Almost hung it up for good.
The modern Texas country scene has been nothing short of phenomenal over the past decade in particular. Whether it’s names like Koe Wetzel, Flatland Cavalry, Whiskey Myers, Charley Crockett, Dylan Gossett or Treaty Oak Revival (among many others), Texas has been producing some of the hottest names in the alternative country sphere lately. From a mainstream perspective, however, save for Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum has arguably been the biggest success story for the state.
After scoring an incredible amount of buzz in the Texas scene off of his debut album, The Limestone Kid, and his subsequent release, Probably Wrong, in 2017, McCollum was primed to become the next superstar flying out of the Lone Star State. This notion was ultimately proven correct when he signed to Universal Music Group in 2019 and made the transition to Nashville.
Since then, he’s scored four #1s, 10 gold and platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America, constant headlining spots on some of the biggest festivals in the country and has cemented himself as a mainstay on both country radio and award shows alike. Of course, his biggest break from a mainstream perspective was arguably 2023’s Never Enough, which contained the smash hit, “Burn It Down.” However, this era in particular came with some of the biggest challenges for the Limestone Kid.
Despite all the success over the past five years, McCollum revealed on the Zach Sang Show that he was nearly ready to quit music altogether.
The “Hell of a Year” singer would explain that during the span of touring behind Never Enough on the Burn It Down Tour and preparing for his 2025 self-titled album, he completely lost the creative spark he had throughout his career.
“I was kind of desperate. To be 100% honest, I was about to walk away about 18 months ago. I was about to hang it up completely. Man, I had just kind of lost the buzz creatively, and I had been touring nonstop since I was 22 years old. Creatively, I was like, I got nothing.”
As he alluded to in the past, the self-titled album, which has been hailed by many as his best album since The Limestone Kid, was his last-ditch effort to feel something creatively. Noting that if he was truly going to quit, he wanted to go out with a bang.
“I had a conversation with some people in my circle about it. I kinda got to the point where I was like, ‘Well, if I’m gonna hang it up, go make one more record with just zero f***** given. Just do it 100% exactly, whatever the hell comes out is what the record is.”
What resulted is him switching producers on a whim, making the logistically complicated switch from Nashville to New York City to record the album and hunkering down for seven straight days to create the album. The decision to record in New York, however, didn’t come without its share of complications and resulted in McCollum personally paying for many session players’ vacations to make the trip out to make the record.
“Some of the guys, some of the musicians, had scheduling conflicts. I literally called my assistant. I was like, ‘Look, you tell them I will pay for their families to go on vacation.’ Whoever is in New York City when I get there to cut this record is who’s gonna play on this record. I was just f****** done.
I was like, I’m not playing this game anymore. I have nothing in my soul musically [or] creatively right now. I gotta go find it. I know it’s in there; I can’t find it. Something is suffocating it, and I can’t [fix it]. I can’t fake it, dude. I can’t just pick some songs that somebody else wrote and cut ’em and stand up there and smile every night. I just can’t do it. It just doesn’t work like that for me.”
Throughout the entire seven-day recording process for Parker McCollum, which saw him doing nothing but going from the hotel to the studio for upwards of 11 hours a day, the Texas native only had one goal in mind: make an album that reignites his spark or go out with a bang while doing so.
“It was all intentional… [It was], ‘What do I have to make myself and my soul and my spirit to wake the f*** up and be creative and love this again. If this is the last record I’m ever gonna make, make it a good one.”
Reflecting on how electric the entire recording process was and how emotional hearing the early cuts of the album was, McCollum left New York with the long-lost spark back. He’d even go as far as to say that it was the most fulfilling moment of his music career.
“That was the most full my cup has ever been in the music business. I answered the question. I do still love this.”
Looking back, it’s pretty safe to say that the entire gamble paid dividends for McCollum. Since its release in June 2025, he’s gone on to release a deluxe version back in March, schedule a lengthy tour throughout the summer, tease a new song with Koe Wetzel and even receive his first-ever ACM Album of the Year nomination for the record he thought could be his last.
Watch the full podcast here:
Parker McCollum Tour Dates
June 4 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – BMO Pavilion x/
June 5 – Sterling Heights, Michigan – Michigan Lottery Amphitheater x/
June 6 – Grand Rapids, Michigan – Acrisure Amphitheater x/
June 18 – San Diego, California – Viejas Arena ~$
June 19 – Los Angeles, California- Greek Theatre ~$
June 20 – Sacramento, California – Golden 1 Center ~$
June 25 – Nampa, Idaho – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater ~$
June 26 – Bend, Oregon – Hayden Homes Amphitheater ~$
June 27 – Kent, Washington – Accesso Showare Center ~$
July 16 – Brandon, Mississippi – Brandon Amphitheater ~>
July 17 – Orange Beach, Alabama – The Wharf Amphitheater ~>
July 18 – Alpharetta, Georgia – Ameris Bank Amphitheater ~>
July 24 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio – Blossom Music Center z/
July 25 – Fairborn, Ohio – Wright State University – Nutter Center z/
July 29 – Morrison, Colorado – Red Rocks Amphitheater +0
July 31 – Kansas City, Missouri – Morton Amphitheater +0
August 1 – Omaha, Nebraska – Chi Health Center Omaha +0
August 6 – Bridgeport, Connecticut – Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater z/
August 8 – Burgettstown, Pennsylvania – The Pavilion at Star Lake z/
August 21 – Simpsonville, South Carolina – CCNB Amphitheater at Heritage Park x%
August 22 – Huntsville, Alabama – The Orion Amphitheater x%
September 3 – Bangor, Maine – Maine Savings Amphitheater x@
September 4 – Gilford, New Hampshire – Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion x@
September 5 – Saratoga Springs, New York – Saratoga Performing Arts Center x@
September 17 – Jonesboro, Arkansas – First National Bank Arena x!
September 18 – Rogers, Arkansas – Walmart Amp x!
September 19 – Evansville, IN – Ford Center x!
September 24 – Stephenville, Texas – EECU Center x>
September 25 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Paycom Center x>
September 26 – Beaumont, Texas – Doggett Ford Park x>
x Max McNown
° Jake Worthington
= William Beckmann
> Jackson Wendell
# Tyler Halverson
? Mike Ryan
+ Laci Kaye Booth
0 Josh Abbott Band
/ Kassi Ashton
% Annie Bosko
@ Owen Reigling
! Logan Ryan Band
$ Aubrie Sellers
+ Gary Allan
z Gabby Barrett
~ Vincent Mason
