Parker McCollum is the next big thing in country Music.
The product of Austin, Texas currently has a national top ten, is set to go on tour with Thomas Rhett this summer and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. And now it’s all thanks to a sober lifestyle.
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In a recent interview with Sounds Like Nashville Parker revealed the moment he realized he didn’t need hard drugs to write good music.
Waking up sober from a bender Parker wrote what he believes to be his best song on his latest album ‘Gold Chain Cowboy’. It only took him seven minutes to write ‘Rest Of My Life’. The lyrics start off as what I imagine were just observations at the time There’s a picture-frame hangin’ a little to the side. Some drugs on the counter in the kitchen by the wine And I’m shakin’. like winter but I just can’t eat. It’s just one of those late nights that I’m never gonna beat
“That was kind of my wake-up call, it’s probably the second time ever that I’ve written something and gone, ‘Man, that is really good.’ Most of the time, I think everything sucks. I don’t know that I would call it a lifesaving moment, but it was really good for me to write something like that not under the influence of anything.” – Parker McCollum on writing ‘Rest Of My Life’
Songwriting and his fiancé, Hallie Ray Light, are the biggest reasons he got sober. Parker talks about wanting to write real authentic country music and gets frustrated with that polished country pop stuff they play on mainstream radio.
“I just try to kind of take it upon myself to be one of the people who is writing and putting out songs that mean something and make you feel something, you know, college kids still listen to ‘Amarillo by Morning.’ Those are the kinds of songs I want to write.”
It never hurts to try and be like the King, But the time Randy Rogers said he was “The next George Strait” Parker didn’t care for that much “There is no next George Strait. There’s only one. I think it’s disrespectful to George to say that.”
Maybe not George, but the 29-year-old has a bright future ahead of him and thankfully it will be a sober one.
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