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Parker McCollum revealed what he would tell his younger self, and why he wouldn’t give his younger self any advice about navigating the music industry.
The Conroe, Texas-born country star caught up with Troy Cartwright on a new episode of Ten Year Town. The podcast features conversations with artists, songwriters and others in the music business, focusing on their journeys in music, “the uncertainties of getting started and what it takes to stay at the top.” Cartwright asked McCollum, “if you could go back to younger you…what would you say?”
“I get this question often. …To be honest, I don’t think I would really give him any advice at all,” McCollum replied. “I just kind of was thrown to the wolves in the music business. Well, I threw myself to the wolves, you know, like I graduated high school, 10 days later, moved to Austin, and just figured it out. …(I) just pieced it together and built it, man. You know, so if it was younger me, I’d be like, ‘figure it out. If you really want it, figure it out.’”
Throughout the podcast, McCollum also spoke about his Texas upbringing, his self-titled fifth studio album (which he expanded into a deluxe edition earlier this month), his journey as an award-winning artist, and more. Find the full Ten Year Town episode on iHeartRadio here.
McCollum is part of the star-studded lineup of the 2026 iHeartCountry Festival, along with Carly Pearce, Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Riley Green, Shaboozey, Dylan Scott, Russell Dickerson, Gretchen Wilson, Chase Matthew and Lauren Alaina. iHeartRadio's Bobby Bones is returning as the event’s host. The show will take place on May 2 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Tickets to the show are available as of January 23. Fans across the country will be able to catch all the action as the 2026 iHeartCountry Festival will be broadcast live across iHeartCountry stations nationwide and the free iHeartRadio app on Saturday, May 2nd at 8pm ET/5pm PT (7pm CT).