Behind the Song: “I’ll Be the Cowboy” – Martina Dawn

Canadian country artist Martina Dawn recently shared her newest single, “I’ll Be the Cowboy“, which is currently on all streaming platforms. Written by Martina and fellow artist Hannah Gazso, “I’ll Be the Cowboy” was produced by JUNO Award winner Russell Broom. As Martina’s first single of the year, the track weaves together a stripped-back country production, an introspective atmosphere, and emotive storytelling to explore empty, unfulfilling relationships and the inner courage needed to move on.

Blessed with an old country soul and  a contagious pop flair, Martina Dawn’s rising status in the Alberta music scene reflects her lyrical honesty, vocal energy, and bold stage presence. Naturally curious, Martina is passionate about watching the people around her and teasing out songs that capture the moments and feelings that genuinely move her. A fourth-generation artist from the small town of Devon, Martina could sing before she could talk and grew up listening to country staples like Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and Shania Twain along with music icons like Michael Jackson, Bryan Adams, and Miley Cyrus. 

“I’ll Be the Cowboy” is Martina’s eighth single to date, and today we’re excited to be teaming up with her to give our readers an exclusive behind the scenes look at the creation of this catchy track!

BEHIND THE SONG: “I’ll Be the Cowboy” by Martina Dawn

Hey Live in Limbo!

My name is Martina Dawn, and I am a 22-year-old country singer-songwriter from Devon, Alberta. I am super excited and thankful to have the opportunity to talk to you about my newest single, “I’ll Be the Cowboy.”

The Inspiration

The inspiration was really just the title my co-writer, Hannah Gazso, had before we started the writing session. She texted me the idea, and immediately we were set on writing it!

We wanted to take lyrical inspiration from artists like Lainey Wilson and Kacey Musgraves – who are super confessional and witty with their songs and delivery – and make the song about taking on the role of being a cowboy in a symbolic sense. Cowboys are typically depicted as symbols of strength and independence. This song is about taking the power back and becoming your own Cowboy when the other person in a relationship is not taking their role seriously.

Relationships won’t always be 50/50; sometimes they will be 80/20 or 60/40. It gets to a point, though, where people realize the effort is not nearly reciprocated on one side, and this song is about that realization, having the strength to move on, and how important that is for personal growth.

The Creation

“I’ll Be the Cowboy” was recorded in Calgary, Alberta, with Juno Award-winning producer Russell Broom.

I met Russell in November of 2024 during Canada’s Music Incubator program. Each participant in the program got to spend a day with one of the few notable producers that they brought in, with the intention of discussing and learning more about the producing process, and I was paired up with Russell.

When we went into the session, I played a couple of work tapes that I had, one of them being “I’ll Be the Cowboy,” and both of us became really committed to the song because of how much we loved the message. That day, we recorded a demo, and we started the recording process about a month later.

With Russell being an absolute musical wizard, he was able to not just produce, but play almost every single instrument on the track. We brought in Adam Dowling on drums, Mitch Jay on Dobro, and I sang lead vocals and my own backups. Other than my vocals, we recorded everything remotely, which was a process I was quite familiar with after recording a couple of my previous singles during the pandemic.

This song is really cool to me for that reason because even though at no point were any of us in the room together for the building of the instrumentation, we were still able to capture the exact feeling I was going for: raw emotion with a sense of empowerment.

The Audience

People who have experienced a lack of effort and reassurance from their partners in the past or are currently experiencing it in real-time.

I have noticed a pattern of men and women around me who tend to stay in relationships, even when they are not fulfilling. My hope with this song is that people will hear it, and whether they are going through a similar experience actively or have been through a similar situation in the past, that they can feel seen and know that they are doing the right thing by taking their power back.

It is okay to leave someone who is not making you feel loved or important, and having the confidence to do that is not easy. However, when you decide to finally leave and become your own cowboy, you inevitably become a stronger and more resilient person, which are great qualities to have in future relationships and also just for one’s greater good.

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