Country artist Chancey Williams stands as a true cowboy who's helping to bridge the gap between the Western way of life and the contemporary country scene. Born and raised on a ranch in the northeast corner of Wyoming, in "a town so small it doesn't need stoplights," his roots run deep in rodeo and saddle-bronc riding. Ahead of his new single release, "It Ain't You," premiering today on Wide Open Country, we caught up with Chancey to learn more about his journey, inspirations, and his genuine storytelling through music.
"It Ain't You" is a vibrant and fun song that dives into the challenges many cowboys face while trying to sustain a romantic relationship. Chancey co-wrote the track with his friend, Jody Stevens, in Nashville, hoping to convey an honest message - that sometimes being a bit of a "shithead" in a relationship is just the way it is for a cowboy.
"I try to stay in my lane and write about what I know," Chancey tells Wide Open Country, "It's one of those songs that makes you want to drive fast, and I think it's just an honest song. We listed all the stuff that [cowboys might experience] like staying up late, leaving late, [the lifestyle] is kind of wild."
Listen to "It Ain't You" below.
In the age of shows like Yellowstone, there's a growing interest in authentic voices that describe the cowboy and ranching culture. Chancey expressed that he felt a sense of duty to be authentic in his songwriting, representing the cowboy and rancher lifestyle he knows all too well.
"It's intriguing to people that are from the city that don't understand what we do out here. If I was singing about NASCAR, people would see right through it. So, I feel like it's the real cowboys and the real ranchers in country music's job to describe those things correctly, so people know exactly how we live - the way life is."
His path into country music could be described as accidental. Despite his initial passion for rodeo, Chancey saw that a pivotal career change was on the horizon for him and his bandmates, who discovered their compatibility after performing in a high school talent show. Soon, Chancey was drawing crowds with his tailgate performances after the rodeo.
"I realized I could sing a lot longer than I could ride bucking horses," he says.
Growing up, Chancey's musical influences included George Strait and Chris LeDoux, who he fondly refers to as the "King of Wyoming." He recently followed in LeDoux's footsteps as the second person ever to sing and ride in the Cheyenne Frontier Days.
"We've kind of had to carve our own way the whole way, and it's been a lot of work. But we've had a great foundation of fans that have followed us for years," he says.
One thing is for certain with Chancey, what you see is what you get. "I'm at the point in my career where I don't really have to prove to anybody that I'm a cowboy, or that I sing country music."
Having achieved other milestones like debuting at the Grand Ole Opry and headlining at the world famous Billy Bob's Texas, Chancey remains eager to conquer new venues and achieve more significant milestones. He's currently on an extensive summer tour promoting his latest album One of These Days, and is already working on a batch of new songs.
"We just always try to stay ahead," he says, "I was just now recording, so I got these eight we just got done plus the five - that's almost an album right there."
You can find more on Chancey Williams' tour dates and music here.
