Dakota Ray Parker grew up in the hills of Hillsboro, Kentucky—running ridge lines, splashing through creeks, and living in a kind of wild freedom most kids never know. There were goats, pigs, and packs of dogs shaping the chaos of his childhood, but behind that rugged charm were the realities of foster care, alcoholism, and poverty.

“The feeling of being housed with strangers as a kid… you grow up real quick. And it’s lonely,” Parker says.

Influenced early on by bluegrass pickers, 90s country, and southern gospel, Parker carried music with him when, at 18 and fresh after his mother’s passing, he was offered a job in Indiana. With $40 and an hour to decide, he left Kentucky behind. Years of factory work followed, but nothing filled the void. In 2023, he finally quit to chase music full-time. “The only thing that ever gave me a sense of importance as a kid was music… so that’s what I’m gonna do.”