Kaitlin Butts Taps Iconic Honky-Tonks Around the World to Unveil ‘Hello, Honky Tonk’ Track List

“Honky tonks are where these stories live, so who better to tell you what’s coming?”

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

October 9, 2026

11:55 am

Kaitlin Butts; Photo by Thomas Crabtree

With her new album, Hello, Honky Tonk, on the horizon, Kaitlin Butts found the perfect way to reveal the track list: by turning to honky-tonks to help her spread the word.

The Tulsa-born singer-songwriter enlisted honky-tonks from around the world to help unveil the track listing for her fourth studio album, which is set to arrive October 30.

Since Monday, honky-tonks and legendary music venues have been revealing a new song from Butts’ upcoming album each day, giving fans a unique way to discover the track list. The weeklong rollout has reached venues across the U.S. and beyond, from Nashville and Tulsa to Texas, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Sydney and London, unveiling all 14 songs along the way.

After a week of daily reveals, the full list of participating honky-tonks and music venues includes stops across the U.S. and abroad: Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, Texas; Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee; Luckenbach Texas in Luckenbach, Texas; Showboat Saloon in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; Jolene’s in Sydney, Australia; Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson, Wyoming; Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; John T. Floore’s Country Store in Helotes, Texas; Skinny Dennis in Nashville, Tennessee; Harry’s Northgate in College Station, Texas; Duke’s of Highgate in London, England; Brewster Street in Corpus Christi, Texas; and The Newberry in Great Falls, Montana.

“Hello, Honky Tonk is really a world of its own,” Butts shared. “There are all these characters and stories and little moments happening inside of it, so I thought it would be fun to let the places that inspired that world introduce the songs. Honky tonks are where these stories live, so who better to tell you what’s coming?”

Hello, Honky Tonk is a love letter to the honky-tonks and nightlife that have shaped Kaitlin Butts’ life and career, becoming a big part of her journey on the road. Recorded in Nashville with producer Tofer Brown (Carter Faith, Willow Avalon, Little Big Town), the album brings to life a honky-tonk filled with colorful characters listeners might recognize from the dance floor, behind the bar or tucked away in a corner booth.

Partly inspired by the vaudeville-style scenes in Chicago and Disney World’s Country Bear Musical Jamboree, Butts imagined Hello, Honky Tonk as a place where all of these characters could come together.

“The thought behind the concept was how in Chicago, the character Roxie Hart is dreaming up what her show would look like and all the people in it,” Butts explained. “I picture all of this happening at Skinny Dennis here in Nashville. These are all the different people in the room. There’s the bar fight that’s happening. There’s the bad girl that just got off work. There’s me being the entertainer. There are so many people that really love the nightlife. It’s a connector for people.”

HELLO, HONKY TONK: TRACK LISTING

Introducing: Hello Honky Tonk (Kaitlin Butts)
I Wanna Be Bad (Kaitlin Butts, Natalie Hemby)
The Bartender (Kaitlin Butts, Tofer Brown, Natalie Hemby)
Never Really Mine (Kaitlin Butts, Lola Kirke, Maggie Antone)
I Make Cowboys Cry (Kaitlin Butts, Shane McAnally)
The Joker (Kaitlin Butts, Jessie Jo Dillon, Sasha Alex Sloan)
Everybody Wanna Sing a Country Song (Kaitlin Butts, Tofer Brown, Luke White)
What More Could You Want (Kaitlin Butts, Tofer Brown, Natalie Hemby)
Still Got It (Kaitlin Butts)
Crazy I Can Be (Kaitlin Butts, Tofer Brown, Lauren Hungate)
That Makes One Of Us (Kaitlin Butts, Lori McKenna)
Hell I Don’t Know ( Kaitlin Butts, Natalie Hemby, Luke Dick)
Bacon Naked (Take It From Me) (Kaitlin Butts, Natalie Hemby)
Midnight I’ll Always Be Yours (Kaitlin Butts, Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall)

The track list reveal follows the release of three songs from the album: “What More Could You Want,” “I Wanna Be Bad” and “Never Really Mine.”

Butts will celebrate the release of Hello, Honky Tonk with her Hello, Honky Tonk Live and In Person Tour, which kicks off October 29 at Nashville’s Skinny Dennis. The show sold out in just four hours, with additional tour stops planned across Texas and Oklahoma in December.

HELLO, HONKY TONK LIVE AND IN PERSON TOUR DATES

Oct. 29 — Nashville, TN — Skinny Dennis SOLD OUT

Dec. 10 — College Station, TX — Harry’s Northgate

Dec. 11 — Helotes, TX — Floore’s Country Store

Dec. 12 — Corpus Christi, TX — Brewster Street Ice House

Dec. 17 — Oklahoma City, OK — Tower Theatre

Dec. 18 — Fort Worth, TX — Billy Bob’s Texas

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.