Carlene Carter Bringing Her ‘Little Love Letters’ to Ventura : Appearance will kick off the well-known singer’s tour to promote her latest album.

The Ventura Concert Theatre should be movin’ and a-shakin’ Saturday night when Carlene Carter, 1991 Academy of Country Music best female vocalist nominee, brings her infectious rock-a-billy sound to the stage.

Following the success of her first solo country album, “I Fell in Love,” in 1990, Carter’s debut appearance in Ventura County will kick off her tour for “Little Love Letters,” produced by Howie Epstein (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) on the Giant label.

Carter wrote or collaborated on all but “Unbreakable Heart” on this record, which has generated several hit singles. But this “overnight success” is the hard-won result of a recording career that began in the ‘70s, and was seasoned by a teen-age marriage, motherhood and an apprenticeship in the 1980s British progressive country-rock scene.

The 37-year-old singer and third-generation member of the legendary Carter family has augmented her reputation as a fashion plate with new respect as a songwriter. And Carter and country have finally met in the middle.

Here’s part of what we discussed when Carter called me from her home in Los Angeles last week.

With your mountain music heritage, why the delay in returning to those musical roots?

There’s an energy level in my records, which women in country were always supposed to shy away from. And I’ve always enjoyed performing because I had the freedom to portray a song the way I feel. And I couldn’t be one of these ladies who stood still in the middle of the stage behind the microphone wearing a high-necked granny dress and singin’ about how her man had left her and she was never gonna get over it. I never believed that--you can get over it. And it took country a long time to come around to my way of thinking--that girls can have fun too. That’s why I can be feisty on stage. We basically can hold our own with men in the performance arena.

You said that seeing K. T. Oslin perform in Nashville had a lot to do with your decision to pursue a country career. Explain.

She had such a handle on women. I thought, “I can understand that and write about that.” Maybe there is a place for me in this. So I hooked up with Howie to collaborate on songs and to try to get a record deal together. We were the perfect pairing. He knew how to get me across on recordings as I really was.

Regardless of the collaboration, you said the message in the lyrics comes from you. How does that apply to the new album, which has been called a “quintessential country-rock love album?”

Most of “Little Love Letters” is a roller-coaster of emotion. You’re over-the-top happy or a little peeved at your sweetheart and trying to straighten him up. Or it deals with the ending of past relationships--not what is happening now, because I’m really happy. But you can’t write a whole album about how happy you are.

Do you think that your style has helped to attract younger listeners and a wider audience to country?

I like to think so. But I do what pleases myself and hopefully it’s gonna please everyone else. Radios like what I do. But sometimes there is resistance that it’s too “pop.”

Well, you do seem to enjoy projecting a contrary, in-your-face image in everything from your clothes to music.

I’ve been wearing the same things since the ‘60s. I always liked the miniskirt routine and I never wavered. Even when people said, “That’s not in,” I felt comfortable in that and I looked at it as my uniform. Now I’ve got a lot of young fans--5-year-olds whose parents show up at my concerts with little girls dressed like me and with their hair done like mine. I love it.

But I’d actually like to be on “Sesame Street” because I love kids. And ‘cuz everyone who’s been on it is really a huge star. Then I’d think I’ve finally arrived.

As a singer-songwriter-musician, which aspect of the business do you enjoy the most?

It varies from day to day. I enjoy the writing because it gives me something to perform. I like performing because I get to do my songs. One thing I love about performing is I can see the reactions on people’s faces. And I can tell if I’m doing my job right.

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FYI: If you were dancing at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Malibu in April, you may catch yourself on television tonight at 10. That’s when MTV is scheduled to rebroadcast the episode of “The Real World II,” containing the performance of 19-year-old cast member Jon Brennan during the club’s amateur vocalist contest. The footage also shows local singer Sarah Pierce and her band, the Healers, who were backing up the contestants.

Details

* WHAT: Carlene Carter in concert with opening band Spaghetti Western.

* WHERE: Ventura Concert Theatre, 26 S. Chestnut St.

* WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday.

* COST: $18.50.

* ETC: Call 648-1888.