range, both dynamic and vulnerable, and her clever, evocative storytelling that bridges the confessional with the compassionate.”

The EP came out in March, as Ortega was touring Canada with country superstar Chris Stapleton. She also recently took the stage with Carrie Underwood at the Country Music Awards.

Those have been fun career highlights, she said — and she’s logged plenty of others, too, from touring with punk legends Social Distortion to making her Grand Ole Opry debut.

“My parents were there to see that. We were all emotional,” she said.

Ortega said she loves making music, she loves performing.

In her career, she’s seen ups and downs. “But I’m making music, for better or for worse. I think I’ll always have a deep-seated passion for making music,” she said.

For her, it’s about the connections she makes with fans.

“It’s been so (great) to play a show and have someone come up and tell how my music or my songs have helped them,” she said.

Growing up, “I felt a bit alienated (sometimes), like a square peg in round hole. Music has helped me see that we are really connected. It allowed me to feel a connection to people that I was missing for a long time. It really brings everybody together in a beautiful, magical way. That’s what draws me to it.”

Tickets to the Brewminatti show are $15 and are available at therootscellar.com.

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Acclaimed country singer-songwriter Lindi Ortega to play Prosser on June 1."