Parker McCollum
For his new album Never Enough, which released via MCA Nashville on Friday (May 12), Parker McCollum dialed in on the sound that differentiates him from the rest.
The 15-song project once again finds Jon Randall at the helm of production, polishing up the specific McCollum sound that first turned fans on to the Texas native with his critically acclaimed 2015 album The Limestone Kid. After making a hit album with 2021’s Gold Chain Cowboy, which included popular songs “Pretty Heart” and “To Be Loved by You,” McCollum and Randall have doubled down with Never Enough, which McCollum says was a welcomed challenge.
“I was bored of what I’ve always done and the style I’ve always cranked out. I didn’t reinvent it, but I tried to be fresh and almost entertain myself with the songs I was writing and the direction I was going this time,” he tells MusicRow.
McCollum’s songwriting skills have sharpened in the two years since Gold Chain Cowboy. Enlisting Music Row hitmakers Ashley Gorley, Hillary Lindsey, Brett James, Lori McKenna, Lee Miller, Monty Criswell and Liz Rose—as well as Texas mavericks and frequent collaborators Randall, Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers—Never Enough finds McCollum at the top of his game as a songwriter.
“[The writers on this record] are some of my favorite writers in town,” McCollum says. “They’re the best songwriters in the world and now they’re my good friends. They just come over to my house and write songs on my couch, so it’s a different opportunity. I didn’t have access to that before, so I’ve really enjoyed that.”
A songwriting highlight on the project is “Tails I Lose.” The tune, co-written with Bowen alongside Brad and Brett Warren, finds the subject drinking away his heartbreak at bar, toying with a quarter that he says decides his fate. McCollum wails, “Jukebox quarter up, I’ve done everything I can. It don’t matter where it lands, Ain’t a damn thing I can do. It’s heads you win, tails I lose.”
“I was kicking around this melody and I had written some other stuff to it. I really loved the melody but I knew that nothing I had rambled off to it was very strong,” McCollum says. “Somebody had the line ‘heads you win, tails I lose,’ which I had heard before but never in a song. So as any typical songwriter, we decided we had to write that before somebody else does.”
Another highlight, “Have Your Heart Again,” was several years in the making.
“I had that melody for about six years. It was one of my favorite melodies I’ve come up with and I didn’t want to take a chance at missing. I played it for Ashley and Lee one night at Ashley’s house and they were into it, so we sat around and wrote a piano heartbreak ballad,” McCollum remembers. “I was going to cut it for Gold Chain Cowboy, but it just didn’t feel like it fit. I’m not sure it fits on this record either, but I’ve never done a piano ballad, so it was chance to do something different.”
Never Enough has already yielded a hit, with the Monty Criswell co-written “Handle On You” topping the charts a few weeks ago. McCollum says that that song set the bar for the rest of the album.
“That song was what I was trying to go for more than anything else. Monty and I wrote that and I said, ‘Man, that’s what I would like to lean into more,'” McCollum shares. “But like I said, I get bored real quick, so I’ll write ‘Handle On You,’ ‘Tails I Lose’ and ‘Lessons From An Old Man,’ and then I’m bored of it and want to go write something like ‘Burn It Down’ that’s big and rocking. Then I’ll go write ‘Wheel,’ which is this waving goodbye song that ends the record on an upbeat note, not such a sad and terrible note like everything else.”
When it comes to “sad and terrible,” McCollum does it well. His hits often find him heartbroken, such as the self-loathing “Pretty Heart,” the downtrodden “Young Man’s Blues,” the agonizing “To Be Loved By You” and the regretful “Hell Of A Year.” The 30-year-old says he feels at home writing sad songs, and his new album has quite a few.
“Those are my favorite kinds,” he says. “Those seem to get the most attention from me.”
But Never Enough has more than sad songs. Tracks “Stoned” and “Speed” find McCollum on the rocking side of the tracks. “Burn It Down,” which is sure to be a hit, was written by McCollum with The Love Junkies (Lindsey, McKenna and Rose), and has earned some early attention from fans.
Though Never Enough finds McCollum leveling up in songwriting and zeroing in on his sound, he credits staying true to himself as the key to his success.
“Staying super authentic to what you are, what you like and what you think is good is how you sleep the best at night. You have to be able to stand behind whatever you do, regardless if the general public accepts it and embraces it or doesn’t,” McCollum says. “For lack of a better term, I never really gave a shit. I did not think country radio would embrace my songs like they have. I never dreamed any of my songs of be on country radio, go double Platinum or do all this crazy stuff. I think my biggest strength is that I just stuck to what I did best and tried to do it as well as I could.”
McCollum performs at his album release party, hosted by Lucchese, in Texas during ACM Week. Photo: Chris Kleinmeier
He credits his label, UMG Nashville, for allowing him to make the music he wants to make.
“When I signed my record deal, my biggest thing was creative control. I passed on all the advance money and all that because I was already selling tickets and touring, so I didn’t really need the cash advance like a lot of artists do when they sign a deal. I really just tried to leverage that and get as much creative control as I could.
“Luckily I got all of it,” McCollum says. “It starts and stops with me on what songs are written, what songs are cut and what songs aren’t cut. They can send whatever songs to radio that they want—they know more about what can be a hit than I do. Shout out to Universal Records because they’ve totally kept their word.”
When asked what he hopes his fans take away from Never Enough, McCollum says he hopes they see his authenticity in its 15 songs.
“I just hope they believe it,” he sums. “All of these songs come from a super authentic, genuine and real place. My favorite songs in the world hit me so hard every time I listen to them. I love to get lost in a song, so I really hope they get lost in these and it does something for them.”
Listen to McCollum’s new album Never Enough, out now.
Shania Twain, The Lumineers, Kendrick Lamar, More To Headline Austin City Limits Music Festival
/by Lorie HollabaughShania Twain
The Austin City Limits Music Festival has announced its day-by-day lineup at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on Oct. 6-8 and Oct. 13-15.
Kendrick Lamar, The Lumineers, Kali Uchis, Maggie Rogers and more perform on Friday of both weekends, while Foo Fighters, Shania Twain (Weekend One only), Alanis Morissette and The 1975 (Weekend Two only) and more will light up the stages on Saturday. Sundays of both weekends will feature sets from Mumford & Sons, Odezsa, Hozier, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and many more.
Various ticket packages are on sale now at aclfestival.com. Three-day general admission tickets, and a limited number of three-day Platinum tickets and hotel packages are available.
Hulu returns as the official streaming destination of ACL Festival and will air three days of select live performances, interviews and much more during Weekend One. A full broadcast lineup and schedule will be announced later this summer.
BMG Nashville Signs Hunter Metts
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): Shelter Music Group’s James Robinson, Jackson Stubner, BMG’s Kelsey Niccoli, Hunter Metts and BMG’s Chris Oglesby
BMG Nashville has signed artist, songwriter and producer Hunter Metts to a global publishing agreement.
Metts grew up in a musical family and began to play piano at age 10, eventually picking up a guitar and starting to writing songs. He gained national attention as a contestant on American Idol in 2021. Since his time on the show, Metts has continued to write and perform his own music as well as write and produce music for other artists. He has released several songs independently, including “Nothing to Lose” and “Paper Moon.”
“Signing an artist like Hunter is a dream come true. His music is so unbelievably emotive—it makes you nostalgic while also sounding like nothing you’ve ever heard before. Hunter has an understanding of songwriting, production and artistry that is beyond his years, and BMG is so excited to be a part of his journey,” says Kelsey Niccoli, Sr. Creative Director, A&R, BMG Nashville.
“I feel like I found people who understand me and my sound, who are truly invested in the trajectory of my life and career,” adds Metts.
Metts’ frequent collaborators include Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Henry Brill, Tristan Bushman, Chandler Leighton, Dave Thomas Jr, Caleb Hearn, Cody Lovaas, Anna Hamilton, Luke Niccoli, Jonah Kagen and more.
Matt Schuster Aligns With WME & Extended Play
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): WME’s Nate Towne, WME’s Braeden Rountree, Matt Schuster, WME’s Morgan Kenney and Extended Play’s Eric Parker. Photo: Courtesy of WME
Rising country singer-songwriter Matt Schuster has added to his team, signing with WME for global booking representation and Extended Play for management.
Schuster, an Illinois native, moved to Nashville less than a year ago and has since grown an impressive fanbase. Averaging 10 million monthly streams, four of Schuster’s songs have landed on the Spotify Country Global Top 200 Chart and garnered over 75 million streams.
“When I first heard Matt’s music, I knew that I needed to work with him, and meeting him solidified that even more,” shares Morgan Kenney, WME Agent. “He’s an incredibly talented artist with a heart of gold. I consider it an honor to be able to book his tour so others can see what I see. Matt Schuster is a name for those to remember.”
“It’s a great privilege for me to learn from and work alongside Morgan, Braeden [Rountree], Nate [Towne] and Aaron [Tannenbaum],” shares Eric Parker, Extended Play Founder & CEO. “With their guidance, I believe Matt is poised to take a big step forward in his career.”
Schuster, who also recently signed a publishing deal with UMPG, just celebrated his first major label cut with Bailey Zimmerman recording “Chase Her” for his Religiously. The Album.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing team,” says Schuster. “Their passion for music is contagious and I’m excited to see them play a pivotal role in bringing my live shows to life.”
Schuster will take CMA Fest‘s Maui Jim Reverb Stage on June 9 before appearing at various fairs and festivals throughout the summer.
CRB Announces 2023–2024 CRS Agenda Committee
/by Liza AndersonCountry Radio Broadcasters (CRB) has unveiled the 2023–2024 CRS Agenda Committee, who will work together to create the agenda for the annual three-day event.
Shelley Hargis (BMG/BBR Music Group) will serve as Agenda Chair, with Krista Hayes (Cumulus Media Nashville) and Jesse Tack (WUBE/Hubbard) serving as the committee’s Co-Vice Chairs.
“After attending CRS for 26 years, I am MORE passionate and excited about both CRS and the country industry than ever,” says Hargis. “I am honored to be a part of the Agenda Committee, and thrilled with the group we have coming together to build a fantastic CRS 2024!”
New committee members include Sally Allgeier (Red Street), Kevin Callahan (Pamal Broadcasting), Victoria Cappelli (AEG), Paisley Dunn (Seven Mountains Media), Nathan James (DBC Radio/WUBB), Brittani Koster (Big Loud), Charlie Maxx (Forever Media/WXCY), Gemma McInturff (Spotify), Caitlin Fisher (Cox Media Group), Jennifer Shaffer (BMG/BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse Records), Kathleen Shea (SiriusXM), Bryan Webb (Today’s Country Radio/The Kelleigh Bannen Show) and Adam Wilbur (Compass Media Networks).
Returning to the committee will be Emily Cohen (Amazon Music), Karina Farias-Dey (Edison Research), Tim Foisset (Warner Music Nashville), Alek Halverson (iHeartMedia/KAJA), Nicole Michalik (Beasley/WXTU), Ashley Morrison (iHeartMedia/WFUS) and Nick Steele (Audacy/KWJJ).
Additionally, Foisset will lead the agenda content for the Digital Music Summit, which will return on the first day of CRS 2024, taking place Feb. 28–March 1.
Texas Songwriters Hall Of Fame Announces 2024 Class Of Honorees
/by Lorie HollabaughThe 2024 Class of Honorees into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame have been announced and include Eric Johnson, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall, Ruthie Foster and Terry McBride.
The Hall of Fame induction event Feb. 24, 2024 includes a two-day celebration that brings together the latest class of songwriters who represent the spirit of Texas into the spotlight for a unique ceremony and inducts them into the TxHSA Hall of Fame. The show will also include special performances to be announced soon.
Past Hall of Fame inductees who have taken the stage for this special event in previous years include Kris Kristofferson, Aaron Barker, Red Steagall, Larry Gatlin, Bruce Robison, Rodney Crowell, Billy Joe Shaver, Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Michael Martin Murphey, Clint Black, Mac Davis, Lee Roy Parnell, Delbert McClinton, Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett, Ronnie Dunn, K.T. Oslin, Joe Ely, Mickey Newbury, Liz Rose, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Christopher Cross, Steve Earle, Billy F Gibbons, Jerry Jeff Walker, Lefty Frizzell, Radney Foster, and many more.
KBFM Hires Joe Davis & Merges With BootstrapTax
/by Liza AndersonJoe Davis. Photo: Vintage Tree Photography/Meredith Bustillo
Entertainment business and financial management firm KBFM has hired CPA Joe Davis and merged with his company, BootstrapTax, to continue his mission of simplifying CPA services and allow his clients to focus on their creative work.
Davis earned a Bachelor’s degree in business administration as well as a Master’s degree in accountancy from Belmont University. In addition to supporting the firm’s business management clients with all tax matters, he will continue to oversee accounting and tax planning for several small businesses and entrepreneurs, both in and outside the music industry.
“We’ve been looking for the right CPA to bring in-house for over a year now. The addition of Joe and his team elevates our services to a whole new level of tax planning for our clients,” share KBFM Partners Chris King and Mallory Pascal. “We’ll be able to be more strategic and aggressive on the ever-changing landscape of the tax complexities for entertainers.”
Davis can be reached at joe@kbfmgmt.com.
Luke Bryan & Peyton Manning To Host CMA Awards
/by LB CantrellLuke Bryan and Peyton Manning hosting the 56th annual CMA Awards. Photo: Courtesy of CMA
Two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan and NFL star Peyton Manning will return as hosts for the 57th annual CMA Awards, which is set to air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on ABC.
This will mark the second year that Bryan and Manning take on hosting duties. Last year’s show totaled 9.7 million viewers and earned a 1.79 rating among adults 18-49, after seven days of viewing across linear and digital platforms.
The eligibility period for this year’s CMA Awards runs from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. CMA members will receive the first nomination ballot and submission instructions on Wednesday, July 5. For more details regarding this year’s ballot timeline, click here.
Emily Falvey Inks With Warner Chappell Music & SMACKSongs
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Robert Carlton (SMACK), Ben Vaughn (WCM), Carly Sater (SMACK), Jeremy Groves (SMACK), Emily Falvey, Lee Krabel (SMACK), Robin Palmer (SMACK), Phil May (WCM), Christina Wiltshire (WCM), Sam Sarno (SMACK)
Singer-songwriter Emily Falvey has signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music and SMACKSongs.
Starting her career at Belmont University, Falvey fought her way into the competitive songwriting major, which then led to her landing internships at Warner Chappell Music and SMACKSongs. Through the internships, Falvey introduced her demos to SMACK executives and landed her first publishing deal before she graduated.
With a catalog of over 70 songs recorded over the past five years, Falvey’s genre-bending style has led to recent cuts and collaborations with a cross section of artists, from country artists Walker Hayes and Callista Clark, to leading dance music acts Le Youth and Sick Individuals.
“I’m honored and excited to have the opportunity to continue to build on an extraordinary working relationship with SMACK & bring on a powerhouse partner in Warner Chappell Music,” says Falvey. “I interned with both of these companies in my Belmont years, so it’s special and full circle for me. Thank you to Christian Barker for your wise legal counsel, to Robert Carlton, Robin Palmer and Lee Krabel for your continued belief, to Ben Vaughn and Phil May for your leadership and vision, and to Jeremy Groves and Christina Wiltshire for being fierce day-to-day champions. Overwhelmed with gratitude for this next chapter!”
Falvey has also had sync placements in ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, CBS’s Love Island USA, NBC’s The Voice and with Cracker Barrel. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with WCM hitmakers Shane McAnally and Nicolle Galyon, as well as Amy Wadge, Sasha Sloan, Tofer Brown, Jimmy Robbins, Emily Weisband, Mat Kearney, David Hodges, Paul DiGiovanni, and many more.
Falvey co-wrote MacKenzie Porter’s 2020 single “Seeing Other People,” which reached No. 1 on the Canadian Country Airplay Chart and earned her a Publisher’s Pick nomination at the 2020 AIMP Nashville Country Awards. She was also selected as a member of the AIMP Nashville Songwriter Series class of 2019, a YEP Favorite songwriter and a member of The Nashville Briefing’s 30 Under 30 List.
“Emily is the total package,” says Wiltshire, Senior Director of A&R at Warner Chappell Music Nashville. “She’s supremely talented, business-minded, positive, multi-faceted, and multi-genre. Not to mention, she’s a wonderful human and a joy to be around. I’m honored to be on her team.”
Palmer, Chief Creative Officer at SMACKSongs, says, “We’re excited to enter the next chapter with a special talent like Emily Falvey. Warner Chappell feels like a natural fit as a partner and we’re looking forward to working with Ben, Christina, and the entire Warner Chappell team!”
Frank Ray To Drop Self-Titled Label Debut On July 7
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto: Joseph Llanes
Frank Ray is gearing up for the release of his self-titled label debut on July 7 via BBR Music Group/Stoney Creek Records.
Featuring 14 tracks, Frank Ray intertwines traditional country with R&B and touches of Ray’s Latin heritage. The rhythmic collection opens with the anthemic “Streetlights” that showcases his Latin roots, setting the tone for the rest of the project. On the catchy “Country’d Look Good On You” and party-starter “Y’all Showed Up,” Ray cranks it up, and shows some spirit on current single “Somebody Else’s Whiskey.” He also pays tribute to country’s greatest legends like Dolly Parton, George Jones, Waylon Jennings and more in the nostalgic “Back Before My Time.”
“This album is my grand entrance to the country music world,” says Ray. “This project is a perfect reflection of who I am. I have finally figured out my voice, and this is what I have to say. I look at this album like a quilt I knitted, each stitch represents a person I love or an influence I admire.”
The former police officer just launched his mental health initiative FRAY—standing for First Responders MentAl ClaritY—that helps provide first responders with the tools they need for improved mental health due to the intense and sensitive nature of their jobs. He makes it a point to visit local stations at every tour stop, and is currently out on the road with Old Dominion.
2. “Country’d Look Good On You” (Derek George, Monty Criswell, Taylor Phillips, Cole Taylor)
3. “Y’all Showed Up” (Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Bobby Hamrick, Frank Ray, Frank Rogers)
4. “Somebody Else’s Whiskey” (Derek George, Frank Ray, Frank Rogers)
5. “Late” (Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Bobby Hamrick, Frank Ray, Frank Rogers)
6. “Wasting Your Words” (Monty Criswell, Bobby Hamrick, Frank Ray, Frank Rogers)
7. “Out On Me” (Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Frank Ray, Frank Rogers)
8. “We Got Em” (Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Bobby Hamrick, Frank Ray, Frank Rogers)
9. “Prettiest Girl At The Bar” (Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Bobby Hamrick, Frank Ray, Frank Rogers)
10. “Spring Break” (Bobby Hamrick, Frank Ray)
11. “Let It Drop” (Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Frank Ray, Frank Rogers)
12. “Back Before My Time” (Monty Criswell, Derek George, Frank Ray)
13. “Learn Something New” (Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Bobby Hamrick, Frank Ray, Frank
14. “Big Fan” (Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Bobby Hamrick, Frank Ray, Frank Rogers)
15. “Party With Strangers” (Bobby Hamrick, James Slater, Jamie Paulin)
Parker McCollum Stays True To Himself On New Album ‘Never Enough’ [Interview]
/by LB CantrellParker McCollum
For his new album Never Enough, which released via MCA Nashville on Friday (May 12), Parker McCollum dialed in on the sound that differentiates him from the rest.
The 15-song project once again finds Jon Randall at the helm of production, polishing up the specific McCollum sound that first turned fans on to the Texas native with his critically acclaimed 2015 album The Limestone Kid. After making a hit album with 2021’s Gold Chain Cowboy, which included popular songs “Pretty Heart” and “To Be Loved by You,” McCollum and Randall have doubled down with Never Enough, which McCollum says was a welcomed challenge.
“I was bored of what I’ve always done and the style I’ve always cranked out. I didn’t reinvent it, but I tried to be fresh and almost entertain myself with the songs I was writing and the direction I was going this time,” he tells MusicRow.
McCollum’s songwriting skills have sharpened in the two years since Gold Chain Cowboy. Enlisting Music Row hitmakers Ashley Gorley, Hillary Lindsey, Brett James, Lori McKenna, Lee Miller, Monty Criswell and Liz Rose—as well as Texas mavericks and frequent collaborators Randall, Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers—Never Enough finds McCollum at the top of his game as a songwriter.
“[The writers on this record] are some of my favorite writers in town,” McCollum says. “They’re the best songwriters in the world and now they’re my good friends. They just come over to my house and write songs on my couch, so it’s a different opportunity. I didn’t have access to that before, so I’ve really enjoyed that.”
A songwriting highlight on the project is “Tails I Lose.” The tune, co-written with Bowen alongside Brad and Brett Warren, finds the subject drinking away his heartbreak at bar, toying with a quarter that he says decides his fate. McCollum wails, “Jukebox quarter up, I’ve done everything I can. It don’t matter where it lands, Ain’t a damn thing I can do. It’s heads you win, tails I lose.”
“I was kicking around this melody and I had written some other stuff to it. I really loved the melody but I knew that nothing I had rambled off to it was very strong,” McCollum says. “Somebody had the line ‘heads you win, tails I lose,’ which I had heard before but never in a song. So as any typical songwriter, we decided we had to write that before somebody else does.”
Another highlight, “Have Your Heart Again,” was several years in the making.
“I had that melody for about six years. It was one of my favorite melodies I’ve come up with and I didn’t want to take a chance at missing. I played it for Ashley and Lee one night at Ashley’s house and they were into it, so we sat around and wrote a piano heartbreak ballad,” McCollum remembers. “I was going to cut it for Gold Chain Cowboy, but it just didn’t feel like it fit. I’m not sure it fits on this record either, but I’ve never done a piano ballad, so it was chance to do something different.”
Never Enough has already yielded a hit, with the Monty Criswell co-written “Handle On You” topping the charts a few weeks ago. McCollum says that that song set the bar for the rest of the album.
“That song was what I was trying to go for more than anything else. Monty and I wrote that and I said, ‘Man, that’s what I would like to lean into more,'” McCollum shares. “But like I said, I get bored real quick, so I’ll write ‘Handle On You,’ ‘Tails I Lose’ and ‘Lessons From An Old Man,’ and then I’m bored of it and want to go write something like ‘Burn It Down’ that’s big and rocking. Then I’ll go write ‘Wheel,’ which is this waving goodbye song that ends the record on an upbeat note, not such a sad and terrible note like everything else.”
When it comes to “sad and terrible,” McCollum does it well. His hits often find him heartbroken, such as the self-loathing “Pretty Heart,” the downtrodden “Young Man’s Blues,” the agonizing “To Be Loved By You” and the regretful “Hell Of A Year.” The 30-year-old says he feels at home writing sad songs, and his new album has quite a few.
“Those are my favorite kinds,” he says. “Those seem to get the most attention from me.”
But Never Enough has more than sad songs. Tracks “Stoned” and “Speed” find McCollum on the rocking side of the tracks. “Burn It Down,” which is sure to be a hit, was written by McCollum with The Love Junkies (Lindsey, McKenna and Rose), and has earned some early attention from fans.
Though Never Enough finds McCollum leveling up in songwriting and zeroing in on his sound, he credits staying true to himself as the key to his success.
“Staying super authentic to what you are, what you like and what you think is good is how you sleep the best at night. You have to be able to stand behind whatever you do, regardless if the general public accepts it and embraces it or doesn’t,” McCollum says. “For lack of a better term, I never really gave a shit. I did not think country radio would embrace my songs like they have. I never dreamed any of my songs of be on country radio, go double Platinum or do all this crazy stuff. I think my biggest strength is that I just stuck to what I did best and tried to do it as well as I could.”
McCollum performs at his album release party, hosted by Lucchese, in Texas during ACM Week. Photo: Chris Kleinmeier
He credits his label, UMG Nashville, for allowing him to make the music he wants to make.
“When I signed my record deal, my biggest thing was creative control. I passed on all the advance money and all that because I was already selling tickets and touring, so I didn’t really need the cash advance like a lot of artists do when they sign a deal. I really just tried to leverage that and get as much creative control as I could.
“Luckily I got all of it,” McCollum says. “It starts and stops with me on what songs are written, what songs are cut and what songs aren’t cut. They can send whatever songs to radio that they want—they know more about what can be a hit than I do. Shout out to Universal Records because they’ve totally kept their word.”
When asked what he hopes his fans take away from Never Enough, McCollum says he hopes they see his authenticity in its 15 songs.
“I just hope they believe it,” he sums. “All of these songs come from a super authentic, genuine and real place. My favorite songs in the world hit me so hard every time I listen to them. I love to get lost in a song, so I really hope they get lost in these and it does something for them.”
Listen to McCollum’s new album Never Enough, out now.