Natalie Maines was on Howard Sterns' show talking about the Dixie Chicks and although she still considers herself IN the band, she didn't sound very positive about their future together.

When Howard introduced her as "formerly of the Dixie Chicks", she corrected him. She said, "I'm still in the Dixie Chicks, we haven't broken up. I love the Dixie Chicks...it's the most fun I've ever had in my life. It was like winning the lottery."

But later she said, "I just don't feel like it's the Dixie Chicks' time. I feel like things were tainted permanently." Obviously, she's talking about how the country community abandoned them after she dissed President Bush in 2003.

The Dixie Chicks' last tour had lousy ticket sales and that sealed the deal for her. She said, quote, "I naively thought those same people would come again. It was not good.

"Our biggest fan base was a country audience, and they weren't there. I don't trust it anymore. I don't want to put my fate in country music fans, I'm too stubborn."

Natalie's solo album "Mother" is due out May 7th.  And the Dixie Chicks ARE reuniting for two music festivals this summer in Canada, but Natalie is on record saying she didn't want to do the shows.

Here's the full interview:

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