How Parker McCollum 'Pushed, Challenged' Himself In 'Authentic' New Chapter

Parker McCollum is “at his most authentic and artistically unhindered” in the newest chapter in his career.

The Texas-born country star delivered his self-titled fifth studio record on Friday (June 27). Frank Lidell and Eric Masse teamed up to produce PARKER MCCOLLUM, which “pushed McCollum to create with a depth and at a pace that challenged him to be at his absolute best,” reads a press release announcing the album’s debut. McCollum recorded the 14-track project at the famed Power Station in New York City over the course of seven days. PARKER MCCOLLUM includes previously-released anthems “What Kinda Man,” “Hope That I’m Enough,” and “Killin’ Me” — the final song to release before the full record’s arrival — among others.

“I was at my ranch here in Texas, and I was with a buddy of mine, Randy Rogers, and Monty Criswell. Monty’s who I wrote ‘Handle On You’ with,” McCollum said of the story behind “Killin’ Me” in a recent interview with iHeartCountry. “We were actually in the middle of writing another song, and I just started kind of playing this melody on guitar and instantly fell in love with it.

“(I) kind of stopped everybody, what we were doing, and I was like, ‘we gotta write this song right now.’ And just kind of started spitting lines out and making stuff up, and just figuring out what, you know, is it a love song? ...What message is this melody supposed to deliver?” McCollum recalled. “And, you know, about 30 minutes later, we had ‘Killin’ Me.’ And then, I didn’t really think much about the song until we were in the studio and we started playing it. And it just felt so good and everybody in the studio and in the band just instantaneously knew what that song — where it was supposed to go and what it was supposed to sound like and feel like. …I think just, not really trying to do anything special and just singing the song really served this one well.”

1. “My Blue” (Parker McCollum, Scooter Carusoe)

2. “Big Sky” (Parker McCollum, Charlie Magnone, Jarrod Morris)

3. “Solid Country Gold” (Parker McCollum, Jon Randall, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)

4. “Watch Me Bleed” (Parker McCollum, Lori McKenna, Mat Kearney)

5. “Killin' Me” (Parker McCollum, Monty Criswell, Randy Rogers)

6. “Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues” featuring Cody Johnson (Danny O’Keefe)

7. “Sunny Days” (Parker McCollum, Tony Lane, Lee Miller, Randy Montana)

8. “Permanent Headphones” (Parker McCollum)

9. “New York Is On Fire” (Parker McCollum, Nick Bockrath, Adam Wright)

10. “Come On” (Parker McCollum, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose)

11. “What Kinda Man” (Parker McCollum, Natalie Hemby, Jeremy Spillman)

12. “Hope That I'm Enough” (Parker McCollum, Jessi Alexander, Matt Jenkins)

13. “Enough Rope” (Chris Knight, Austin Cunningham)

14. “My Worst Enemy” (Parker McCollum, Wade Bowen)

“I try, honestly, not to describe it and just let it live, and let it exist, and let it hit people however it does. And hopefully, it finds them at the right time and hits them in the right place,” McCollum said in the interview with iHeartCountry, which took place shortly before he surprised unsuspecting fans by working a shift at a Raising Cane’s in Austin, Texas (plus a VIP listening event that included a few unreleased songs). “But it just feels like, you know, the record I always wondered if I was good enough to make. In my eyes, it’s probably the best I’m ever gonna get. It’s probably as good as I’m gonna get. It’s probably the best I’m ever gonna do. And I’ve never made anything that made me feel that way, so that’s good and bad, but it’s good for right now. …I think there’s some Easter eggs in there. I think there’s some things that’ll make people excited if they listen to it. I think they’ll be happy with it, hopefully.”

The album, for example, includes a song McCollum wrote at 15 years old (“Permanent Headphones”), covering “Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues” by Danny O’Keefe with fellow Texas-born superstar Cody Johnson, a “dark storytelling” song (“My Blue”) and more, notes the press release issued Friday morning.

PARMER MCCOLLUM marks the singer-songwriter’s first record since he and his wife, Hallie Ray Light McCollum, welcomed Baby No. 1. Their son, Major Yancey Tyler McCollum, was born on August 8, 2024. McCollum said while speaking about his new chapter in a press conference at Raising Cane’s that “becoming a dad has been wild and the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” He also shared that Major’s first word was “Dada.” McCollum said fatherhood has “been the best thing ever” as he balances time with his family, recording an album and touring for the first time. McCollum is currently on his headlining tour with Ashley Cooke, Corey Smith, Hudson Westbrook, Kameron Marlowe, Laci Kaye Booth and Vincent Mason.

“I’m very self-reflective and super honest with myself and I try not to do anything inauthentic,” McCollum added in a statement. “I let it rip when I’m in the studio and try not to worry about things, but I was out of ideas for a while and this album became one of the best I’ve ever done. I wanted to feel the buzz of making music and this album made me feel that again. The whole process was grueling, we recorded over the course of seven days in NYC and it reminded me why I love making music. As a songwriter, that’s the greatest feeling, especially after wondering if I had lost that buzz. This album is the best that it’s ever going to get for me. …We recorded it in October and I’m ready for people to hear it. I want them to listen to it top to bottom and really take it in. It’s interesting because this is the first album that I don’t really care if people like it or not because I love it so much. I want them to like it, but I’m totally OK if they aren’t connected to it because this album represents so much for me.

“I don’t know if I really draw inspiration from anywhere,” he told iHeartCountry. “I kind of just — I feel like it’s all very self-reflective and just kind of being super honest with myself, and it’s kind of an easy way out of the question, but it’s really true. You know, just not trying to do anything other than whatever the hell it is that I do…however it is that I do sound like, and just letting that happen, exist, and kind of letting it rip whenever you get int he studio and stop worrying about it so much. …I really feel like I was able to just kind of stop giving a damn and be myself on a record…It worked better than anything else I’ve ever done.”