We’re excited to launch our brand-new Community Concert Series with the heartfelt Americana sounds of singer-songwriter Racyne Parker. Blending nostalgia, warmth, and honest self-reflection, her music feels like coming home — yet always offers something fresh. Before she takes the stage, we caught up with Racyne to chat about inspiration, storytelling, and what it means to share her songs right here in our neighborhood.
Behind the Music
Q: If your music could transport listeners to a different place or moment in time, where would it take them?
A: I hope my music takes people to that first warm day after a long winter — windows down, sun on your face, and your hand catching the breeze.
Q: Describe your music using three totally unrelated objects.
A: A rearview mirror, your favorite pair of jeans, and an ice cream cone.
Q: Your songs often center around small-town life, family, and personal growth. Which one feels most personal to you right now — and why?
A: Hmm… Great question! While most of my songs draw on my own life and experiences, the one that feels most personal to me right now is “Myself Again.” In “Myself Again,” I explore how it feels to balance paying your bills and getting by with chasing your dreams. That’s a fine line that most artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs are keenly aware of in their day-to-day, and I’m certainly no exception.
Q: Your sound blends country, folk, and Americana with a modern twist. How do you find that balance between tradition and your own voice?
A: Somewhere along the way the music from my childhood, mostly country and rock, melted into the music of my college years, mostly indie rock, folk, and Americana. Somewhere between then and now, I found a sound that felt right for me. Still working to get it locked in, but being able to pull from a variety of influences has certainly gotten me closer to finding my own voice.
Q: What’s a story or message you hope people take away from your music?
A: I hope that folks feel welcome to be themselves, build community, and find joy through the music.
Playing for the Neighborhood
Q: What are you most looking forward to about playing at a free neighborhood concert like this one?
A: Gosh, it’ll be so lovely to get back to Colorado. All of the songs on my new album were written while I was living on the Broomfield/Westminster line over the course of about five years — so the Front Range is a very special place to me. I’m looking forward to reconnecting to this wonderful community, bringing some friends with me to soundtrack the night, and sharing some music. (And the food trucks — I’m also very much looking forward to lots of good food, of course.)
Q: Why do you think music is important to local communities?
A: There’s nothing like live music to bring a community together. Live shows are a great excuse to get out of the house, take your family on an adventure, meet up with friends, connect with neighbors and local businesses, find something in a song to take home with you, and make memories that will stay with you long after those last notes fade.
Q: What role do you think music plays in connecting people across different neighborhoods and walks of life?
A: Music is such a powerful way to connect people to one another through shared experiences and feelings. When you find a song or an artist that you love and then find out that others love them too, it can feel like such a relief, like coming home. What I’ve found through music is that even though we’ve all gone down different paths, we’re not alone.
Q: What’s your pre-show ritual—anything unusual or unexpected?
A: I’m currently on the hunt for a good pre-show ritual — let me know if you’ve got some ideas!
Q: What’s your favorite part of performing live?
A: Not to be dramatic, but my favorite part of performing live is that each performance is once-in-a-lifetime; this exact group of people may never be in the same place at the same time together ever again! So, each show is special — and I love being on a stage, meeting new people, and re-connecting with old friends through the songs.
Beyond the Songs: Curiosity & Creativity
Q: Your songs feel like little stories — if you could turn one into a short story or novel, which would it be, and what would the plot look like?
A: I love this question! I would definitely turn “Most Likely To Be” into a novel. Set in a small town at a 10-year high school class reunion, the plot would interweave the stories of each of the characters from the song (Drew, Haley, Sarah, Tyler B., and the narrator) with present moments at the reunion and flashbacks to various events that had occurred over the last decade. The major theme would be that in spite of what they’d each been through, or maybe because of it, their lives turned out better and more complex than they could’ve known at 18.
Q: What’s a book, movie, poem, or lyric that’s been sticking with you lately—or feels like it’s speaking to your life right now?
A: I recently read Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver and it’s on my own personal ‘greatest of all time’ list, that’s for sure. I also recently had the chance to watch the animated movie Wild Robot for the first time and really enjoyed that one, too. When we work together, the sky is the limit!
Q: What’s a song you’ve been loving lately that fans might be surprised to find on your playlist?
A: “You Get What You Give” by the New Radicals and “Left Hand Free” by Alt-J have been in heavy rotation to kick off summer!
Q: What’s something unexpected or quirky about you that fans might not know?
A: You may not know that when I was in college, I played for our basketball team and threw the javelin for our track team! Feels like a lifetime ago, now.
Want more live music under the summer sky? See the full concert schedule here.
And be sure to follow Racyne Parker for new music, stories, and upcoming shows!
