Drew Parker Expecting Perfect Storm – A Hit Song, A New Album, And A Baby On The Way

Drew Parker is living his dream, even if it comes with a few hiccups. The 32-year-old country star is currently dealing with a broken air conditioner at his Nashville home, all while preparing for the arrival of his second daughter. 

During a recent chat with PEOPLE from his home, Drew stated, “The air conditioning at my house is out. A guy just showed up to fix it. My wife Mallory is eight months pregnant, so it’s got to get fixed.”

While home life is heating up, so is Drew’s career. The Grammy and CMA Award-nominated artist is at a point where everything is bubbling over at just the right time. He’s fresh off a performance at CMA Fest, where the energy from the fans was palpable. 

“I just played CMA Fest, and I mean, to watch those diehard fans that come out in the heat to see their favorite artist is super special,” Drew said, adding, “There are a million other places they could be. It becomes one of those moments where you realize that if they are coming to see you, you are doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”

Drew is also currently on the road as an opener on Luke Combs’ Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour. But it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the Georgia native. Following the 2021 release of his debut single While You’re Gone, which reached the top spot on SiriusXM’s The Highway’s Hot 30 Countdown but stalled on the Billboard country charts, Drew was unsure of his career’s direction. 

“It’s been a while since I went to radio with a single,” he admitted. 

“You never know if you’re going to get that chance at radio again, and so three years later to get that chance again is amazing,” he added.

Drew’s current single, Love the Leavin’, is bringing him renewed excitement. “I grew up a fan of country radio. That’s what me and my dad listened to in the truck,” he reminisces. “Getting these opportunities to hear your song on the radio means your career is progressing, which is exciting for me and my family.” 

He added, “My goal has always been just to be able to pay to repair my air conditioner when the guy shows up, you know?”

2024 is shaping up to be a banner year for Drew. “I signed a record deal and wrote my first No. 1 at country radio as a songwriter [on Jake Owen’s 2020 hit ‘Homemade’] the week my daughter was born,” he recalled, adding, “Nine months later, I put out ‘While You’re Gone.’ And now, ‘Love the Leavin” is out and doing what it’s doing. I mean, we’re going to have to pop out a baby every little while.”

Love the Leavin’ felt special from the start, as Drew, who co-wrote the song with Matt Rogers and Lindsay Rimes, says, “This sounds so not humble, but I have never been more confident of a hit song than when we wrote ‘Love the Leavin’.”

“When I wrote it, I immediately sent it to Luke and then I sent it to other people, and within a matter of two hours, a handful of bigger artists had put this song on hold to cut it themselves. And to be honest with you, I thought that this song was bigger than me. Fortunately, I have a great team who shook some sense into me and was like, ‘Are you crazy? This is a career song,'” he added.

This standout track will be featured on Drew’s debut full-length album, Camouflage Cowboy, set to release on July 12. “The cut [of ‘Love the Leavin”] that is on the record is nearly identical to the demo that we created in the room that day,” he explained, adding, “We just added some steel guitar. It felt too magical in that moment to change anything and try to make it more perfect, if you get what I’m saying.”