Parker McCollum Drops New Album, Heads Back to His Texas Roots

Over just seven days at New York City's Power Station, country artist Parker McCollum completed his new self-titled album. The 14-song project from MCA Nashville dropped Friday, and it shows him taking his music in a new direction.

Moving beyond his usual Texas and Nashville roots, McCollum teamed up with producer Frank Liddell and recording expert Eric Masse. In his chat with MusicRow, he said confidently, "This is the one I'd send to Steve Earle."

The record features special guests, including Cody Johnson covering Danny O'Keefe's hit "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues." Top songwriters Lori McKenna and Mat Kearney helped create the emotional "Watch Me Bleed."

McCollum brought back "Permanent Headphones," a song he wrote when he was 15. The city's energy inspired him to write "New York Is on Fire" right there during recording.

The album ends with "My Worst Enemy," created alongside Wade Bowen. A simple version of Chris Knight's "Enough Rope" rounds out the album, recorded in the early studio sessions.

McCollum started out playing small Texas shows before signing with MCA Nashville in 2019. He's since landed four number-one songs in a row, starting with his breakout hit "Pretty Heart."

His earlier albums - "The Limestone Kid" (2015) and "Probably Wrong" (2017) - made him a Texas music standout. New songs "My Blue," "Hope That I'm Enough," and "What Kinda Man" stay true to those roots.

While Randy Rogers influenced his early music, this new album shows McCollum exploring different sounds with new partners beyond traditional country music.