Kellie Pickler comes to Baton Rouge Nov. 22 – The country singer discusses new album The Woman I Am

These days, Kellie Pickler is quick to turn the conversation to her idols Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.

“They’re strong, tough female country singers,” Pickler says. “I admire them and love their music. They are a true, living example of being able to turn nothing into something. They represent strong women, getting out there and putting their stamp on the world.”

Pickler, who will perform live at The Lawn at L’Auberge Casino & Hotel with Robert Earl Keen Friday, Nov. 22, is a former American Idol contestant and recent Dancing with the Stars champion.

To date, she has released four albums. She continues to show her roots in traditional country with the November release The Woman I Am, a continuation of the down-home sound she showed on 2012’s critically-acclaimed 100 Proof.

The new album isn’t unlike the work of the legendary female country artists she loves and continues to enjoy. Like those singers before her, Pickler has no problem telling it how it is, especially when talking about modern country music.

“I can only speak for myself when I say that I genuinely came into this format as a fan of country music,” she says. “Today’s country music is of course a lot different than what I grew up on. But, it’s always going to change. It’s been changing for years and years. There’s room for all of it. Not everybody likes their coffee the same way. I like mine straight up. A lot of people like to doctor theirs up with cream and sugar. I’m a straight shooter.”

For Pickler, she always goes back to those old-time female singers because their songs and voices are real.

“When I hear Tammy [Wynette] sing ‘Fall to Pieces,’ I believe her,” she says. “There’s nothing manufactured about it. It’s honest and raw. I can hear a tear in her voice. It’s not doctored up. There’s nothing manufactured about it. I love that traditional sound because of the simplicity of the lyrics and how cleverly they’re written. Their life was a country song. There are stories behind the songs. That’s what makes country songs special.”

Pickler’s early career was a bit of a country song, too. She has no trouble pointing out her naivety in musical decisions after her American Idol appearance, recording with a slew of producers and songwriters and taking a self-titled detour into pop music on her sophomore album. These days, however, she says she’s found her place.

“I had to grow up in front of everyone and go from teenager to young woman like that,” she says. “While I was growing up, I still had to juggle my personal life and had to find that balance. I’ve known what I want to say, what I want to sing and who I am. It just takes a while to find the right team of people for you.”

In the beginning, Pickler says she had a team of “yes men,” and she wasn’t being herself. Now, she finds it easier to be herself on and off stage.

“I’m singing songs that I love and believe in,” she says. “I don’t need another full-time job. When you have to put on a mask, that’ll wear you out.”

At this point, she takes another cue from Parton.

“Early on in her career, Dolly used to get the whole dumb blonde thing attached to her,” Pickler says. “Then, she would say, ‘Well, I know I’m not dumb, and I know I’m not blonde.’ She always turned things around in her favor, and that was one of her biggest assets. If I make an ass out of myself, I will. I know who I am. I know I’m not dumb. Sometimes, it’s not a bad thing to be underestimated, either. It can give you a head start when they’re not paying you any mind.”

Tickets for Pickler’s show are $45 and available online. The gates open at 7 p.m. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. For more information, click here.