Singled Out: Parker Barrow's 'Don't Tell Mama (What Mama Don't Know)'

11-11-2024

Nashville-based rockers Parker Barrow just release their new single (and video) "Don't Tell Mama (What Mama Don't Know)" and to celebrate we asked them to tell us about the track. Here is the story:

The song idea originally came from a night off in Boston about 6 years ago, when a friend of ours came out on the road with us for the first time and had a few too many beverages. He made a comment about if his mom only knew the condition he was in - and Megan said "Don't Tell Mama!" A few weeks later we wrote the song just before heading to Jacksonville to record the 'demos' that would become our debut EP that was released in 2020 - and it ended up being the title track as well.

At the time we wrote and recorded "Don't Tell Mama" and that first batch of songs, we felt that it was the one that best represented us in our efforts of trying to find "the sound." Since then, we've lived a lot and learned a lot, and with that our music has changed and continues to evolve. We felt this was a good time to go back and revisit something old prior to unveiling something new. It feels like a perfect end to one chapter as well as a good beginning for the next!

It wasn't until our producer, Stephen McKnight, heard us play the 'updated version' of "Don't Tell Mama" live that he suggested that we recut the track with the new arrangement. He had some ideas for the new version, so we re-wrote the song and added a new verse, went into the studio and recorded it with him and then released it as a stand-alone single. For us, it's given "Don't Tell Mama" a new life and made it fun to play and perform live again. It's fresh and with a new energy and we're excited for people to hear it!

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here