PHOTOS: The Ladies of LakeShake

SLN and photographer Katie Kauss caught up with the fabulous women playing the festival to capture exclusive, behind-the-scenes portraits.

Written by Lauren Laffer
PHOTOS: The Ladies of LakeShake
Photo by Katie Kauss

This past weekend, Sounds Like Nashville said goodbye to Music City and hello to the Windy City to attend the 2nd annual Country LakeShake. The three-day festival hosted more than 50,000 fans who gathered to see some of country music’s biggest and best acts, including Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett and many more.

While on the shores of Northerly Island, SLN and photographer Katie Kauss caught up with the fabulous women playing the festival to capture exclusive, behind-the-scenes portraits. The ladies also dished on everything from their favorite festival fashion to the best advice they’ve ever received.

Check out the lovely Ladies of LakeShake…

Photo by Katie Kauss

Photo by Katie Kauss

Martina McBride on advice she gives her daughters: “I just tell them to be themselves. There’s only one of you. And you don’t have to look like everybody else. You don’t have to act like everybody else. It’s important to just be the best you you can be.”

Photo by Katie Kauss

Photo by Katie Kauss

Kacey Musgraves on her favorite festival fashion accessories: “I always go for a touch of western fashion mixed in, but I also like being comfortable. I always have to wear my cowboy boots that are all beat up, and then obviously top it off with a giant squash blossom, and giant sunglasses.”

Photo by Katie Kauss

Photo by Katie Kauss

Clare Dunn on going from the farm to center stage: “I just truly love to perform. I guess I just feel more comfortable there than I do anywhere else. I feel like I’m awkward a lot times in other ways, or I try to joke around a lot to cover up my awkwardness. I just feel more comfortable on stage. I don’t know why that is, but I just truly love it.”

Photo by Katie Kauss

Photo by Katie Kauss

Kelleigh Bannen on her festival fashion must-haves: “I’m a sucker for a great pair of cut-offs. But this year is really about the romper…A tropical patterned romper with a great wedge.”

Photo by Katie Kauss

Photo by Katie Kauss

Aubrie Sellers on being the center of attention: “For me it’s been a learning process. I’m not used to being the center of attention at all. Just sharing my music with people, seeing their reaction and doing it over and over again has really helped me build my confidence. I wouldn’t say I was super confident starting out. I was confident in my musical ability, but not being in front of people. I think that just putting myself out there and being myself has helped me become confident.”

Photo by Katie Kauss

Photo by Katie Kauss

Haley Georgia on her signature look: “Pretty much everybody in the audience is wearing the exact same thing. Every girl is in boots, cut-off shorts, and a cute tank top. It’s basically like I’m wearing what the fans’ are wearing.”

Photo by Katie Kauss

Photo by Katie Kauss

Jana Kramer on her go-to festival fashion: “Something that’s breezy and light because it’s usually really hot out. I just want to be really comfortable and not have heels that kill me. I like to run around on stage.”

Photo by Katie Kauss

Photo by Katie Kauss

Brooke Eden on being confident on stage: “On stage is the place where I feel most confident. I feel like I am almost a different person on stage than I am off stage. Not that I’m not confident off stage, but I just feel more confident when I’m on stage. The first place I remember being was on stage when I was like 4 years old.”

Photo by Katie Kauss

Photo by Katie Kauss

Tara Thompson shares the words of wisdom her cousin, Loretta Lynn, gave her: “I think the best advice Loretta ever gave me was be yourself. Be different. I’m just country and I’m a tomboy and I don’t think there’s much of that in Country music. I’m not trying to be something I’m not. I’m just me. I hope people like it, and if they don’t, there are plenty of other women to like. What you see is what you get with me.”

Photo by Katie Kauss

Photo by Katie Kauss

Runaway June on sharing the attention as a trio: “We think having three [onstage] makes it easy. We’ve all been performing so long, so I think you naturally get a little used to it. Having audience participation, having a really supportive, excited audience makes us feel immediately so much more comfortable. Anytime the audience is good, we feel so at home.”

For more with the Ladies of LakeShake, check out our playlist below. Subscribe HERE.