A duet with fellow Texan Miranda Lambert has always been on Parker McCollum’s bucket list, and now there’s a big old check mark next to it thanks to “Santa Fe.”

Ahead of his performance and Audacy’s Stars & Strings Presented By Discover® at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL, McCollum shared with Rob + Holly how his duet on Miranda’s latest album, Postcards from Texas, came to be and what an honor it is to have a song with her.

“I was actually in the studio cuttin’ some songs,” he said of where he was when he got the request steagith from Miranda. “She had texted me and said, ‘Hey, if you wanna sing this song with me, go ahead. Take a listen to it — if you don’t want to do it, all good.”

He continued, “It could’ve been ‘Happy Birthday’ and I would’ve sung it with her I’m such a fan of her. I don’t think I even listened to it all the way through, I texted her back and been like, ‘I’m in!’”

The request came with a large dose of relief for McCollum, who admitted he’d always wanted to reach out to Miranda for a duet, but never wanted to inconvenience her. “I always wanted to ask her to do a song, but I never had the guts to do it,” he shared, “I didn’t want to make her tell me no. I’m glad she asked me.”

The song can be heard on Miranda’s latest album, Postcards from Texas, available now. To hear more from Parker including his first memories of hunting, when he plans to take his own son hunting and much more check out his entire interview with Audacy’s Rob + Holly above.

Words by Monica Rivera, Interview by Rob + Holly

Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Audacy