Kaitlin Butts Performs ‘Wild Juanita's Cactus Juice’ During Holler Nashville Session Presented by Montucky Cold Snacks

Kaitlin Butts has performed a stellar trio of stand-out tracks from her latest album, Roadrunner!, as part of her Holler Nashville Session, presented by Montucky Cold Snacks.

Kaitlin Butts’ impressive three-song showcase is led by the tongue-in-cheek, swaggering ‘Wild Juanita's Cactus Juice’, a wonderfully jaunty ode to a mysterious, intoxicating elixir that you can find “Somewhere south of rural route three”.

It plays like an old-timey, Western jingle that a rancher would hear filtering across the radio of his beat-up Mustang, with Butts delivering the track with a twinkle in her eye.

The new acoustic version serves as a more intimate, sparse rendition of ‘Wild Juanita's Cactus Juice’, allowing the focus to fall on the intricate lyrics and overarching narrative.

‘That'll Never Be Me’, another highlight from Roadrunner!, finds the ‘How Lucky Am I’ singer-songwriter proudly and defiantly resolving to stay true to herself, rather than attempting to fit into a mould someone else has made for her (“I ain’t gonna think before I speak / If you wanting someone mild and meek / Baby, that’ll never be me”).

While the built-out instrumental of the studio version of ‘That'll Never Be Me’ gives the track a more self-assured ambience, this acoustic rendition peels back the layers and reveals a powerful vulnerability. Although it remains a rallying battle-cry, this take on ‘That'll Never Be Me’ at times feels more like a heartfelt plea to be appreciated. It's a new dimension that accentuates the depth of Butts’ songwriting.

Kaitlin Butts introduces the last of the three tracks, ‘You Ain't Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me)’, with an explanation as to how the title came about, “I think that could be a motto for anyone that you just don't want to be around, and you don't have to cause violence or do anything terrible, but you can just pretend that they don't exist”.

Accompanied by the yearning cry of the violin and the warm strum of the acoustic guitar, ‘You Ain't Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me)’ is undoubtedly the most enchantingly light-hearted, despite tackling the topic of cutting ties with someone you once loved.

Peppered with laugh-out-loud asides, this rendition of ‘You Ain't Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me)’ brings a whole new level of playfulness to the track, with Kaitlin Butts following up the lines “So here is your first and final warning / There won't be no car wrecks or rat poisoning” with the ad-lib, “Although I've thought about it!”

‘Wild Juanita's Cactus Juice’, ‘That'll Never Be Me’ and ‘You Ain't Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me)’ all appear on Kaitlin Butts’ much-loved album, Roadrunner!, which dropped in June.

The project is a reinvention of the hugely popular musical, Oklahoma!, with Kaitlin Butts delivering a unique concept album that consolidates her place at the forefront of the alt-country scene. The Oklahoma native has a run of shows lined up throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California and more throughout early November.

Kaitlin Butts’ newly unveiled Holler Nashville Session, which is presented by Montucky Cold Snacks, was recorded at Nashville's iconic Riverside Revival venue during the summer.

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