In 2006, three years after The Chicks became marred in controversy following Natalie Maines' remarks that she was ashamed to be from the same state as then-U.S. president George W. Bush, the band released the Grammy-winning Taking the Long Way. The album, which bravely addressed the vitriol the band had faced throughout the previous years, proved that while country radio may have turned its back on the trio, their fan base was stronger than ever — and remains so to this day.
One of those fans was Run Katie Run's Kate Coleman, who says the album's opening track "The Long Way Around" described her own life goals and pushed her to be fearless in the pursuit of her dreams.
"They did what any artist would do — they went in the studio and they used that frustration and hurt and anger and put it in music," Coleman tells Wide Open Country. "'It was produced by Rick Rubin so it had a lot more rock in it than just country or bluegrass like they were used to doing. I absolutely loved how it sounded, which is the first thing I remember when I heard it — just how different it sounded. Then Natalie starts singing, saying that her friends from high school, they're living in their hometowns and how she just does things a little differently. And that's not gonna be her way. That really spoke to me. Since I can remember, I just knew I wanted something more. I wanted to see the world and I wanted to do something different with my life. I just felt like it was kind of written for me."
Run Katie Run released their first full-length album, Cowboy Boots With Fishnet Tights, in April. The band formed after Kate and her husband Corey joined forces with Stephen Quinn (bass), Adam Pendlington (guitar, banjo) and Ian Pendlington (drums), who previously played in the band Highbeams.
"It's not lost on me how grateful I have to be for this group," Coleman says. "You hear such tragic stories about bands not working out because they just can't interpersonally get it together, and I am so unbelievably grateful for these guys. We are friends first and a band second, and I think that's why it keeps staying good because that's more important than anything."
