I’m country through and through.

I was a big shiny, glittery-type person. Now I’m a jeans and T-shirt girl, or I’ll wear sun dresses and cowboy boots in the summer. But at first I had to have stylists tell me,...

When I’m touring, I have to think of workouts that don’t require a gym.

I’m an outdoors girl – I like to go fishing, riding four-wheelers, hunting.

I also have a different, softer side, and I want for people to hear that.

I don’t want to get pigeonholed.

I’ve dated all kinds of guys and didn’t know who I’d end up with. But I kind of assumed it would be someone more like my dad than not.

I’m really fortunate because, in my career, I haven’t had to deal with anybody trying to make me something I’m not.

I’m wide open and raw emotionally to the crowd.

In my everyday life, I’m pretty normal.

People see me as someone who doesn’t take any crap from anyone – which I don’t – but it’s my shtick, and I obviously don’t act like that all the time.

I like to write with people I have a relationship with; otherwise it’s kind of scary, and you hold back because you don’t want to pour your guts out to someone you never met.

My music is about being strong, even in your vulnerability.

I did surveillance a lot, which sounds exciting, but it never was.

I had to work at everything.

My shows are always a mix of songs from all my albums with some rocking covers thrown in for fun.

I’ve been on big tours ever since I started, but you can’t just go out there and headline, you have to do it right.

In a way, I had such a normal life. But in another way, I saw things most kids don’t see.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it this brokenness inside me might start healing. Out here its like I’m someone else, I thought that maybe I could find myself if I...

It’s important I deliver a great show and a good time.

You have a career, and you start as a business person. And you work your way, you reach this peak, and you know the time’s going to come when you go back down.

There’s been a shift: Country music is popular music now. Every other genre wants to come over to our land.

I didn’t go to parties or anything like that.

I have a pretty good ear.

The road is hard, and you have to get accustomed to it.

If you’re not polarizing, you failed, in my opinion.

Music was the first thing I did where I was naturally talented.

Falling in love is awesome, but I’m never drawn to happy songs per se, so whenever you sit down to write a heartbreak song and you’re happily in love, it’s like, ‘OK, now I have...

Right now it seems like the girls are drawing more attention to country music.

I wanted to be heard, not seen. That’s how it all started.

Really skinny actresses make me hungry – I see them and think, Honey, you need to eat!

I don’t really like vegetables. But I’ll eat them.

I love country music.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my first two albums a lot.

Instead of going to college, I spent my time out on the road learning how to be a better musician.

My parents are private investigators for God’s sake.

I really think that being yourself, being original, being outside the box is starting to be appealing to people.

Yeah, I have a tough-girl image.

I do appreciate every single dollar I earn.

I feel like I’ve started to grow up and be more of a woman instead of this crazy girl.

I feel like I am one of those artists that, thank god, can sing live.

I love cover songs, but I always mess up the words!

I hope my music sets up the platform for me to be able to do lots of things – to have a cowboy-boot line, maybe, or do a perfume or makeup deal.

It’s OK to have a little bit of curve.

My parents live right down the street from the house I grew up in.

Junk food drags you down.

I kicked the door open, and I’m gonna hold my leg in there. I’m keeping the door open for all these amazing female singer-songwriters that are coming out.

I can reach the mass audience if I come from different perspectives on every song.

After trying Atkins and doing Nutrisystem a few times, now I’m just focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle rather than dieting.

I got my first handgun license when I was 22.