The Time Has Finally Come for Country Music's Chancey Williams: 'Cowboys Are Cool Again'

Chancey Williams can't help but shake his head when he hears a country music singer singing about the life of a cowboy, especially when that country music singer has never lived the life of an actual cowboy.

"You can tell they are fake, but we don't have to fake nothing in our songs," remarks Williams in an interview with PEOPLE. "We are the real deal. I mean, I can't sing about a dirt road in Georgia! Basically, if you don't like cowboys, you're probably not going to like our music."

And it's this realness that, quite frankly, once kept Williams and his bandmates out of the spotlight of country music, especially during the somewhat dreaded 'bro-country' era.

"Our fans would've [killed] us if we'd have tried to do that stuff," the neo-traditionalist remarks. "For us, it's been a long journey of playing against what was popular in country music, but we just stayed the course. I always tell the band, don't worry about whatever any other artist is doing. We have blinders on."

Certainly, timing is everything, as the hearty music of Williams now seems to not only be fitting into the current country music scene, but into the American culture, with shows such as Yellowstone and 1883 seemingly infiltrating nearly every corner of society.

"It's finally coming back around to where cowboys are cool again," he says. "It's kind of the new fad to be this authentic cowboy, but I've only been doing it my whole life. I've dressed the same forever. I've talked the same and I've treated people the same."

Not surprisingly then, the realities of a hard life seem to always creep into the music of Williams. "One of these days you could run out of one of these days, right?" asks Williams aloud. "It's always one of those things at the back of your mind."

Indeed, as the idea of mortality seems to stare back into our collective faces these days, Williams has long lived by the 'life is short' mentality. But on his new single "One of These Days," the singer/songwriter takes the rather dark subject and turned it ever so gracefully into a love song.

"It's like, when you have been with a girl for a long time, you start realizing that if you're not careful, one of these days you could run out of one of these days," explains Williams of the track premiering exclusively on PEOPLE. "Never take those moments for granted. When you get to see somebody or make some sort of life choice, you better take it."

It's these life choices that have gotten Williams this far, as the former Saddle Bronc athlete and Wyoming native never envisioned a life where he would find himself in a select group of country music's most intriguing new stars.

"I came from a world and a town with 800 people in it where there was not a big music scene," recalls Williams, 41, who still lives full-time in Wyoming. "I grew up ranching. That's what I knew my whole life. So as far as a career goes, I picked something that I literally knew nothing about." He laughs, adding, "I probably know more about ranch and rodeo than music, but I chose music."

Certainly, his rise within the country music industry has been anything but a swift one.

"It may have taken us a little longer than maybe some other artists, but you know, we've earned every inch along the way," remarks Williams who will release his new album One of These Days on Friday. We had nothing to compare ourselves to when we started playing music. So, it took us a little longer to learn the business and learn the craft of writing good songs and putting together a live show that people want to attend."

And one of those upcoming live shows will be on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry come April 22. "Being able to stand on stages like that, knowing that somebody didn't just pick us out of a crowd and make us a star, feels incredible."