PARKER McCOLLUM
Bio
Never Enough, Parker McCollum’s second major-label release, is a statement album. If its predecessor, Gold Chain Cowboy, announced Parker’s arrival in the country music mainstream, Never Enough (MCA Nashville) says that, damn right, he’s here to stay. Like Gold Chain Cowboy, it pairs Parker with producer Jon Randall (Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley), a fellow Texan who understands exactly what fuels Parker’s artistry: authenticity, vulnerability, and a little bit of defiance. Never Enough bristles with honesty and attitude and is shot through with equal parts rock guitar and country songwriting. “What I do best is write songs from a very real place and sing country music, but also be very ‘me’ and not try to sound like someone else,” Parker says. “We definitely did that on this record and every one of the 15 songs sounds different.” Compare album opener “Hurricane” and the confessional ballad “Have Your Heart Again” to hear his point. “Hurricane,” a song about a strong-willed girl who blows through your life and leaves it in tatters, is a driving rock anthem with a guitar riff that calls to mind the theme from Friends (“I’m sure some people will hate on that, but I don’t give a shit,” Parker laughs. “I thought it was cool”). “Have Your Heart Again,” meanwhile, is a simple vocal-and-piano arrangement with Parker hitting a stunning falsetto note. The songs are each irresistible and unique, rich in lyrical imagery, and unlike anything you’ll hear coming out of Nashville today. Credit that to Parker, as sturdy as a live oak, for knowing exactly who he is. “This town can eat you alive, the music business can eat you alive, with artists trying to remain relevant and have hit songs. That’s something I never cared about when I’m writing or making a record,” he says. “I’m never thinking about singles. I’m trying to just write songs that can potentially stand the test of time. That’s the sole purpose of writing songs for me.” Even Never Enough tracks that have since become gold-certified hits weren’t written with radio in mind. To Parker, “Handle on You” was just a drinking song with clever lyricism (“I tell myself that I should quit/but I don’t listen to drunks”) and a late-Eighties country sound as smooth as Tennessee whiskey or, perhaps, a Shiner Bock. “That song is a nod to some of the great records I grew up with,” says Parker, who counts George Strait, Willie Nelson, and cult hero Chris Knight as chief inspirations. “A lot of radio songs nowadays are kind of bubble-gummy. I don’t have any problem with pop-country, but I’d like to hear a little more classic country too. My team kept saying ‘Handle on You’ was a radio song and I said, ‘If y’all put that on the radio, then hell yeah.’” A mostly solitary songwriter prior to his entrée into Nashville, Parker has now written with some of country music’s finest. Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose (a.k.a. The Love Junkies), David Lee Murphy, Brett James, and Ashley Gorley all contribute to Never Enough, along with Parker’s Texas peers Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, and Ryan Beaver. “That’s been the biggest change since coming to Nashville: having access to some of the best songwriters in the world and sitting in a room with them to write,” Parker says. “The way these songwriters care and write, it’s from a place that I think I do as well. It’s made me look at songwriting differently.” The proof is in Parker’s chart history. He scored his first-ever No. 1 country hit with 2020’s “Pretty Heart,” his debut single. “To Be Loved by You” followed suit, also hitting No. 1. Now, he’s staring down a career-making single in “Burn It Down,” a moody, smoldering break-up song that equates a busted relationship to a house reduced to just ashes and smoke. Written with the Love Junkies, “Burn It Down” was born during a writing session at Parker’s home, where he spontaneously started singing the words “burn it down” over and over again. “Some days are like that, where the melody and the idea for the song is so good and everybody is on the same page,” he says. “If you’re talking about moving the needle in my career, ‘Burn It Down’ is probably going to be the song.” Parker lives for the type of spontaneous creation that happened that day. He’ll often challenge himself to write a song without changing a single word. He did that with “Too Tight This Time.” With a pretty acoustic guitar lick, a Dobro guest shot by Jerry Douglas, and a heavy dose of humility and introspection in Parker’s vocal performance, “Too Tight This Time” is Parker’s favorite track on Never Enough. “I said, ‘Let’s pour this thing out and whatever it is in 15 minutes, that’s what it’s going to be forever.’ I love to write songs like that and live with the end result. This one was easy to do because the melody was so good,” he says. “The line ‘There must be something broken inside this lonely man’ just hits so hard.” For all his quiet strength and rough-hewn masculinity, Parker isn’t afraid to bare his soul. But, ironically, one of the most personal songs on Never Enough is the only song he didn’t write: “Things I Never Told You,” penned by Monty Criswell, Lynn Hutton, and Taylor Phillips, parallels Parker’s relationship with his mother. “When I moved away from home/I didn’t realize how much I’d miss ya,” he sings. “A phone call don’t take the place/of your smilin’ face cooking in that kitchen.” “Those lines were all in there. People send me songs all the time and I never really hear any that I’m blown away by,” he says. Currently getting ready for a massive summer tour, including stadium dates with Morgan Wallen, Parker debuted “Things I Never Told You” for his mother during rehearsals. “We were in this massive amphitheater and my mom came the last day and I sang it for her. It was pretty cool.” To Parker, the gesture was a way to show he cared. Never Enough then is a testament to how much he cares about country music. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t care so much because everything would be easier. Hopefully one day people will look back at what I’ve done in country music and think it was honest and good for the genre,” Parker says. “This album may be called Never Enough, but if they see that what I did was real, that’ll be enough for me.” ###
News
View all news on PARKER McCOLLUMDALTON DOVER RELEASES NEVER GIVING UP ON THAT COLLECTION.
Named a Pandora 2023 Artist to Watch, an Amazon Music 2023 Breakthrough Artist to Watch: Country Class and a member of CMT’s LISTEN UP 2023 Class, Dalton Dover releases his eight-song collection Never Giving Up On That via Mercury Records/UMG Nashville, featuring two new songs including “Dirt Roads and Jesus” and an alluring cover of “If I Ain’t Got You.” Listen to Never Giving Up On That HERE.
“This has been such an exciting time in my life, and it means so much to be able to share it with all of you,” shares Dover. “So many milestones and memories have been made with these songs and what better way to celebrate that than putting them all together and adding some new ones. We can’t wait to bring more new music to you soon.”
Along with “If I Ain’t Got You,” a staple and fan-favorite in his live set, “Dirt Roads and Jesus,” written by Dover with his producer Matt McVaney and Alex Maxwell, is a striking ballad, expressing where he feels closest to God. As he debuted the song during his first performance at the Grand Ole Opry, he explained he’d faced some tough times throughout his life, but his faith has always brought him out the other side to better days.
Today’s release follows barn-burner “Night To Go,” praised by MusicRow as Dover “has already proved himself to be a masterful country balladeer, a story-song teller, a heartache prince and a heart-tugging sentimentalist…He can also spit out a country rocker with the best of ‘em: this kicks hillbilly butt,” asserting the song is “more proof that stardom should knock on his door.”
Dover’s first official single “Giving Up On That” debuted as the most-added song at Country radio and continues to climb the charts. The official music video, filmed near Dover’s hometown in Rome, Georgia, will premiere next Wednesday, Sept. 27 on CMT, CMT Music, CMT.com and Paramount’s Times Square Billboard.
He made his international debut earlier this year at C2C: Country to Country Festival’s CMA Songwriters Series before joining Chase Rice on the Way Down Yonder Tour. This summer, Dover performed across four stages at CMA Fest, including the Nissan Stadium Platform Stage, and played Luke Combs’ Whiskey Jam Bootleggers Tailgate Party at Gillette Stadium in July. He has been on the road with select dates supporting Tyler Hubbard, Parker McCollum, Justin Moore and Priscilla Block among festival performances. For more information and tickets, visit DaltonDoverOfficial.com.
Never Giving Up On That Track List:
- Giving Up On That (Dalton Dover, Adam Craig, Josh Pierce)
- You Got A Small Town (Adam Craig, Jamie Paulin, John Pierce)
- Damn Good Life (Dalton Dover, Alex Maxwell, Jackson Free)
- Baby I Am (Jason Gantt, Dan Isbell, Nate Smith)
- Night To Go (Cole Taylor, Trea Landon, Shane Minor, Michael Carter)
- Hear About A Girl (Adam Craig, Michael Carter, Jim McCormick)
- If I Ain’t Got You (Alicia Keys)
- Dirt Roads and Jesus (Dalton Dover, Alex Maxwell, Matt McVaney)
Dalton Dover Upcoming Tour Dates:
Sept. 23 Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre (w/ Justin Moore) Greenwood Village, CO
Sept. 26 CMT Equal Access Showcase Nashville, TN
Sept. 27 Pasadena Rodeo Pasadena, TX
Oct. 8 WPOC Sunday in the Country Columbia, MD
CARRIE UNDERWOOD DENIM & RHINESTONES DELUXE EDITION AUDIO TOOLKIT
Carrie Underwood has released Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition), featuring six new tracks – five brand new songs including the beautifully aching “Drunk And Hungover” written by Nicolle Galyon, Hillary Lindsey, Jordan Reynolds, Underwood’s current song on country radio “Out Of That Truck,” plus a special live version of “She Don’t Know,” recorded LIVE from Underwood’s 43-city arena tour.
To download the Deluxe Edition Album Audio Toolkit, click HERE.
GLOBAL SUPERSTAR CARRIE UNDERWOOD RELEASES DENIM & RHINESTONES (DELUXE EDITION).
8-time GRAMMY® Award-winning superstar Carrie Underwood releases Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition) today featuring six new tracks – five brand new songs including the beautifully aching “Drunk And Hungover” written by Nicolle Galyon, Hillary Lindsey, Jordan Reynolds, Underwood’s current song on country radio “Out Of That Truck,” plus a special live version of “She Don’t Know,” recorded LIVE from Underwood’s 43-city arena tour, The Denim & Rhinestones Tour. Critics have raved about the deluxe tracks released so far:
“OUT OF THAT TRUCK”
“Carrie rocks out on this defiant stomper addressed to her ex. She vows that no matter how hard he tries, he’ll never erase her memory from his truck, because they shared so much in it. A winner.” – MusicRow
“TAKE ME OUT”
“Underwood wants to rekindle romance with some simple solutions—some flirting, some kisses, some attention. Most of all, take her out on the town. The gently pulsing rhythm and hushed soprano harmonies are the icing on the audio cake.” – MusicRow
“‘Take Me Out’ is meant to slow dance to. The tempo lays the groundwork for the longing in Underwood’s voice. She sings about wanting to spend more time with the person she loves. As life can be chaotic at times, it’s important to make time for those who matter most. The softer, more vulnerable Underwood songs make people realize why they love her all over again.” – Nash News
“GIVE HER THAT”
“Carrie Underwood is willing to “Give Her That” in her new song. The acoustic slow burner “Give Her That” finds the singer reminiscing on a past love who’s moved on to a new woman. Underwood acknowledges that while her ex’s new love may be champagne sweet and a Covergirl face full of Southern belle, she can’t replace the memories they shared together. When the chorus kicks in, the country star affirms that she’ll always have precious mementos that range from his old Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt she still wears to the necklace his mother gave her.” – American Songwriter
“An old flame has burned out, but the smoke hasn’t cleared on Carrie Underwood’s latest release “Give Her That.” The reflective ballad, set to appear on the deluxe edition of Denim and Rhinestones, digs deep into the details to remind a past lover that even though he’s moved on, the singer has left an undeniable and irreplaceable mark.” – Rolling Stone
Underwood recently shared a new trailer for the deluxe release, which includes some never-before-seen footage of the creation of Denim & Rhinestones.
Listen to Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition) HERE
Underwood returns to her ongoing REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency at Resorts World Theatre Friday night (September 22nd), having just announced new dates extending the residency into 2024 (info HERE). She currently stars in her 11th consecutive show open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football, airing now for the 2023-2024 season. This Sunday, she will attend the Steelers-Raiders game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where she will also be interviewed live by Sunday Night Football’s Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth on NBC’s pre-game show Football Night in America.
Denim & Rhinestones Deluxe Edition track listing:
- Denim & Rhinestones
- Velvet Heartbreak
- Ghost Story
- Hate My Heart
- Burn
- Crazy Angels
- Faster
- Pink Champagne
- Wanted Woman
- Poor Everybody Else
- She Don’t Know
- Garden
- Out Of That Truck*
- Give Her That*
- Drunk And Hungover*
- Damage*
- Take Me Out*
- She Don’t Know (LIVE from The Denim & Rhinestones Tour)*
*Deluxe Edition tracks
Audio / Carrie Underwood was sent “Drunk And Hungover,” and she loved the metaphor of being drunk on love and hung up on your ex.
DownloadCarrie Underwood (Drunk And Hungover) OC: …cool one. :30
“’Drunk And Hungover’ is a song that I got sent to me from Hillary Lindsey and Nicolle Galyon and Jordan Reynolds. I love the metaphor of having the relationship, like being in a great relationship as being the drunk, but missing a past relationship being hungover. I just love the metaphor and how you can’t be drunk and hungover at the same time and how it’s not fair to the people that you’re spending your time with. I love the song. I love the melody. I just think it’s a really cool one.”
Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (available now)
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Audio Toolkit
We have compiled an array of content — a variety of liners and soundbites – from PARKER McCOLLUM to equip you with everything you might need to put together your own album radio special; roll-out tracks surrounding the release of his new NEVER ENOUGH record to use in news feeds, specials and much more. Check out all of details below (including audio liners and soundbites, as well as transcriptions) to create your own content surrounding PARKER’s new album release.
Never Enough releases on the heels of Parker’s third consecutive #1 smash, “Handle On You.” The album bristles with honesty and attitude, shot through with equal parts rock guitar and country songwriting. Produced by Jon Randall, Never Enough pairs the Texas native with some of the most esteemed songwriters from Texas to Music Row on 15 tracks that underscore authenticity, vulnerability, and a little bit of defiance.
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