During the summer of 2019, Lindsay Ell is focused on watching the rise of "What Happens in a Small Town," her duet with Brantley Gilbert. Next up afterwards, though, she's gearing up for a new chapter of solo music, beginning with a brand-new single around the end of the year.

With help from producer Dann Huff -- who Ell describes as a "genius" who can "read [her] brain as a guitar player" -- the singer will embark on what might be her most honest, direct batch of songs to date.

"On this record, I'm telling basically the story of everything that's happened in my life in the last couple years," the singer told The Boot at Taligate Fest 2019 in August. "Like getting out of a really public relationship and going through being miserable and heartbroken, to getting through to the other side of that tunnel and feeling like myself again -- learning to be single and learning who I am again."

While that relationship and breakup -- with DJ and radio personality Bobby Bones -- may have transpired in the spotlight, the album also contains a few stories from Ell's personal life that fans haven't heard before. "I kinda get personal about some stuff in my childhood that I've never really talked about," she goes on to say.

In February of 2019, Ell underwent surgery to remove pre-cancerous cells her doctor discovered during a routine check-up. At the time, the singer took the opportunity to remind fans of the importance of regular doctor's visits, even for young and healthy people. Fortunately, Ell's own procedure went smoothly, although of course it was a traumatic event in her life. As such, she processed her feelings the way anyone in her line of work would: By writing songs.

"I definitely have written a few songs about it. It was just such a wide awakening to me. This was a thing I didn't even see coming," she points out. "So as a songwriter, we write out things that happen in our lives. I definitely hope that at least one of those songs will make it on the record."

New Albums Coming Out in 2019

More From 95.7 KEZJ