A Look At Denver Country Pop Singer-Songwriter Racyne Parker & Her New Single ‘I’ll Keep You’

Harnessing a similar sound to that of powerhouses like Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, and Maggie Rose, Colorado-based artist Racyne Parker pulls from a variety of genres. Sampling rock, folk, county, indie, pop, and Americana, listeners can surely find something for them in her music. 

Born and raised in Klamath Falls, Oregon, Parker grew up playing with her dad’s country-rock band, but also enjoyed riding horses and playing sports. Writing her first song in fourth grade, she then joined the jazz choir in high school, but began focusing more on athletic pursuits, such as track and field, volleyball, and basketball. While on the path to medical school and committed to a schedule of athletics, Parker found herself breaking out the guitar and performing more and more. 

Not able to shake off her musical dreams, college soon became the time when she wrote songs influenced by her childhood of country music and the indie/folk sound of her college years. She continued to write songs after graduation, and went on to record her first EP at SoundSmith Studios in Oregon.

The chill acoustic tune, “I’m a Mess,” became her debut single in January of 2019, followed by her debut EP Tumbleweed Town later that year, weaving in the classic country instrumentation she’d grown up on. After spending a year from March 2019 to March 2020 playing shows with the local band Lucid Blue, she decided to make the move to Colorado. She then released the uptempo track, “Hindsight,” followed by the dreamy “Fall Too Easy” singles in the fall of 2020, accompanied by music videos.

A pop flare added to the traditional singer-songwriter style, the new track, “I’ll Keep You,” is deemed as Parker’s first real love song, with previous releases about the ups and downs in relationships. She wanted to provide a deeper contrast from songs she’s written before, making the production a fun and exciting process. Detailing more about the journey, she explained, “It also might be my most ambitious vocal performance yet, and the growth that I’ve seen in myself through this song has been truly refreshing”. 

The occasional pop piano pieces create a lively and fresh ambience as she sings, “You make me smile when all I wanna do is cry, when I doubt myself you come around and keep my dreams alive/Never thought I’d find a love this easy and true, I think I’ll keep you”. The optimism and joy can be heard through the vocals, as the tune was written about her relationship with her then-boyfriend (now fiancé), as V13 explained. Showcasing her playful side as she dances under the bright sun, the music video shows the contagious happiness of love as scenes swap back and forth.

Parker also has another project up her sleeve, which is a collaboration with Jordan Renn and Nick Wood of Lucid Blue that started last summer. They formed the band Racyne Parker & The LowCoals to record an indie rock/alternative EP, expected to be released this year. As for now, her band will hop on the road for March, set to play a few upcoming shows in Colorado to kick 2021 off right.