Up-and-Coming Singer Kaitlin Butts on Miranda Lambert’s Influence, Life on the Road & More [Interview]

Kaitlin Butts is a bundle of energy and your new best friend.

A tremendous talent you need to see now, she's a star lighting up as we speak. She's an artist, musician and songwriter -- and that's how she wants to be known.

Kaitlin called in to chat with me ahead of her big opening performance at the 2016 JAB Fest in Lubbock, Texas. According to the singer, her most important influences have been Miranda Lambert and The Dixie Chicks, as well as Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton. But especially Miranda Lambert.

"I loved Miranda Lambert when I started out," she said, joking that when she started out her band members would joke that they had to play "something other than Miranda Lambert covers."

As she looked into Lambert's music more, she discovered that the country superstar often collaborates with other musicians, including Texas country musicians and long-time songwriters. That discovery helped the singer open up to musicians like Merle Haggard and Hank Williams and have a greater appreciation for older country music. This has helped Kaitlin's originality and she writes most of her music.

Kaitlin also explained how she looks up to Seattle-based singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile and said Carlile is her "goal artist." Someone who is known for writing good music.

"I don't care about being a huge artist that everyone knows about in magazines and all that kind of stuff," Kaitlin said. "I just want to be known as just a good performer and a good songwriter, and that's what she is."

But the talk of many (on social media at least) is Kaitlin's solid romance with Cleto Cordero of Flatland Cavalry. It came about after he sought out her voice for the powerful duet on "A Life Where We Work Out." With Flatland Cavalry also set to play JAB Fest, we're definitely crossing our fingers for the couple to woo Lubbock with a live version of the song.

JAB Fest is Saturday, October 1 at the Lonestar Amphitheater. Gates open at 4 p.m., and Kaitlin Butts kicks off the show at 5 p.m. Make sure to get there early to catch this firecracker and a breath of fresh air for country music.

JAB Fest 2016 also features Casey Donahew, Mark Chesnutt, Mike Ryan, Flatland Cavalry and, of course, the Josh Abbott Band!

Hear more from our fun interview with Kaitlin Butts below.