Parker McCollum joins Today’s Country Radio for an interview with Kelleigh Bannen to talk about making his new album ‘Gold Chain Cowboy.’ The two discuss Parker’s penchant for writing unusual love songs and his independent spirit as an artist. This episode also debuts new music from Dierks Bentley, Mickey Guyton, Clay Walker, and Hailey Whitters and ERNEST. Listen to the full interview with Parker McCollum today at 5am LA / 7am Nashville / 8am NYC or anytime on-demand here.
Parker McCollum on writing “Wait Outside”
With that chorus of that song “Wait Outside,” I had that… I wrote that chorus five years ago probably. Four or five years ago. And I finished it with Jon Randall and Randy Rogers. I’d just been saving it for a long time and never really could… Never really loved it until Jon got his hands on it and Randy got his hands on it that I changed my mind. The record starts with that song talking about I will love you forever and ever. And then the last song on the record is, “I Wish I’d Never Loved You At All.” I don’t know how those made the top and the bottom but they did.
Parker on writing “To Be Loved By You” years ago while dating now fiancé Hallie Ray
I wrote it a while ago. Probably a couple of years ago by now and so she did inspire the song. I said out loud to somebody… Her and I were going at it at the time, and she was in Oklahoma and I was in Texas, and I would go on the road. I said out loud, “What does a man have to do to be loved by you?” Out of frustration. And my buddy Lane, who I was with, was like, ” I think you should write that down.” So I wrote a verse and a chorus, finished it with my buddy Rhett Akins, and that one too is on there. I lived them all for sure.
Parker on how things have changed since his early days touring in Texas
Nothing’s really changed. It still feels… I haven’t really changed my approach to this thing, and maybe that’s a good thing maybe that’s a bad thing. I don’t know. But since I started doing it, I mean it’s a lot different now, obviously, with buses, and crew, and all kinds of people showing up. But even when we had none of those things, I mean, I really approached it the same way. It never crosses my mind maybe that we’re… Excuse me. Maybe getting close to a big time. I don’t know. Maybe have a real shot at that one day. I don’t know. That’d be… I think about it all the time, but when I walk out on stage I mean, it’s just go out there and sing the songs that they want to hear. And it seems every night that we’ve ever done it it’s gotten a little bit better every night for five years so try to keep that going I guess.
Parker on when he first realized he wanted to pursue a career in country music
I saw Pat Green sell out the Houston Rodeo when I was 12 years old and I can remember that night so well. My brother was sneaking — he’s six years older than me — he was sneaking a beer behind my mom’s back the whole time. This is 80,000 people in Houston. Big-time Houston Rodeo. I saw Pat Green sell it out. I remember thinking that night… Just looking at what he was doing on stage and thinking to myself, “Why am I… Why did I like that so much? Why do I think I can do that?” At 12, I can remember having those thoughts. And then I mean, just thought about it literally every single day all day long since I was 12, about playing shows like that and being on stages like that.
