Parker McCollum could also be a family identify in nation music now, however his coronary heart nonetheless beats with the uncooked ambition of a small-town child chasing a dream, and a field combo from Elevating Cane’s.
In a latest sit-down, the Texas native opened up about what retains his ardour alive after practically 20 years within the trade and the way a quick meals chain turned a full-circle second in his profession.
Along with chatting about Cane’s, Parker McCollum wasn’t shy about his dream collab, calling one pop icon the “straightforward reply” all whereas teasing a secret venture that is nonetheless beneath wraps.
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Parker McCollum Names Taylor Swift As Dream Collab
When The Blast requested about dream collaborators, McCollum did not hesitate.
“Taylor Swift,” he stated earlier than we even completed the query. Along with Swift, there are a number of different icons he would like to work with. “George Strait, Dolly Parton. I acquired to do a music with Tim McGraw earlier this 12 months, which is de facto cool. I have been a fan of him perpetually,” McCollum added.
He even teased a secret collab within the works, telling The Blast, “There’s one popping out. I am unable to say, however I do not suppose it is introduced but.”
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Rediscovering His Spark
However behind the star-studded aspirations lies an artist who nonetheless questions whether or not “the thrill” remains to be inside him.
“I needed to show to myself that the thrill remains to be attainable,” he stated. “I really feel like I have been in search of it actually arduous, and as quickly as I stop in search of it, I discovered it. It is loopy.”
That rediscovery got here throughout a 70-day recording stint in New York Metropolis, a course of that reminded him why he began within the first place. “I left there like, ‘For this reason I needed to do that once I was a child.’ I discovered the thrill once more. And perhaps now it is gone. However it’s good for now.”
Regardless of coming into a brand new chapter in life (fatherhood) McCollum says his songwriting hasn’t modified simply but.
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“By no means,” he admitted. “Perhaps sooner or later. However once I create, I nonetheless really feel like 19-year-old Parker who had no thought if he was ever going to make it.”
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Parker McCollum’s Cane’s Comeback Is The Final Full-Circle Second
His humility extends past the stage. McCollum’s longtime bond with Elevating Cane’s began lengthy earlier than they turned a model companion.
“I have been consuming Cane’s since I used to be a freshman in highschool,” he stated. “We would journey our bikes there earlier than we may drive, $10 for a field combo, no slaw, further toast, further sauce.”
Now, that very same chain options promotions for his album in over 200 Texas areas. “It is surreal. I’ve seen different artists featured on the Cane’s by my home, and now I am one among them.”
His appreciation for the model goes deeper than nostalgia. “Cane’s by no means misplaced contact with what makes a enterprise nice. High quality and folks. I respect that. It is how I constructed my profession, too.”
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No Roadmap, No Downside
Throughout a promotional shift at an area Cane’s, McCollum stepped behind the counter and rapidly realized it is not as straightforward because it appears.
“I labored the register, and it was very obvious I might by no means completed that earlier than,” he laughed. “It is a loopy, demanding job, and folks do not realize that.”
As he displays on his journey, from hauling gear in a pickup truck to touring in tour buses and incomes gold data, McCollum stays grounded by gratitude and grit. “I used to be simply speaking to my keys participant the opposite night time. We began with nothing. We simply did it the old-school manner. And I would not change a factor.”
Even the smallest recollections persist with him, just like the time he watched a drunk fan repeatedly wipe out on icy pavement after a present in Rhode Island.
“It was hysterical,” he stated. “I most likely spent an hour simply watching that man attempt to determine his subsequent transfer. I have been there.”
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Parker McCollum Has Spent 20 Years Chasing Songs, However His Cane’s Order By no means Adjustments
With practically 20 years of singing beneath his belt and a profession that continues to evolve, McCollum stays a scholar of the craft.
“I’ve most likely been singing longer than I’ve completed anything in my life,” he stated on the occasion. “It is wild to consider 20 years of guitar, vocals, and writing songs. However I would not have it another manner.”
Now, McCollum is on the brink of launch his upcoming album, one thing that he desires followers “to take heed to it prime to backside and actually take it in.”
“It is attention-grabbing as a result of that is the primary album that I do not actually care if individuals prefer it or not, as a result of I adore it a lot. I would like them to love it,” he continued. “However I am completely OK if they are not related to it as a result of this album represents a lot for me.”
Parker McCollum’s self-titled album is scheduled for launch on June 27, 2025.
