Kaitlin Butts Talks New Album, ‘Hello, Honky Tonk,’ While Cuddling Five Puppies on The Pupdate

Kaitlin Butts soaked up all the puppy cuddles and kisses during the latest episode of The Pupdate, where she also opened up about her brand-new album and the stories that inspired it.

The moment the Tulsa, Oklahoma-born singer-songwriter entered the studio, she immediately got down on the floor to greet the puppies from Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. The five adorable pups played, licked, kissed and even peed throughout the interview, but in true Kaitlin Butts fashion, she rolled with it.

Butts is no stranger to dogs. She is the proud dog mom of Hank Butts, a Shih Tzu who has been by her side for years.

“He’s semi-famous,” she joked.

“He’s a Shih Tzu from Oklahoma and I’ve had him since he was a little baby and he’s 14 years old now. He’s a road dog for sure, but he’s gotten grouchier over the years. But he’s definitely a road dog. He loves the hum of the road and loves to be around people.”

The Country Singer Drew Inspiration From the Characters She’s Met in Honky Tonks

With her fourth studio album, Hello, Honky Tonk, out now, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to chat with Butts about the project, which draws inspiration from her time playing honky-tonks around the country and the world, as well as the unique characters she’s met along the way.

“I’ve worked so hard on these songs and making country music is really important to me. And it’s really my love letter to country music and honky tonks in general and the nightlife. And I just love country music so much and just being around the people that support it too. And I get to see all these characters every night in a honky tonk, so why not write about them?”

For Butts, it was important to give those different characters a voice, whether it’s the man sitting alone at the bar, the lovers two-stepping on the dance floor or the people experiencing a honky tonk for the very first time.

“I want to give all those people their own song and just kind of romanticize each person that I get to see every night at my shows,” she explained.

Watch Kaitlin Butts on the Pupdate

Her Love of Musical Theater Helped Shape the Concept Behind Hello, Honky Tonk

The result is a 14-track collection that brings all of these characters together, creating a world of its own through the people, stories and unforgettable personalities Butts encounters in honky tonks.

That concept didn’t happen by accident. Butts grew up performing musical theater and says she channeled her love of Chicago into the creation of the album and its characters.

“One of my favorite musical theater shows is Chicago. And because I loved how in Chicago they don’t just break out into song. There’s a reason why she’s breaking out into song and it’s because she’s visualizing the characters around her and what their song would be in her musical act,” she explained. “And that’s kind of what I’m doing…just turning the spotlight to different corners of the room.”

Her love of theater helped shape her passion for performing, something she has felt drawn to since she was a little girl.

“I’ve always loved to be on stage since I was a little girl and love to make people laugh and cry, but I feel like there’s so much in common between country music and musical theater, like the humor and the storytelling that I see all these common themes within country music and musical theater. And so why not pull from those references when it’s like what made me?”

A Night Out in Nashville Inspired the Track “I Wanna Be Bad”

Whether she’s drawing from stories inspired by the people she’s met or experiences from her own life, honesty is the thread that ties the album together.

Butts revealed that her song “I Wanna Be Bad” was inspired by a much-needed night out at Nashville’s Skinny Dennis. After spending weeks focused on writing songs for the project, she found herself craving a break from what felt like a nine-to-five routine, something she wasn’t quite used to.

“That night I went out to Skinny Dennis and just got slung around all night and had so much fun..I really wanted to just write a song that felt like that night that I had where I was just like, ‘Just get me off of work. I’m drinking all of it. I’m drinking all the shots. I’m dancing with everybody that wants to dance with me.’…And that’s what that song is about.”

Butts Gets Personal on the Piano Ballad “What More Could You Want”

From letting loose at Skinny Dennis to getting vulnerable on a song that she says “means a lot to me,” Kaitlin shows another side of herself with “What More Could You Want.” The piano ballad offers an autobiographical look at life as a performer, capturing the push and pull of loving what you do while questioning how much more you have to give.

“I really wanted to have a moment on there where it’s me, the person that is standing up on stage by myself and just looking out at the audience… I really love this job, but it does take a lot out of you and it takes as much as it gives. And this huge tug and pull, love it, hate it some days, but the show always fuels you to the next one,” she told Country Now.

“It’s my favorite song I’ve written ever,” she added, noting that “it’s just a reflection of the industry. And I think how people, even if you’re not a singer or an artist, I feel like so many people feel like they’re constantly giving and they’re wondering is anything I do, will it ever be enough?”

Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley Are Among the Friends She Turns to for Advice

When Butts has days like those, she’s fortunate to have friends who understand the demands of the industry, including Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley, whom she can call for advice or words of wisdom.

“I always just try to, whenever I’m around them, try to absorb how they handle this world.”

She also turns to journaling to keep herself grounded amid the demands of her growing career and life on the road.

Butts Hopes Listeners Can See Themselves in the Stories Told Throughout the Album

Ultimately, Butts hopes the stories and characters woven throughout Hello, Honky Tonk will give listeners a chance to see a little bit of themselves in the music. 

“I feel like anyone can find themselves in it somewhere. And I feel like even if you aren’t an entertainer or things like that, I feel like everybody, no matter what bar they’ve been in, they’ve seen these people in this album or they’ve been this person, they’ve been the only person at the bar, they’ve been in love, they’ve been the girl that’s going to the bathroom to bitch about her man. You’ve been the person that is on the dance floor or even the foreigner that has never been to the country bar before, but they want to be included,” she went on to say. “I think people will find themselves in this album and at least I hope they do, but I’m really proud of it and I can’t wait for people to hear it.” 

Adopt A Dog

While all five puppies featured in the episode have found their forever homes, many other dogs are still waiting for families of their own.  Those interested in adopting should contact Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue, a foster-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in Middle Tennessee and run primarily by volunteers. Proverbs is fully dedicated to the care and well-being of every animal they rescue. To learn more or make a donation, click HERE.