Since she was young, bluegrass legend Lindsay Lou has found deep comfort, and community, within the power of music. 

As she grew up, her family wove harmony together with story, forming the fabric of daily life, as well as the foundation from which she would build a renowned career. Rolling Stone Magazine recently called her, “the next queen of bluegrass.” 

“I grew up in a musical family and that always felt like the thing I was naturally drawn to,” she said. 

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Now, Lou and her partner, Kyle Tuttle, are preparing to create that same nurturing and music-filled space for their son, Bart, who is expected in May. 

Lou, who will be playing at WinterWonderGrass in Steamboat from Feb. 28 through March 2, announced her pregnancy on Wednesday via social media. 

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In a pre-announcement interview with the Steamboat Pilot & Today, she opened up about her journey into bluegrass, the rise of women in the genre and her feelings on becoming a mother. 

Lou described her path into bluegrass as more of a homecoming as opposed to a deliberate choice, noting that it was a natural extension of the love and connectedness that existed in her youth. From the moment she discovered the genre in college, Lou immersed herself in a world that was both deeply familiar and incredibly “communal.” 

“Finding bluegrass in college felt like finding a family away from home,” she recalled.

Bluegrass music groups, up until recent years, have featured a strong male presence. Lou, like many other women who have risen in the genre over the last decade, spent “a good chunk of time being the only woman in the band, in the room or in the jam.” 

It was through the support of fellow female artists that she found a deeper feeling of family, community and sisterhood on the stage.

Lou is part of a growing movement of women who are collectively contributing to the redefinition of bluegrass as they create space for themselves, and others, to inject new sound and spirit to the genre. 

“There’s this idea that women have to be competitive, that there can only be one,” she said. “And to just know that’s not actually the way that it is, and to know that we can collaborate and lift each other up and write together and sing together, that bolsters the spirit so much.”

That collaborative and supportive spirit took on new significance when Lou formed an all-female band for her latest album, Queen of Time. 

“It felt really cathartic and like a beautiful experience,” she said. 

The album showcases the power of female voices in bluegrass, exemplifying the resilience of women in the industry as they create space for themselves while also shattering the notion that bluegrass, and womens’ role within it, has to fit within a predefined mold.

For Lou, the presence of other strong females in the genre has been a guiding light. She credits her musical influences, including Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull and her bandmates in The Sweet Water Warblers, for fostering a network of creative and inspirational support. 

“To be able to write with people like Maya and play music with Molly and Sierra, it just reinforces the idea that we belong here, and we’re stronger together,” Lou said.

That spirit also brought Lou to WinterWonderGrass, where she returns this year as an artist-at-large. The festival, which has grown into a cornerstone event for both bluegrass and jam band communities, has become a key stepping stone in Lou’s musical journey. 

“I’ve really become a part of the WinterWonderGrass family,” she said. “These festivals are something that people return to year after year…it’s like a reunion every year that grounds you with the seasons.”

WinterWonderGrass, and its founder Scotty Stoughton, have created a tight-knit atmosphere with an emphasis on community, which has also provided a space for the rising women of bluegrass to shine.

Lou is one of several female artists who have helped shape the festival’s identity through WinterWonderWomen, a collaborative powerhouse of female musicians. 

“To get to commune with all of these musicians who are really powerful women and singers, it’s really wonderful,” she said.

As an artist-at-large, Lou embraces fluidity, as she looks forward to weaving her voice into various sets with many different artists and groups. 

“It gives me an opportunity to be all of the things that I am and let my voice do all of the things that it can do in all of these different scenarios,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful thing to be able to musically commune with your chosen family and to realize how big your chosen family is.”

For Lou, WinterWonderGrass has become more than just a festival, it is a place of transformation and sisterhood with her fellow female bluegrass artists. 

And this year, that transformation is more personal than ever.

As she begins her annual pilgrimage to take the stage in Steamboat, Lou is carrying something more than just her guitar.

“It just so happens that I was in Steamboat when I found out that I was pregnant,” she shared. “I played the Old Town Pub and was upstairs in the apartment when I took the test and found out.”

Her return to the festival, during her third trimester, marks a full-circle moment. 

“To just be having these big milestone life experiences, and have Steamboat and the WinterWonderGrass family be a part of it, is especially special to me,” she said. “It’s a place for everybody. You see little kids running around, you see parents with their babies and it’s just a really special family event.”

With the festival’s lineup stacked with established and emerging talent, Lou is eager to connect with familiar faces while also discovering new collaborations.

As she looks ahead to motherhood, Lou remains deeply committed to her music and the bluegrass community. 

“These festivals aren’t just concerts,” she said. “They’re gatherings of like-minded people who come together to celebrate music, nature, and each other. And to be able to share this part of my life with them is a gift.”

Lindsay Lou’s journey reflects a transformation within bluegrass. The rise of women in the genre, the power of community and the forging of new traditions while honoring the old, form the framework of a new era within the historically-based genre. And, as Lou prepares to welcome a new life into the world, she intends to continue shaping that narrative, providing new definitions to what it means to be a woman in bluegrass while proving that music, much like her family, is always evolving.