Premiere: Racyne Parker Releases New Single and Video "I'll Keep You"
Thank you for talking with us! What first sparked your love of music? Was there a particular song or record you remember?
Thank you for the opportunity to chat! I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories, from when I was about four or five years old, was sitting on my dad’s shoulders at a Chris Ledoux concert at the Klamath County Fair. Chris had these pyrotechnics going on on-stage - flames, fireworks, and some loud thunderous booms - that seemed at the time to be, larger-than-life and out of control. I remember, even though it was so long ago, thinking the whole stage was going to burn down!
I think I followed that musical memory up with my first Kenny Chesney concert when I was seven years old. Kenny had Montgomery Gentry and Jamie O’Neal open for him, and by the time Kenny made it onto the stage I had fallen asleep! I woke up to him singing “Young,” and he’s been one of my favorite artists ever since.
Oh! And you know that when Shania Twain released her Greatest Hits album, nine year-old me had the whole thing memorized and blasting on repeat in the CD player that my parents had bought for me the previous Christmas - "That Don't Impress Me Much" was probably where I honed my sass as a child - yep, I wore that CD out.
So yes, there’s always been a soundtrack to my life, mostly consisting of the tracks and artists that my parents loved, George Strait, Chris Ledoux, Garth Brooks and a whole bunch of rock from the 70s and 80s (Eagles, AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Journey, 38 Special, REO Speedwagon, etc). There was always music playing in my homes, and I didn’t know any different!
I’m sure you won’t mind me saying that your new song "I'll Keep You," is just fantastic. What do you feel is special about this song that makes people want to hear it?
Thank you, I’m so glad that you enjoy it! I think that “I’ll Keep You” is an easy, fun, bop-of-a-song that pulls you in and invites you into a moment of sunshine, summertime, smiles, and love. That’s why I think people will want to hear it – this year has certainly been heavy, and this song provides you with 3 minutes and 50 seconds of levity, lightness, and relief that I think we could all use right now.
Is this song an accurate reflection of what we can expect from your music going forward?
In some ways, yes, and in some ways, not quite. I think this song is an accurate reflection of who I am as an artist in that I write about personal experiences, to tell a story, or to elucidate the world around me. Along those same lines, that means that I love exploring different genres, styles, and vibes – whatever best captures the experience that I want a song to invoke. This song, for example, included some pop elements that I hadn’t explored before, and I think that the next projects will continue to embrace elements beyond country music that best capture the moment, feeling, or experience, that I’m trying to convey.
How did you come up with the idea for video?
For the “I’ll Keep You” music video, I really wanted to capture a youthful, exuberant, fun-in-the-sun energy. This song is a love song through-and-through, so capturing that giddy feeling of a young timeless love or a passion-come-to-life was really important to me.
So, we brainstormed some ideas that we thought would best convey that imagery- vintage, timeless, colorful, classic, and fun - while remaining vigilant of COVID protocols, and we came up with a few different scenes throughout the video that I think really capture that vibe and energy. This video shows me as my most authentic self yet, and I think fans, and potential fans, will really resonate with that.
What do you do when not performing or writing music?
I love this question! When I’m not out gigging, writing, or recording, you can find me spending time with my guy and our big Pyrenees dog, Deets. They bring a lot of joy to my life. I also really enjoy cooking and baking – we make homemade pizza every Friday, and I’ll always bake you a birthday cake if you need one!
I also recently relocated out to the Denver, CO area, but in years past I spent some seasons as a high school girls basketball coach back in Oregon – another one of my passions that I hope to get back to soon!
Have you always been a country music fan?
For as long as I can remember. Though, I would say that my music taste has expanded exponentially since the early days of Chris Ledoux and Shania, ha!
Heading into 2021, what do you consider to be the biggest challenges for independent country musicians?
From what I understand, one of the biggest challenges for independent artists, in general, could be an issue of supply and demand. Tragically, there seem to be a whole lot of venues that may not make it out from under the weight of the pandemic. With fewer venues and more and more artists (from big names to local acts) looking to perform live, there could be less opportunity to do just that. Not only that, but the venues that do push on and overcome may have less in their budgets for artists because of the hits that they’ve taken; thus, artists might be able to play, but they may not be able to fund their art, cost of living, gear, travel etc. as readily as maybe they once could. Of course, even before the pandemic, independent artists had to grind for a while to make ends meet, this year may just be bucklin' down on the grind a bit more.
Finally, what do you want fans to know most about you and your music?
I want you, as a fan or potential fan, to know that I really am looking to make genuine connections with you. Through music, through performance, through social media, through any means necessary, I want you to feel like you and I could hang out sometime and know that it would be a blast – who knows maybe we’ll get to do that sometime, post-pandemic!
My music is a means for me to process my own experiences, the world around me, the thoughts and stories spinning around in my head, and to share that with you. Maybe we are going through the same things, maybe we see the world in a similar way, maybe we’ve got new perspectives and ideas to swap, or maybe we just need to dance it out, but ultimately, it’s you and me and the community that we build together that make this, what once was a pipe dream, a reality.
I guess that’s what I want you to know most about me and the music.
Thank you so much for taking the time to learn more about me, the “I’ll Keep You” song and video, and the music that I create!
Denver based singer-songwriter Racyne Parker draws inspiration from modern folk, country, pop, and indie influences, to deliver catchy lyrics, warm vocals, and a contemporary style that fits in well on playlists next to Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers, and Miranda Lambert. With a live set that samples originals and cover songs from a variety of genres, including country, folk, indie, and pop, Racyne Parker is a singer-songwriter who brings something for all audiences.
Racyne released her debut single, “I'm a Mess”, in January of 2019 and her sophomore single, “Tumbleweed Town” in June of 2019. Released in August of 2019, her debut EP Tumbleweed Town is a collection of five country songs that give a nod to the country sounds of her youth. Throughout 2019, Racyne could be found playing shows ranging from small solo-acoustic coffee shop gigs to larger full-band shows at bars and restaurants, folk festivals, and County Fairs.
In 2020, Racyne released an upbeat, groovy single, "Hindsight," which she followed up with a lyric video featuring her bandmates, producer, and foreshadowing for her upcoming releases. Racyne ended 2020 with a second single, a ballad called "Fall Too Easy," and an ethereal, dreamy Oregon Coast music video for the song.
Kicking off 2021 with live drums, a fresh bassline, easy guitar licks, an occasional synth, and pop-esque piano sprinkled in, her latest single, "I'll Keep You" is the first love song that Racyne has released. The live band sound, quick lyrics, and catchy chorus were essential to creating a fun and light track that feel sunny, bright, and optimistic.
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