SHORT TAKES : Credit Goes to the Loud Mouth

Lead singer Paulette Carlson of the award-winning country music band Highway 101 says her booming voice has helped her career.

“People say what a loud voice I have,” she said in an interview published Saturday. “There’s no problem with singing a sassy song.”

She and fellow band members Jack Daniels, Cactus Moser and Curtis Stone have been voted group of the year for two straight years by both the Country Music Association in Nashville and the Academy of Country Music in Los Angeles.

Carlson said the awards help make up for the hard work the band has done.

“It’s always nice to have recognition from fans or from the music industry. You get out there and are working so much, you don’t realize if you are doing well.”

Their hit records include “The Bed,” “Cry, Cry, Cry” and “Somewhere Tonight.”