Parker McCollum Teases New Self Titled Album, Touring at the End of June, "What Kind of Man" Inspo & More

Billboard

8 months ago

Parker McCollum caught up with Billboard's Lyndsey Havens & Tetris Kelly at the ACM Awards 2025.

Transcript

00:00So 60th anniversary of the ACMs, what's a country music memory that stands out for you?

00:05Man, I won New Artist of the Year here a few years ago, so that's a pretty good memory for me.

00:10It was my first award, and I don't know, man, I just remember watching them on TV.

00:14Every year I get to come to them, it's pretty special.

00:17How did you celebrate that win, do you remember?

00:19I probably went to bed.

00:21That's a lie, Parker. I don't believe you.

00:24Country music really knows how to party.

00:26Very few people would say they went to bed.

00:28I feel seen by you.

00:30I'm the king of cutting out early and going to bed, so I got things to do.

00:33Oh, but you guys are going to cut out early tonight. I can see it happening.

00:36I got things to do.

00:37Right after this, right?

00:39100%.

00:39So what are you working on lately? What can you talk to us about?

00:43I got a new album coming out on June 27th.

00:45It's self-titled, favorite thing I've ever done, favorite songs I've ever written on this record.

00:50We got a new tour, starts at the end of June.

00:52About to play four stadiums with George Strait and Chris Stapleton up in the Northeast,

00:56so we got a lot going on. It's good right now.

00:58I'm always curious when an artist does a self-titled album, how do you know that that's the one you want to be self-titled?

01:04Because you can't really do it again.

01:06I've always wondered when I would do it, and it was really just when I couldn't think of a good album title and a good idea to wrap it around.

01:12But this album's super personal, and like I said, it's my favorite thing I've ever done.

01:17So it just seemed like the right time to do it.

01:19It's amazing. We can't wait to hear it.

01:20And what about what kind of man represented the project the best?

01:24You know, that was the first song we cut on the record.

01:25We cut the whole record in seven days in New York City, and that was the first one that we cut.

01:30And we cut two of them the first day.

01:32It was that, and the song we just put out called Hope That I'm Enough.

01:35And I wanted Hope That I'm Enough to be the single, and it didn't make it.

01:38But I wrote What Kind of Man about my wife, Hallie Ray, and it's pretty honest, pretty authentic,

01:43and kind of tells a true story.

01:45So any time I can be honest and sort of make it up, sort of tell the truth, that's right up my alley.

01:52I love that you said, like, that didn't make it.

01:54Like, how are you in those rooms when you're, like, I'm sure arguing with your manager or the label

01:58and, like, all these people?

01:59Because the people at home don't know about that experience.

02:01So how is it to be in that room fighting for your own music?

02:04You know, it's not really a room.

02:05It's more of just a series of text messages.

02:08But I let the label do, you know, push the single that they think is going to do the best at radio.

02:11And then, you know, all the songs are going to come out.

02:15And whether the song goes number one or not, you still got to get on that bus and go play those shows.

02:19So I try not to think too much about it.

02:20Man, I love that, man.

02:22We love everything you do, you know.

02:23Yeah, we appreciate the new music.

02:25And I hope you have fun tonight.

02:26And I hope you get to go to bed early.

02:28I will.

02:29No doubt.

02:30We'll be checking on you.

02:31I'll be asleep too.

02:32Thanks so much.

Parker McCollum Teases New Self Titled Album, Touring at the End of June, "What Kind of Man" Inspo & More | ACM Awards 2025

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