Fender Tracks: Lindsay Ell on the Theory Behind ‘wAnt me back’

Canadian country star Lindsay Ell has always been an ambitious musician, from touring with the likes of Buddy Guy while still a teenager in 2008 to releasing an excellent song-for-song remake of John Mayer’s 2006 record, The Continuum, two years ago.

But her latest album, Heart Theory, may just be the most broadly scoped project of her career.

The stakes were pretty high. Not only did Ell co-write 11 of the record’s 12 tracks and get in the studio with legendary producer Dann Huff, Heart Theory fully dives into the seven stages of grief as outlined by famed psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.

The result comes together in an epic accomplishment. Ell truly takes the listener through her emotional journey of denial, anger and depression before rising up in acceptance and hope, offering an intimate look into past traumas she’s experienced.

Breaking Down ‘wAnt me back’

One of Ell’s favorite songs on the album is “wAnt me back,” which she breaks down in this episode of Fender Tracks.

Coming in as Heart Theory’s fourth track, it boasts a soaring, rock-tinged solo and deeply introspective lyrics that address the breakup that serves as the record’s running theme.

“I love to write songs that come from an honest place,” said Ell. “I never really tap into that spitefulness, like when you’re going through a heartbreak. I find I write songs a lot more for me, other than the other person. On this last album, I did just that. I wrote my process. I wrote the album from Track 1 to Track 12 about how I really unraveled through heartbreak.”

While Ell’s writes her lyrics directly from the heart, she explained that she typically starts crafting songs with an instrument in her hands. Then, she would improvise various melodies before settling on the right one, before finally adding the words to fit.

Working with the Legendary Dann Huff

For Heart Theory, Ell was also honored to work with Huff, who is a three-time winner of the Musician of the Year honor at the Country Music Association Awards and two-time Academy of Country Music Producer of the Year. Oh, and Huff has also played guitar on albums from heavyweights such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Whitney Houston and Barbara Streisand.

“I’m so grateful to have worked with Dann Huff on this record,” she said. “I’ve watched hours and hours of Dann Huff playing guitar on YouTube ever since I was a little girl, and if you were to tell me that he was going to be my producer one day, I would have told you you were crazy. He was so down to earth."

“We sat in the studio, and he gave me his ‘80s Strat and said, ‘Alright Linds, just play. Let’s see what this song means.’”

What came out of these sessions is a masterclass in storytelling. From the music to the lyrics to the range of feelings, Heart Theory - and “wAnt me back” as a single - is something Ell is definitely proud of.

“As a songwriter, when you can get to that level of honesty and vulnerability, that’s where the magic comes out,” she said.

Watch Ell break down “wAnt me back” with her American Professional II Stratocaster® in the video above.