I am all about the new reign of amazing female country-pop stars right now and Parker McKay can hold her own with the best of them, her new song "Lately" features her gorgeous voice and a refreshing point of view. We talked to her about the new song and the challenges she's faced in the industry.
How did you get started in music?
I really have been in music ever since I can remember. I was always singing as a kid, all the time.
Tell me about your new song “Lately” what’s the story behind it?
Parker: I wrote “Lately” with Adam James and Jon Sherwood. We were playing around with some ideas and I had this lyric pop into my head and thought the wordplay of “I’ve been staying up too late, wondering what you’ve been up to lately” would be fun. Being from the North, I’m very practical and upfront and I wanted to write a song about how I always make things worse in my mind and would rather have bad news upfront than imagine the worst possible scenario.
I feel like women are dominating country pop!! Why is it more important for more women to be in country?
Parker: DAMN STRAIGHT we are. We have a valuable perspective. The industry landscape is a lot more difficult for us to navigate because of certain inequalities that exist. The plus side of that is, we really have to know what we want and have to find a different way to say it. Things need to change but it definitely has pushed me to be a better artists because I have to have laser focus.
What’s been the biggest challenge for you in the music industry?
Parker: It can be difficult to balance business and art but it’s also a blessing because it puts you more in tune with what music you feel really speaks what you are trying to say and what doesn’t. There isn’t time to spend on things you aren’t really passionate about. If I’m not in love with something I’ve written, I move on and focus on getting something better.
What are you doing when you’re not making music?
Parker: I take home life very seriously. I make sure that I find moments of joy every day with the people I love and with my four-legged crew. Work is so important but ’success’ means so much more to me than just having a great career, I need to feel peaceful as well.
What’s your best piece of advice for young women?
Parker: Don’t be afraid to take risks. In fact, not taking risks is risky. It’s scary to break away from the pack and it may be more difficult or take longer but once you really hit your stride, people will pay attention. High risk, high reward.
Follow Parker on Twitter and Instagram and listen to the new song noew.
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