Ingrid Andress Gets Candid On Her Addiction, Rehab & Starting A Fresh Chapter

For the first time, Ingrid Andress is opening up about her viral national anthem performance that ultimately led to rehab, as well as the redemption performance that marked the beginning of her new chapter.

The songstress has made her return to the spotlight this week following her rendition of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the 2024 Home Run Derby, which many dubbed the “worst ever.” At the time, Andress admitted to being intoxicated when she stepped on the field and woke up the next morning realizing she had a problem and needed to get help by checking herself into a rehab facility in Colorado.  

Although this was a difficult year for Andress, she admits she’s “fine” talking about everything she went through because she sees it as a “needed experience.”

Turning To Alcohol To Numb The Pain

The songstress recently sat down with Nick Viall on The Viall Files podcast and got the chance to discuss all the events that led up to her falling into this dark place and how she was able to overcome her addiction.

“So at that point, that day, I knew that I was drinking, but I was really loving the numbing feeling that I was having. And so I just didn’t stop. And so it wasn’t until I woke up the next day where I was like, okay, this is so unlike me. This is not okay. I need help. Because I actually walked out and did not care. I was just like, I don’t care. I don’t care how this goes. I’m just, I was so f**ked up,” she admitted.

Andress went on to explain that after the memorable performance, she thought there may have been a few “hiccups,” but ultimately believed she had “nailed it.”

“My best friend called me after I got off the field, and I remember briefly talking to her. She’s like, ‘so how do you think that went?’ And I was like, ‘I feel like it wasn’t my best,’ but that’s how gone I was.”

She then revealed that the drinking had started to become far more frequent than usual in order to numb the pain of ending a serious relationship, parting ways with her first-ever manger and feeling more alone than ever before. The next day, Andress knew she had hit a breaking point with a problem that she was unable to fix herself.

“I didn’t let myself process those emotions of grief. And I think, at that time, everyone says, ‘oh, just keep moving, keep moving, keep busy.’ And because I didn’t process all that, I didn’t realize how much it was starting to creep in other ways,” she shared. “It happened really quickly. It was within three months I was drinking way more than I ever had ever and just loved that numbing feeling because that’s why we abuse any substance…That’s when I realized, I was like, I don’t actually know how to get out of this.”

Checking Into Rehab

Andress was already on the plane to rehab when she made her apology to the world.

“I’m not gonna bulls**t y’all, I was drunk last night. I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need. That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I love so much for that rendition. I’ll let y’all know how rehab is I hear it’s super fun,” she wrote on Instagram back in July.

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Her Stance On Social Media Moving Forward

Looking back on that statement, Andress says that was the “most vulnerable” she’s ever been online. The acknowledgment of her drinking problem ended up drumming up even more hate and negativity towards the singer/songwriter, which impacted her immensely. She has since set new boundaries for herself and has come to the realization that she care’s more about what people think about her music and her songwriting than anything else.

“I mean, they can judge how I look, what I wear, all these things that I mean are kind of pointless. But to me, what I care about is the things that I really care about, which is music and songwriting.”

Learning to drown out some of the negative voices and her fear of other’s opinion has allowed her to feel more comfortable to be even more transparent in her online presence moving forward.

Receiving Support From The Country Music Community

The other positive note that came out of this experience was the outpouring of love and support Andress received from her fellow female country singers.

“I actually felt so loved and seen going into rehab…Elle King was like, ‘this is just all part of it, girl,’ and she’s obviously been there before too. And Kelsea Ballerini was like, ‘welcome to the worst parts of this job,’ and it was mostly women. Karen Fairchild from Little Big Town, and that really meant a lot to me because I feel like women in country music have had to stick together based on very obvious things, a very male dominated genre, but for them to be like, ‘Hey, we’ve all been there,’ it was very meaningful.”

Making Her Comeback

While she originally thought that she would never perform the National Anthem again on that level, Andress eventually realized it was something she needed for herself to be able to fully close this chapter of her life and start fresh with new music. So, this past weekend she got a second chance to prove her talent with a national anthem performance at the Colorado Avalanche game. This time, waking up the next day looked much different. She recalled feeling as if a massive weight had finally been lifted off her shoulders.

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Ingrid Andress has since surprised fans with the release of her new song, “Footprints.” The track, which marks her first release since 2022’s Good Person, was written a few years ago by Andress and Michael Pollack as a letter to all four of her siblings.

“I was the first one to leave home…and I felt like I had left them behind in a way, and I didn’t want them to feel like I was abandoning them, but just to show them, ‘Hey, you can learn from my mistakes.’ But I also wrote it from on top of a mountain of things were going well in my career. I was getting nominated for things and I was like, oh, see, look, you can do this too if I can do it.”

However, upon listening to it again following her exit from rehab, Andress discovered a whole new meaning. She now sings it as a story of resilience and hopes to remind listeners that whatever struggles they may encounter, they can come out better on the other side.

“I listened to it again after getting out of rehab, and it hit different because I felt like I was listening to it walking up the mountain this time, as opposed to being up there already. And it meant more to me because I wanted them to see one, your older sister is crazy, but resilient. And even after all this, you can still do this. And if you ever want, just know that the path that I’m going on is to show that you can also pursue your dreams and do things. And so to me, I wanted ‘Footprints’ to be the first song because it hit different from where I’m at in life now.”

“No one should take my advice, and no one should be following my example after I release a song like ‘Footprints,’ but I’m just like, it feels like a comeback, but it’s also just feels like a return to something that’s always been there, because I think people make mistakes. And so to then come out and be like, ‘I’m different. I’m new, I’m whatever,’ It’s like, no, I’m still me. I’m still the messy, crazy introspective me, but I feel more present in who I am,” she continued.

Andress even returned to the site of her rehab which doubles as her home state of Colorado, to film the “Footprints” music video.

“My siblings & I grew up learning how to ski and board at the Loveland Ski Area in CO, so this was the only place I wanted to shoot the video for ‘Footprints,’” she explained on X (formerly Twitter).

On Saturday, March 8, Ingrid Andress will perform her new release for the very first time at the Grand Ole Opry. This will mark her first performance back on the iconic stage in several years.

“I’m excited because it feels very familiar, but also very accepting,” she said on the podcast interview. “The country community. They’re fiercely loyal, and so I feel like it’s kind of a nice welcome back into society because country music bands really want to relate to you and they really want to hear your stories, and I feel like that’s what I love about it so much. And I think the Opry has captured that for longer than I’ve been alive and has done that for so many people. So I’m excited.”