Songwriting is an genuine art and a true gift. Many country stars write their own songs and also collaborate with other artists to craft tracks. Parker McCollum has been very successful at penning songs. Some of his renowned co-writes include "What Kinda Man," and "Burn It Down." Per Backstage Country, the 33-year-old singer from Texas says that he has no set formula for writing. He prefers to let the process flow organically. That technique clearly works for very well for him.
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McCollum's Method for Collaborating
He pretty much makes the whole endeavor really easy for someone he works with. According to his conversation with Elaina Smith for Backstage Country, Parker McCollum said, "I think it's a lot easier for them because they don't have to find an idea or start a song or anything."
He continued, " A lot of the time, I've got 25-50 percent of a song already written. So, it's kind of fun to bring their brain and be like, 'Hey, look, this is what I've said so far. What do you guys hear this person in this song saying for the second verse, or for the bridge or for the last verse or for an alternate chorus or whatever?' So, it's kind of fun to get somebody else's perspective on something you've kind of already set in stone."
How He Picks the Songwriters He Works With
McCollum admits that he likes writing solo. But he does also write with others, especially when he wants to bounce something off of someone else. "Like I'll text the song to Adam Wright or Liz Rose, where I'll say, 'Hey, look, here's a melody with me mumbling some stuff, and I love the melody. What do you think what do you think about this?' But most of the time I really enjoy writing by myself."
He shared this as well. "So I try to typically complete a song on my own. And every now and then, I'll have something that I really dig that I just don't like where I'm taking it past a certain point. That's when I like to maybe text it to somebody or get in a room with somebody and just say, 'Hey, what do you hear this saying next? Where do you hear this going musically?' So, there's no formula for me. There's no specific direction or map that I lay out. I never force it. Just let the song happen when it wants to happen."
