Meet McKenna Parr | Recording Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with McKenna Parr and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi McKenna, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
I think knowing whether to keep going or give up comes down to examining your motives. I tried living life without songwriting for a while, and the silence was actually fine—but not being able to express the ideas, the lyrics and melodies, was almost torture. As creatives, we need an outlet for what’s inside us. Spiritually, I also felt confirmation when I was willing to let my music serve someone other than myself; that’s when the initiative felt truly blessed. My advice is to check your heart—this life is short, and it’s not about you. If you’re persistent but keep hitting brick walls, ask whether your work is serving others, because the world needs your specific gifts, and the fact that you have them is no accident.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart in my approach to music is that it is both deeply personal and intentionally universal. I write about real experiences—grief, growth, redemption, and finding peace after brokenness, but I want to meet people with that story where they are rather than expecting the broken to seek out a life-saving message. My faith shapes who I am, but my goal isn’t to fit into a specific faith-based genre — it’s to form genuine, life-giving connections in the pop space, meeting people right where they are, the same way I was met.

Getting to this point professionally hasn’t been easy. After my dad passed suddenly before my senior year of college, I went through a long period of grief, self-doubt, and disconnection from music. Returning to Houston, working in the corporate world, and navigating my own insecurities challenged me in ways I hadn’t anticipated. I overcame those obstacles through my faith primarily, but also community, mentorship, and persistent practice.

I’m especially proud of my current project, the Red Bluff Series, a multi-project musical scrapbook that captures different chapters of our lives. The first installment explores childhood, examining the ways we are shaped by our different upbringings and the balance of joy and struggle that informs who we become. The biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way are the power of vulnerability and that excellence and discipline are forms of honoring your gifts, whatever the gift. What I want the world to know is that you’re not alone, you are deeply loved, and you have a critical purpose.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First of all, we would have the jitters because Houston’s coffee shops are UNMATCHED and we would simply have to hit them all! Kidding (kind of), but my neck of the woods is more of the NASA area, so I would definitely take them kayaking through the waterways off Clear Lake to look for gators, then of course we would have to get Tex-Mex as La Brisa. At night, we would see who’s playing at The Rustic or White Oak, and gladly make the trek into Downtown, then get home as soon as possible because my listeners are mostly 30-year-old grandmas like me, and we need a full skincare routine and 8 hours of sleep. I have really been wanting to hit the Museum of Natural Science recently, too! On Thursdays, if we could make it up to Old Town Spring, Trilogy Brew has an incredibly fun Open Mic Night. On a weekday, the Strand in Galveston is so cute and November beach breakfast picnics are elite.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe so much of my journey to the people who poured into me along the way. My dad was the first to show me what it meant to write and play from the heart, and his influence is still the foundation of my music today. DM Music Studios deserves huge credit for helping me discover my true voice and refine my craft after years of being scared and disconnected, but more importantly, DM’s belief in me made me believe in myself. Most of all, without the unconditional love and support of my husband, Tate, I would likely not be making music at all. He always encourages me to finish the songs I start in my voice memos and get in the studio ASAP.

Website: https://www.mckennaparrmusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckennaparrmusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@McKennaParrMusic

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mckennaparrmusic

Image Credits
Sarah Liz Photography (2 photos with the black hat)
Ashley Scott Photography (4 photos, 2 with my husband, the one with me in the tan hat, the one against the brick with the guitar)
Go Polaris Studio (2 red jumpsuit photos)