Lindsey Stirling was born on September 21, 1986. The violinist, songwriter and dancer developed a solo career combining classical technique, electronic arrangements and choreographed performances. Her collaborations also connected that work with hard rock singers, including Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, whose vocals appeared on “Shatter Me,” the title track of Stirling’s second album in 2014.
Her interest in the violin began with the classical music her parents played and the concerts they attended together. Performing took longer to feel comfortable. In a 2012 interview with the Santa Barbara Independent, Stirling recalled shaking through childhood recitals. Joining the high school rock band Stomp on Melvin changed her relationship with an audience. Playing for people who wanted to move and have fun made her want more time onstage.
An appearance on America’s Got Talent in 2010 gave her national exposure, but work did not immediately follow. After the show, she approached Las Vegas agencies with a promotional DVD and résumé, hoping to find bookings. She recalled receiving no callbacks. “Well, no one is saying yes; I’ve got to keep going,” she told the Independent. She began writing original music and learned about building a YouTube audience from filmmaker Devin Graham, who became an early collaborator.
“Crystallize” became a breakthrough in 2012, placing her violin over a dubstep arrangement. Stirling had worried that her subscribers might reject the electronic direction; their response encouraged her to pursue it. Her self-titled debut arrived that year. The audience discovering her videos also bought her recordings and attended her shows, helping her establish a career outside the television competition.
With Shatter Me, she explored how a singer could make a song’s meaning more explicit. In studio footage reported by Blabbermouth, Stirling explained that instrumental music left listeners room to interpret its meaning, while lyrics let her communicate a particular message. She wanted a powerful female rock voice for the title track. Watching Hale’s performances convinced her to approach the Halestorm singer through management. Hale responded enthusiastically, and the collaboration paired Stirling’s instrumental writing with a vocalist whose stage presence had helped persuade her to make the invitation.
Her connection with Evanescence developed through another recording. Stirling contributed violin to “Hi-Lo” on the band’s 2017 album Synthesis, which reworked much of their catalog with orchestral and electronic arrangements. “Hi-Lo” was one of the project’s two new songs, giving her a part in new material alongside those reconstructed recordings. Evanescence and Stirling subsequently shared a North American co-headlining tour in 2018.
Amy Lee then appeared on Stirling’s “Love Goes On and On,” released on Artemis in 2019. Their recording partnership had moved from an Evanescence album to Stirling’s own work, with Lee contributing the vocal. In 2022, they reunited for the song’s official video. Stirling co-directed it with Stephen Wayne Mallett, extending her involvement from the recording into the film’s visual storytelling, with both musicians appearing in its medieval-inspired settings.
