What Makes 'Cowboy' Stand Out — Music Videos, Midland, and a Debut Worth Watching Closely

There’s something oddly satisfying about seeing creative people try something new. Maybe it’s curiosity, or maybe it’s that quiet belief that talent tends to travel well. From YouTube chaos-makers RackaRacka surprising everyone with Talk to Me, to Christopher Lee recording a metal album in his 80s — it never gets old.

So when news broke that Cameron Duddy, bassist for Midland and director of hits like Uptown Funk, is making a rodeo drama called Cowboy, it immediately caught my eye.

The story follows a washed-up rodeo legend named Lee 'Babe' Midnight (played by Ben Foster), drifting from show to show and haunted by his past. One day, he’s unexpectedly roped into mentoring Clif Casey (Rudy Pankow), a young aspiring rider. Laysla De Oliveira plays Alejandra, Lee’s ex and mother of his infant son — a role said to carry much of the film’s emotional weight.

The supporting cast is eclectic. Simon Rex plays Lee’s former rodeo partner, now in a wheelchair after an accident. Carlos Pratts appears as a rising rodeo star. Cameron Sault, a deaf actor making his debut, plays a wild-card rider from a group called the Vaqueros Galacticos.

Sault was cast through Deafinitely For All Entertainment, a Deaf-led company championing inclusion — a detail that reflects the film’s broader intent.

The script is by Adair Cole, based on a story from Duddy and his Midland bandmate Jess Carson. It’s produced under Paint Horse Pictures, a new label from Range Media Partners focused on Americana and underdog stories.

"It’s a film about what it takes to grind it out on the road chasing your dreams — and the toll it takes on the people you love," as Duddy explained.

It all sounds like a personal story dressed up in rodeo dust. But maybe that’s exactly what makes it interesting — not just another western or redemption arc, but something more grounded and human.