Parker McCollum joins Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen to talk about his new single “Stoned.” Kelleigh and Parker discuss sad songs, loving albums, and how Parker’s life has changed over the last year.
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Parker McCollum Reflects on His Success in 2022
It seems like everybody in the band and the crew realizes the opportunity that we have more than ever, and it’s just because everything’s grown so much so fast, and you can tell that throughout all of 2022, you could see just in everybody’s attitude and being excited about going to work every day, and maybe it’s even our families too. Everybody just kind of sees like, “Man, you all started this at the very beginning at the bottom in a pickup truck and now it’s this,” and seeing where it could possibly go is… I’ve seen that more this year than ever before.
Parker McCollum Tells Apple Music About Writing “Stoned”
I wrote the chorus early on in COVID and I never thought much of it. I just played it and it was in my mental vault for quite a while and it came around the time I was trying to write for this record and I was trying to get that side of me going again, and that was one of the first songs I think I wrote for the record, and I finished with my buddies Brett James and Mark Holman and they really were the ones who took it and they told me, they were like, “This is good enough to chase and don’t let this one fall to the wayside.” So, I’m glad that they said that.
Parker McCollum Tells Apple Music About Writing “Handle On You”
We wrote it and I was like, “Man, that’s a cool, old school country song.” And, then I went back and listened to it months later and I was like… Monty [Criswell] and I actually cut a demo on it, which I don’t do very often ever, and I went and cut a demo and I was listening to the demo and I was like, “I’ve never written a song that sounded like country radio to me, but that one sure does.” And, I think the label felt the same way. It was their favorite song that I’d cut at the time.
Parker McCollum Tells Apple Music About Enjoying the High During Big Moments
When I first started selling out shows, even the two, 3,000 person rooms around Texas, when we were selling them out and it was really going well for us really early, the high was so big until you’d wake up the next day and you just realize everybody that’s ever done this on any level is a normal person and you don’t ride off on a magic carpet afterwards and it’s all good and gravy. It’s just real life, and so one, I’ve learned to try to intentionally enjoy the night. And when we play big shows like the Houston Rodeo and stuff like that, “hey, slow it down and appreciate how many healthy, alive family members you have here,” and for big stuff, things like that.
Parker McCollum Tells Apple Music About Always Feeling the High with Wife Hallie Ray
[With] Hallie Ray, my wife, there is no comedown anymore with her. I think that’s what is missing in that early time is it’s just human nature, you want that connection and whatever. And, with Hallie Ray I have that, and so there is no comedown anymore with her. She’s that constant high. I know it sounds mushy and deep, but I’ve thought a lot about this. It’s funny that you ask and for a lot of years now, and since I’ve been with her and we’ve been as good as we’ve been, there is no come down.
Parker McCollum Tells Apple Music About New Music To Come
I honestly haven’t even thought of a title for the record, which is something that’s been bugging me a lot lately. I was wanting to name the whole tour next year after the record and they were announcing the tour. I’m like, “I have no idea, just call it the Spring Tour, the Summer Tour, and the Fall Tour.” I don’t know, I’ll be honest, I haven’t even sat down and listened through all the… I have two sets of track listings right now. This order of songs, I’m down to two, and I haven’t even sat down and listened to those two and felt what they feel like top to bottom.
