Let’s Do This: Kaitlin Butts to Release New Album “Hello, Honky Tonk”

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photo: Thomas Crabtree


Sorry Halloween, but you’re gonna have to play second fiddle to the release of a new Kaitlin Butts record in 2026. Coming at you like a bowl full of treats on October 30th, Kaitlin will unleash her latest record Hello, Honky Tonk, which will be her first on a major label in the form of Republic Records.

But don’t get spooked this means this Red Dirt Queen from Tulsa is selling out. All indications are this thing will continue to be the type of killer Kaitlin Butts country we’ve been accustomed to, meaning kick ass, twangy, but unafraid to have a little fun. Oh, and don’t be surprised if some cheating ex-beaus get executed and thrown in the river or buried in the backyard along the way. There might be a reason the new record’s being released on Halloween eve.

Similar to how Kaitlin’s last album Roadrunner! was inspired by the theatrical production of Oklahoma!, the new album Hello, Honky Tonk is said to take inspiration from the film version of Chicago. Butts says she was also inspired in part by Country Bear Jamboree from the Disney universe, which like so many young people, was Kaitlin’s first real interaction with country music.

But of course, you better not expect the Red Headed Strangler to keep the material safe for G audiences. Her debut song from the album released in May called “Never Really Mine” would already graduate it to Parental Guidance Suggested, and the upcoming song “I Wanna Bed Bad” to be released on Friday, August 14th might make it to PG-13. But that’s what you love about Kaitlin Butts. She likes to walk the edge on the wild side of country.


“With every song, I saw a character in a honky tonk,” says Butts about the new album. “I’ve always loved the film version of Chicago and the way the musical numbers are presented almost like these little vaudeville vignettes, where you get to step into a character’s mind for a few minutes. I wanted to bring some of that feeling into a honky tonk and create this whole cast of characters that you might run into on a night out.”

The album comes at a time when the profile of Kaitlin Butts is rapidly rising. Having opened shows for the massively-surging Ella Langley, Kaitlin played the villain in the video for what is quickly becoming the biggest song in country history, “Choosin’ Texas.” Kaitlin’s now been cast as a headliner at multiple festivals, including the Jackalope Jamboree out West, and Mile 0 Fest in Key West, FL.

Those in Texas and Oklahoma have been singing Katilin’s praises until they’re hoarse for a decade now. Hello, Honky Tonk might be the moment the rest of the world wakes up to the songwriting talent, howitzer voice, and entertainment value of this emerging country star.

There’s no track list for Hello, Honky Tonk just yet (coming soon), but we know it’s a 15-song album, and that it’s available for both pre-order and pre-save now.

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