One of the most heartening stories of the year is the rise to success of Kaitlin Butts. After going viral with her song You Ain’t Gotta Die (to be Dead to Me) she got the support slot on Lainey Wilson’s tour and subsequently signed a major record label deal.
Kaitlin has the wry humour of Kacey Musgraves, the traditional country sound of the moment but also the vivacious personality of a pop performer. Kaitlin’s style is irreverent, inventive and original. She’s got what it takes to be a mainstream star and hopefully she can do it on her own terms.
The release of ‘Yeehaw Sessions’ is a nice way to cap off her year. The EP is a collection of covers, all of which she has previously shared online and performed live. Another refreshing thing about Kaitlin is how she uses her socials so well, she has so many great ideas for content it’s like watching a theatre kid in her element.
The E.P starts with the recent Chappell Roan pop smash ‘Red Wine Supernova’ sung with gusto and good humour. Kaitlin never takes herself too seriously and that just makes listening to her so refreshing. By covering pop songs online she may have been gaming the algorithm but it felt natural, organic and more importantly fun.
The two country covers are ‘Tulsa Time’ which sounds fantastic, perfectly arranged for her voice but it’s her version of ‘Sin Wagon’ which is a total barnstormer. Considering the state of country music right now and how many artists seem to be aligning themselves with the right wing anyone covering the Chicks is an immediate green flag to me. Plus this one is a fiercely feminist anthem too. How can you not just love her?
Final cover ‘The Middle’ shows a softer, more contemplative side to her personality. This one feels more affecting emotionally when contrasted with the rest of the songs on here, which are more in your face. Caroline Spence did a similar style cover of this song before and it works so well sung in the female voice. A nice reminder of the power of a classic cover to bring a song to a new audience and genre.
The other song on the Yeehaw EP is a re-recorded version of her breakout song ‘You Ain’t Gotta Die (to be Dead to Me)’. This song is one of the most enjoyable feminist anthems I’ve heard in country music for years. Truly phenomenal lyrical work, with the catchiest hook. This EP version has a more raw sound, more like the live version. Honestly I do prefer the original version and in the age of streaming this re-record feels a little unnecessary….and yet I’m happy to hear this song any day of the week. Let’s hope she can bottle all of the personality, pizzazz and power of this song into her next album because we need someone like Kaitlin on the country charts.
Kaitlin has recently announced a UK tour with tickets on sale tomorrow. She is only going to be on the up and up so grab them while you can! Yeehaw!
Highway Queens 
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