Wade Bowen Revisits His Past in New Music Video for the Revealing 'Cowboy Kid' (Exclusive)

"I'll always be that cowboy kid no matter what," the country artist tells PEOPLE. "We are who we are"

Nearly 20 years into his impressive career, Wade Bowen isn’t necessarily looking to change too much from the kid he once was.

“I’ll always be that cowboy kid no matter what," the Texas Male Vocalist of the Year, 46, tells PEOPLE in a recent interview. “We are who we are.”

The ‘we’ Bowen seems to be referring to all those that he grew up with back in his hometown of Waco, Texas who dreamed some big dreams back in the day. But for Bowen, that dream looked a little different.

He wasn’t going to be a cowboy.

He was going to be a country music star.

“Writing this song gave me a glimpse into my childhood,” says Bowen of his nostalgic new track “Cowboy Kid,” a sonic stunner he wrote alongside Grammy-winning songwriter Casey Beathard which takes listeners on a sentimental ride through his lifelong dream to make a life out of singing country music. “It reminded me how important it is to keep chasing your dreams, no matter your age.”

Premiering exclusively on PEOPLE, the music video for “Cowboy Kid” uses snapshots from the past to tell Bowen’s story, from the kid who grew up riding horses to the teenager who played the guitar to the star that finds himself on stages across the country. Alongside the likes of Red Dirt artists such as Lainey Wilson and Parker McCollum, Bowen’s dreams have already taken him far.

And it’s a dream that Bowen’s wife Shelby has shared with him since the beginning.

“For sure she knew what she was getting herself into,” laughs Bowen, whose current single, “Lovin’ Not Leavin’” tells the story of a gypsy of sorts finding a home away from the road in the arms of his absolute love. “I still chase the dream as hard as I ever have, and that would not be possible without her.”

For instance, on this particular day, the country singer-songwriter finds himself working in Memphis while his wife and kids are at home in Texas prepping for yet another Friday night football game. “I'm missing it and it breaks my heart,” Bowen says quietly. “We don't sulk about it. We don't even really talk about it. We just know this is our lives. They all know that I'm hurrying home as quickly as I can at all times.”

But the fact is that Bowen finds himself in a crucial point in his career, where the hard work and the dedication to his craft may soon result in a complete shift in both his sound and his career.

“I'm working harder than I ever have,” explains Bowen, who plans to head into the studio in November to begin to work on his upcoming album. “I know that I can write better than I ever have. I know that all that knowledge and all that experience that I've had through the years is really taking me to another level. But I tell everybody, I can write the best songs of my life, but it really comes down to what the people think that are listening to it, and I hope they hear that. I hope they feel it.”

But in a way, it’s somewhat out of his control.

“[This] business will humble you so quickly,” he quickly notes. “The moment you get excited or the moment you start smiling, this business will knock you on you’re ass. So, I try not to think about it.”

Instead, he redirects his thoughts to what he does know for sure, including the fact that no matter how far he goes, he will never forget where he has been.

“I truly hope my sons find the courage to do the same,” concludes Bowen of having his sons Brock and Bruce following their own dreams, no matter what. "They have seen that courage in me through our lives together.”

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Read the original article on People.