Stephanie Quayle Embodies an Unwavering State of Mind in ‘If I Was a Cowboy’

“If I Was a Cowboy” is as much a state of mind as it is a song, as the latest single from Stephanie Quayle defines what it means not to live like a cowboy, but think like one.

“’If I Was a Cowboy’ is the perfect song when it comes to strength and emotion. It’s the contrast of the cowboy state of mind and how you navigate the emotion of life,” Quayle explains to Sounds Like Nashville. “It’s that adrenaline, it’s that strength that shows up when you need it the most.”

Growing up on a buffalo farm in Montana surrounded by cowboys, Quayle has long admired that unbreakable mentality. But the song goes deeper for the singer. Told from the perspective of a woman overcoming a breakup, the story narrates how a cowboy would navigate that same hardship. “Cowboys ain’t fragile, they’re back in the saddle, don’t wait for their heart to unbreak, they just ride away,” she sings poignantly. The lyrics inspire Quayle to learn from her past, using the song’s message as meaningful advice. “I stayed in relationships too long and I also wonder why they left or they didn’t want me,” she reflects. “I’ve lived a lot of the lyrics, I’ve experienced a lot of these emotions and I’ve seen the other side. I’ve seen cowboys live their lives in this way where decisions had to be made. There wasn’t the time or the ability to go through the emotional side of it.”

While the singer has gained insight through the many songs she’s recorded, Quayle says “If I Was a Cowboy” has resonated in a particular fashion. She recalls experiencing a moment of doubt and low self-confidence when her mind turned to the song, inspiring her to embrace that unwavering disposition. “I found myself after recording this song,” she says honestly. “There’s all these factors that I have processed through this song now that feel very real to me…I’ve watched [it] work within my own life from that standpoint of ‘don’t stay in this mindset, let’s move on.’”

In addition to her own reflection, Quayle sees another person in the empowering song – her mother. Calling her the “ultimate cowboy,” Quayle shares a story of how a horse once rolled onto her mother’s leg and broke it, yet she still managed to ride a bicycle with a cast on. “There’s nothing she can’t handle and again it’s that state of mind,” Quayle observes. “I love that determination, perseverance and quiet storm. There’s so much more going on, but it’s not always outward.”

The singer carries this steadfastness into her business acumen. The daughter of two entrepreneurs, Quayle was instilled with a rigorous sense of focus when it comes to accomplishing her dreams. As one of Nashville’s hardest working up and coming artists, Quayle is the founder of her own record label, Rebel Engine Entertainment, spending years reading such marketing books as Made to Stick and The Tipping Point to seek valuable knowledge on how to advance her career. “The true north of everything I’ve read and studied is when you are your most authentic self and you’ve put that first, you will find the doors that you can walk through,” she says. The “Drinking With Dolly” singer cites such icons as Dolly Parton, Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres as trailblazers who have created opportunities for all types of people, particularly women; Quayle hopes to have that same impact. “As a woman, that’s the kind of footprint I want to create so that it pays it forward,” she says. “How do I continue to build myself so I can build others.”