Pop Culturalist Chats with Parker Polhill

Singer-songwriter Parker Polhill is a man on a mission and nothing will hold him back. Armed with big dreams and goals, and determination to match, Parker is set to leave a lasting mark on the music industry. This year, he’s released not one, but two hit singles, “On One” and “International”, and is gearing up for a huge 2019, when he’s expected to drop his highly-anticipated debut album. We spoke with this fast-rising star about his creative process, touring this fall, and how he discovered his passion for music.

PC: When did you first realize you wanted to pursue a career in music?
Parker: I’ve been singing my whole life. I actually decided to pursue a career in songwriting and making music a little over three years ago. As a kid, I did choir and then when I got to high school, I turned into a football player. I went to college, played football for a year, and when I transferred colleges, I got back into music. I ended up leaving college to pursue music and I haven’t looked back since. It’s been fun!

PC: What’s your creative process like when you’re working on a new song? Has it changed over the years?
Parker: It depends if I’m collaborating or writing a song alone. When I’m writing a song alone, it’s usually on the piano or acoustic guitar and I worry about the production later. When I’m working with people on a collaboration, though, the producer sometimes brings a beat that they’ve made or a simpler version of something they’re working on or we’ll just make something from scratch. Of course, it depends on how much time we have, but it can come to us in a million different ways.

PC: Who were your musical influences growing up? Is there someone you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
Parker: Of course! I couldn’t tell you my favorite because there are so many great artists out there. I grew up listening to Chris Brown and Nelly. I’m from Atlanta, so I always liked hip-hop and rap music. I’ve always listened to Lil Wayne, Drake, and all those guys. I don’t know if my music is necessarily inspired by them, but they’re who I listened to.

PC: How would you describe your sound?
Parker: I would say it’s mainstream pop with some hints of R&B and EDM.

PC: What was the inspiration behind your new song, “International”?
Parker: My song, “International”, just came out and I worked with someone whom I’ve worked with quite a bit in the past. We’ve done a couple of tracks in different places, usually L.A., but we made this song in Atlanta. It’s one of those songs where a producer brought me a simpler version of the track and we started writing to it. The song is about a relationship that I had, so it’s a very literal explanation about this girl who was all over the place and I couldn’t really keep up with her.

PC: Are there any plans to release more music this year and maybe hit the road?
Parker: Yeah, I hit the road a little already with an artist named Travis Garland. We have a few more shows coming up…probably in October, but I don’t know the dates yet. We’re going to play around the Northeast and will be releasing dates and cities pretty soon, so keep an eye out for us!

I have a bunch of singles coming out the rest of the year…probably three or four. I also released another single before “International” called “On One” and there’s a music video for that. You can check it out on my Instagram or Facebook.

PC: Do you have a venue that’s on your bucket list?
Parker: I don’t know if there’s a particular venue, but I’d love to play at one of those big festivals like Coachella. That’s a big goal of mine.

PC: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about yourself by being a part of this industry?
Parker: The entertainment industry is a lot of fun, so it’s easy to get caught up in that and lose sight of your purpose, but it’s taught me to stay focused on my priorities and goals.

PC: Can you share maybe one or two goals you have for your career or the rest of this year?
Parker: One of my biggest goals right now is to release the album that I’m working on next year. That’s what I’m focused on right now.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Parker: It’s not really a guilty pleasure, but I’m a little embarrassed that I like the Twilight movies.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Parker: Surprised? Maybe Michael Bublé.

PC: First album you purchased?
Parker: Chris Brown’s self-titled album

PC: First concert you attended?
Parker: Backstreet Boys

PC: Go-to karaoke song?
Parker: “Let Me Love You” by Mario

Keep up with Parker by following him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify!

Photo Credit: Seth Kupersmith