Rock the Plains Backstage: My Interview with Kaitlin Butts

By Kristina – FlyOver Country 97.9/NWKS Radio

NWKS Radio's Kristina with Kaitlin Butts

Rock the Plains was hot -- like sunscreen-mixed-with-dirt hot-- but the music was worth every sweaty second. And one of the artists I was most excited to talk to was the incredibly talented (and wonderfully real) Kaitlin Butts.

I found her behind the stage, hanging out by her van with a trailer on the back. She’d just come off stage after an amazing set and was surrounded by family from Kansas who’d come to see her, her husband Cleto Cordero (lead singer of Flatland Calvary), and their dog Hank — who was laying on his back in Cleto’s arms like a baby.

When I walked up and saw Cleto, my brain short-circuited, and I blurted out, “Hey, I know you!” like some starstruck fan. Thankfully, they both laughed, and Kaitlin was gracious when I asked if she’d be up for an interview. Her response? “Of course... how about now?”

We stepped away from the group and got to talking.

She told me how much she loved the energy from the Rock the Plains crowd - even in the blazing afternoon heat. “When people are standing out there, yelling and hollering from the very back, it makes all the travel worth it,” she said. She did joke, though, that black might have been the wrong choice for stage wear in that heat (though she also pointed out that black hides sweat stains - smart thinking).

Kaitlin shared that she was excited to see her friend Jenna Paulette and that Randy Rogers is her all-time favorite. She also let me in on some exciting news .... she’s opening for Lainey Wilson for the next three weeks. “I try to turn the nerves into excitement,” she said. “That’s the only way I trick myself.”

What struck me most was her honesty about the ups and downs of the music business. A year ago, right before releasing her album Road Runner, she admitted she almost threw in the towel after a string of not-so-great shows. But once the album dropped, opportunities started rolling in.

Of course, we talked about her viral hit, “You Ain’t Gotta Die to Be Dead to Me”, and the double-edged sword of sudden online attention. While the song’s message of standing up for yourself resonated with thousands, it also brought plenty of scrutiny from people who didn’t like what she had to say. “Some days, it’s hard not to hear those voices,” she admitted. “But I know what my message is - and if you don’t like it, that’s okay.”

We wrapped the interview with a laugh when she took charge of our selfie, saying, “Selfies are basically my job.”

I’ll be catching Kaitlin again this weekend in Denver as she opens for Lainey Wilson - and I can’t wait to see her on that big stage.

You can hear Kaitlin Butts on FlyOver Country 97.9 ... and trust me, you should.