Martie Maguire

“I am a really passive person to begin with so I have written a lot of pretty crappy songs with strangers because I let it go in a direction that I didn't feel it should have and I didn't know them well enough to speak up.”

“Costumes are great. That kind of effort tells the audience that the performer has taken the time to be the total package.”

“We used to be called the Dixie Chickens. Then we played at a barbecue place, and they had a sign saying, 'Featured Tonight: The Dixie Chickens,' and everybody started ordering it for dinner! So we shortened it.”

“Emmylou Harris is just the biggest influence of mine musically, her and Dolly Parton.”

“Ever since I was a little girl music was my escape and it was something that I did and was a huge part of me; aside from what my grades were in school. It was something that was truly mine.”

“Songwriting is such a personal thing and it's hard to be in a room with somebody you don't know and trust.”

“We want to make music, and we won't become jaded by the business aspect of what we do.”

“What I've learned and all of us have learned is: You can't force art, and there's no way you could force somebody to do something that they didn't want to do in this line of work.”

“You know, I think it's something I want to teach my children, to ask questions and not be afraid to disagree with people in power. Always question, scrutinize everything they do, because they are leading the country, and it's important to me. That is patriotic.”

“I didn't realize how polarized an industry like music can be.”

“Nothing is as important as standing up for what you believe in.”

“We've played music all our lives.”

“I think for a while, a lot of artists were doing great things that... were broadening the audience so that country was cool.”

“I connect better with music when I see the people singing it.”

“The Court Yard Hounds aren't a threat to the Dixie Chicks.”

“I think there's a lot of things that need to be changed in the business.”

“We've had a lot of controversy in our career, and it's never been intentional.”

“We didn't like the idea of Dixie Chick action figures. I mean that's just the kiss of death for a group. How could a hip teenager enjoy the Dixie Chicks while their little sister is playing with a Martie doll in the other room?”

“Lilith Fair was a great experience for us the first time we played it. We were... not a new band, but a new band as far as mainstream kind of airplay or success.”

“You get your time in the limelight but you don't know how long it's going to last. It's great, but you have to put up with a lot.”