Drew Parker is on fire these days, in more ways than one.
“The air conditioner in my house doesn’t work,” Parker, 32, explains during a recent interview with PEOPLE from his home in Nashville. “A guy just showed up to fix it. My wife, Mallory, is eight months pregnant, so she is got to fix it.”
A broken air conditioner and the impending arrival of his second daughter are just two of the many things the country hitmaker and Grammy- and CMA-nominated artist is currently juggling. But if that wasn’t enough, Parker is also at a point in his career where everything seems to be boiling at just the right moment.
“I just played CMA Fest, and I mean, to see those diehard fans come out in the heat to see their favorite artist is super special,” explains the Georgia native, who is on the road as an opener on Luke Combs’ Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour. Tour”. “There’s a million other places they could be. It becomes one of those moments where you realize if they’re coming to see you, you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”
Granted, there was a time not too long ago when Parker wasn’t sure where his career was headed, especially after the release of his debut single “While You’re Gone” in 2021, which reached No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Highway’s chart. Hot 30 countdown only to stall on Billboard’s country music chart.
“It’s been a while since I’ve gone to radio with a single,” says Parker, who is now basking in the bliss of his current single, “Love the Leavin’.” “You never know if you’re going to get that chance on the radio again, so to get that chance again three years later is amazing.”
And yes, Parker still appreciates the importance and power of country radio. “I grew up a fan of country radio,” he says. “That’s what me and my dad used to listen to in the truck. Getting a chance to hear your song on the radio means your career is moving forward, which is exciting for me and my family.” He pauses and adds, “My goal is always just to be able to pay for the air conditioning repair when the guy shows up, you know?”
Drew Parker.
Kerry Beth
Certainly, 2024 is shaping up to be Parker’s perfect storm in many ways, much like what happened in the past.
“I signed a record deal and wrote my first #1 at country radio as a songwriter [on Jake Owen’s 2020 smash “Homemade’”] the week my daughter was born,” recalls Parker, whose daughter Harley is now 4. “Nine months later, I dropped ‘While You’re Gone.’ And now ‘Love the Leavin’ is out there doing what it does. I mean, we’re going to have to take the baby out every now and then.”
Drew Parker revisits the legendary Grand Ole Opry Circle for the first time in 20 years — this time as an artist
Parker is the first to admit, though, that “Love the Leavin'” always seemed magical, right from the start.
“This sounds so I’m not modest, but I’ve never been more confident about a hit song than when we wrote ‘Love the Leavin,'” says Parker, who co-wrote the fiery song with Matt Rogers and Lindsay Rimes. “When I wrote it, I immediately sent it to Luke, and then I sent it to other people, and within two hours, several major artists had put this song on hold to cut it themselves. And to be honest with you, I thought this song was bigger than me. Fortunately, I have a great team who understood me a little bit and said, ‘Are you crazy? This is a career song.'”
It’s a song that will soon live forever on Parker’s debut album Camouflage cowboywhich will be published on July 12. “The Cut [of ‘Love the Leavin”] that’s on the record is almost identical to the demo we did in the room that day,” he says. “We just added some steel guitar basically to the record. It was too magical at that point to change anything and try to make it more perfect, if you know what I’m saying.”
And yes, the album’s release date is awfully close to his wife’s due date. “He’s due on July 20, but our first child was early,” Parker, who is also booked to play the Grand Ole Opry on July 13, admits with a laugh. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t even think about how chaotic that week would be.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education