It can be challenging and emotionally taxing to witness someone go through disappointment, sadness, and humiliation, especially when you have a vested interest in that individual. Whether it is because you are rooting for them, you genuinely like them, or you see their potential, it can be hard to watch them struggle. However, at the same time, we all love a good underdog story, a triumphant comeback, a narrative with an "in your face" or "look at me now" quality. These are the tales that inspire us and make us believe that anything is possible. One such story that personifies the spirit of an underdog and a comeback kid is that of Lindsey Stirling. Despite facing numerous setbacks and challenges in her life, she never gave up on her dream of becoming a successful musician. Her unwavering dedication and perseverance have made her an inspiration to many, including myself. Rival enjoyed sitting down with Lindsey to get a sneak peek into her exciting upcoming projects. Lindsey's innovative and unique vision is sure to leave a lasting impact on her audience.

Rival: “Eye of the Untold Her” is your first single released from the new album Duality, it has this beautiful, visually stunning music video that pays homage to some of your most career-defining moments. What was the experience like for you revisiting all of these different moments in time?”

Lindsey: “You know, it was very therapeutic; I put so much work into recreating the costumes, whether it was tracking down old costumes and finding them or, you know, actually remaking some of them, so it was like, ‘oh, my gosh, do it, do it, do it, make the wigs make everything.’ I didn't overthink it until I was on set, put the whole thing on for the first time, and stood back like, ‘Whoa,’ as I looked in the mirror. It almost made me emotional to revisit these past versions of myself. We all go through so many different chapters of life where emotions are so strong, and we learn such specific lessons. And sometimes, we learn the same lesson over and over again; we learn it deeper every time. But to go back and relive all these moments, those times I found myself nervous, or a version of myself that was so excited and watching my career burst open for the first time, or a part of me that once felt so broken but is now a whole part of myself in that brokenness. It was really cool to visit these past versions of myself attached to such intense learning moments and strong victories and disappointments. It’s a full circle moment to step back and be like, ‘Wow, all these memories- We are all made up of our past, like beautiful and broken selves.’”

RIVAL: The music video for “Eye of the Untold Her” is a trip down memory lane where you revisit the worlds of “Artemis,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Between Twilight,” and others; what was your favorite era that you transported back to for the making of the video?”

Lindsey: “I think one of the most fun ones, for some reason, was “Round Table Rival” because that was the chapter of my career where I was for the first time truly living in the moment of being a successful artist and realizing that my hard work was paying off and I was making things I was proud of. It was as if my career had cracked open, and I didn't know where the ceiling was. So that was a fascinating time, and that’s also my most viewed music video, but even more than that, it's probably my favorite music video I've ever made. So, to return to that version of myself was probably the most fun of all the ones to revisit.”

RIVAL: “Wow. That's amazing. Thank you for that. On the topic of wardrobe, your talents with costume design are outstanding. Where does the inspiration come from for your different costumes and outfits?”

Lindsey: “You know, I have an entire Instagram folder and Pinterest board full of ideas of things I find beautiful. I look for things that make me feel dreamy when I see them, things that make my imagination go, ‘How did they even make that’? I'm very grateful for the internet, which constantly gives us this cornucopia of inspiration, and it's funny how what you look for in life is what you'll see. I have a very odd collaboration of things from aerial artists to costume design to delicious food; I feel like I'm just constantly being fed inspiration.”

RIVAL: “With the “Duality Tour” coming up this summer, what can fans expect? Do you have any favorite songs you're most excited to play or share with your fans?”

Lindsey: “Well, some songs haven't been heard yet since the album hasn’t been released, so a lot of the show revolves around the new album and, of course, fan favorites. After seeing the fans' reaction to ‘Eye of the Untold Her’ and how that song and the music video made them feel, I'm excited to perform that one for them but in a fun, creative way. I've figured out how to bring elements from the music video to life on stage. I love seeing how the audience reacts to things; it feels like a new show, a new experience for me every night. While we perform the same show in each city, it's very, very, very meticulous; I can't change the set once we make it and rehearse it and lock it in, but what makes it new for me is those moments where you can see it through the eyes of the audience. When they tap their neighbor and gasp like, ‘Did you see that?!’, or when the kids are leaning forward in their seats to get a better look. They are what makes it so fun.”

RIVAL: “So your stunts are pretty awe-inspiring; I'm wondering, have you had any mishaps when you've been rehearsing any of your stunts where you're like, ‘Okay, we're not doing this on stage.’”

LINDSEY: “For sure, I think a lot of times, it's the practicality of figuring out how to do it all; sometimes I'm trying to get the violin back into my hands in time to do the stunt and then play, or sometimes the violin is on me through the whole stunt. I was trying to train with a hammock, which is like silks, but it's attached to the bottom. While training, I learned some techniques, but I was a tangled mess when I put my violin on, no matter what we did. The fabric is not as structured as a hoop or a trapeze with ropes, so no matter what I tried to do, it was just constantly a tangled knot. My dancers were there with me, and after about a half hour of frustration, we were all like, let's take a break, let's go on the hoops, but I haven't cracked the code on that yet, and I don't think I will for this tour, perhaps in the future. But yes, sometimes it is a lot of trial and error. I've fallen off my hoop before, but that's why we have safety mats. That's why we practice lower to the ground, but it's always shocking when it happens; you're just like, ‘Oh my gosh, and I'm okay, I'm still alive, like Okay, let's go again.’”

Rival: “It's shocking to see you hanging upside down, and you're still playing an instrument that requires such precision. It’s next-level amazing. Do you have any cities on your tour that you've never performed at that you are looking forward to?”

LINDSEY: “There are some venues; the one that's coming to mind is Radio City. Radio City Music Hall has been on my bucket list for so long. I mean, that's a bucket list venue for so many people, and it's not an easy venue to book. We were supposed to perform there in 2020, but that didn't happen for obvious reasons, so getting a second chance to go back there and play is really exciting. We’ll be returning to Los Angeles to perform at one of my favorite venues, The Greek Theater, but we're also playing Red Rocks, which I've done several times in the past. Still, it's always such a magical experience. So yeah, those are some of the ones I'm most excited about. Ultimately, I can't wait to get on the road; I love touring so much.”

RIVAL: “Before a performance, are there any rituals or must-haves you need before you go onstage?”

LINDSEY: “I've started doing breathwork in the last two years. Touring after COVID, I had this incredible amount of anxiety, and I'm not quite sure why, but I've always struggled a little bit with that. It started to become debilitating as a performer, and then I discovered breathwork, and it's been game-changing for me, not only as a performer but also in my life, to have this tool. So now, before I go on stage every night, I do breathwork, and my dancers also join in. It becomes this way to connect and get in sync together with our body rhythms. I don't know; it's changed how I approach the stage. I’m more in my body rather than being an outside observer of myself and being super critical. So that's probably the biggest thing I must do every night: stretching, breathwork, and meditation.”

RIVAL: “So I see you're touring with Walk off the Earth again, right? What’s it like working with them?”

LINDSEY: “You know, touring is such a personal thing, and so the fact that we're going on a second tour with them says a lot because, I mean, everybody tours so differently. Sometimes, camps don't mesh well for some reason, but we immediately hit it off and had a great time. I also love that their style of work is very similar to mine and that we've both been doing social media from the beginning. We were like the OG phase of YouTubers, who were figuring out how to make content online and connect with fans on a personal level. Anybody that’s been doing it that long, that is still doing it today, and still willing to figure out as it evolves, it's like being in the trenches together. It can be exhausting to keep up, so the fact that they share the same journey connects us; there’s an automatic respect for each other and our crafts. It was really fun last summer because we had a song on their album that I collaborated with them on. Sara, a member of Walk off the Earth, is on my song “Survive”, which will be released right before the tour. It becomes this organic collection of collaborators and touring companions, and it's really special.”

RIVAL: “Speaking of collaborations, if there was anyone, past or present, you could create with, who would it be?

LINDSEY: “Oh, man, living is P!nk. I love P!nk! She's my favorite. She's inspired me so much. And past, honestly, I would love to do some sketchwork with Lucille Ball; she's my muse, for sure.”

RIVAL: “Although we’ve only heard a clip of the new single with Royal and the Serpent, we are loving it, and it's already generating a lot of attention! Did you two know each other before creating the song, or was it more spontaneous, like, ‘Hey, let's do this song together’? How did this all come to be?”

LINDSEY: “It’s always magical when a collaboration comes to life because so many little pieces have to fall in line, such as getting two different, unique artists together and aligning their schedules. The song has to be right; both people have to feel like it speaks to them. There are so many moving pieces; it's always kind of a miracle when a collaboration works out. I had been searching for a while to find the right singer for that song, and while I wasn't super familiar with Royal and the Serpent, I had heard her music before, but I didn't know her artistry until I happened upon her one day and took a deeper listen. The more I dove in, the more I was like, I love this girl. I loved how she was interesting in the opposite way than myself and how I presented my art. In my mind, I knew she was perfect for this track. While I always liked the song, I knew it had a ton of potential to be better, so when she put her vocals on it, I went, ‘Oh yeah, this song is gonna make the album,’ and it quickly became my favorite track on Duality. She totally transformed it, and I think we're just little soul sisters. We were getting ready for the music video the day we met, and she came to the rehearsals and worked with us all day, which says a lot about her. Often, artists are just not entirely interested in joining your world. Or their management's team will be like, they can do two hours on set, but she was like, ‘No, I want to come to rehearsal, I want to learn the routine, I want to be there for the music video,’ she's just gone above and beyond and is a fabulous collaborator. You just kind of never know when you're jumping into these collaborations with artists you’ve never met before, so it's been a delight. I love her.”

Rival: “That's amazing. Yeah, her vocal style is very different. And when you put it with your music, it's just it works. It's magic. Do you have any other collaborations on this album that you're excited about?”

LINDSEY: “Well, thank you. I felt the same way, so seeing that it's also working for the listener is fun. I have a song with Rachel Platten that's on the Target deluxe version of the album, and it is stunning and beautiful. She and I have been friends for a long time, so we have these deep talks about inner worth and leaning into vulnerability. It's about exploring the hard things in life and allowing them to crack you open, unfold you, and help you blossom into this rose. And, you know, if you look at a rose, it's like, there are limitless petals in there that are just constantly falling off and are calm and accepting. That’s the message.”

Lindsey's incredible journey is a testament to the power of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. With over 200 sold-out shows, collaborations with renowned music artists, and a guest appearance as an All-Star on AGT, Lindsey Stirling is now recognized as one of the world's biggest stars. Fans eagerly anticipate her upcoming 'Duality' summer tour and collaboration with 'Royal and the Serpent,' and her latest music video showcases her remarkable talent and highlights her extraordinary career. Lindsey Stirling's story is a true inspiration, demonstrating that we can overcome any obstacle and achieve greatness with hard work, dedication, and perseverance. She is a living example of how chasing your dreams can lead to unimaginable success

INTERVIEW BY: APRIL LEWANDOWSKI

PHOTOGRAPHY: HEATHER KOEPP