Parker McCollum hits back after Oliver Anthony suggests he uses autotune and backing tracks: ‘100% a lie’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Oliver Anthony, the breakout 'Rich Men North of Richmond' singer, has a bone to pick with the music industry (and maybe also with a multi-platinum, award-winning country music artist).

In a recent 15-minute video, Anthony let loose on everything wrong with mainstream music. From autotune to backing tracks, he complained of a soulless industry faking it for profit.

Furthermore, he also appeared to throw shade at an unnamed artist - one many fans assumed to be Parker McCollum.

Oliver Anthony’s rant against music artists using autotune

Oliver Anthony’s video wasn’t exactly subtle. While announcing plans to pivot from music to ministry, he took a flamethrower to the country music scene. He called the industry a “joke” and blasted the use of backing tracks and autotune at live shows.

“A lot of these mainstream acts…everybody runs backing tracks," he said. "Like I’ll never forget, I won’t say who the act is, but I think it was at South Carolina at the Myrtle Beach one, the band who played after us, that dude had six autotune modulators on a pedal board on stage, just to help him with vocal pitch live. And they had backing tracks running, drum loops running. It’s like, for somebody to pay hundreds of dollars to go listen to like a fake performance…nobody talks about that stuff.”

Fans quickly did the math: the only festival that fit Anthony’s description was the Carolina Country Music Fest, and the only artist to follow him on stage that night? Parker McCollum.

Parker McCollum responds to Oliver Anthony's accusations

Parker McCollum wasted zero time setting the record straight. Dismissing Oliver Anthony’s claims as “100% fabricated lies,” Parker saddled up—literally—to shoot a response video on horseback.

“Hey guys, per the Oliver Anthony interview or whatever it was claiming that he saw drum loop modular or whatever he called it, I don’t even know what that is…100% fabricated lie," McCollum said. 

"Never ever, ever, ever one time have I ever used autotune or a drum loop or anything fake of any kind on stage. Me and my guys are ripping it the real deal every single night. There has never been any single part of our show, not one note, that was not live, raw, and in the moment. 100% fabricated story. That is 100% a lie," he continued.

"That will never change. We will always be out there swinging it as a real band, trying to do our best to respect country music. So, that’s all I’ve got to say on it, and that’s where it needs to end," McCollum added.

Texas artists rally behind Parker McCollum

Parker McCollum wasn’t alone in defending his honor. Fellow Texas country artists like Koe Wetzel, Kolby Cooper, and William Clark Green chimed in, backing up McCollum’s reputation for no-frills, raw performances.

McCollum has spent years grinding in the Texas music scene, building a loyal following before Nashville came calling. If you’ve ever been to one of his shows, you know he’s all heart, sweat, and no shortcuts.

Anthony, for his part, seems to relish the role of industry outsider. His viral fame from 'Rich Men North of Richmond' catapulted him into the limelight, but he’s been quite vocal about rejecting the traditional music business, Whiskey Riff noted.