Did you catch the queer cameos in Ella Hooper's new music video 'Cowboy Man'?

Have you seen Ella Hooper’s new single Cowboy Man? Turns out her cameo in Lazy Susan’s The Witchy Girls helped create the perfect music video exploring masculinity in a song filled with heart. Recognise these familiar queer and drag faces?

Ella Hooper is saddling up for another glorious ride into her Americana era with Cowboy Man.

She’s unveiled the new single from her highly anticipated fourth solo album, Overnight Success, coming in October, and you might recognise some familiar faces.

“Cowboy Man is one of those songs that, when it landed in my brain, I laughed out loud,” Ella said.

“I’m having fun with and poking fun at the whole cowboy cowgirl country pop culture explosion, as I’m aware it is having quite the moment, but as always there’s a kernel of truth to my silliness.”

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“I’ve had some funny experiences on my several trips to Nashville where I headed to record this album, thinking surely I will find my dreamboat; ethical, self-made, preferably air sign, good-hearted, rugged-looking, old-fashioned but thoroughly woke cowboy husband.”

“What?! I’m not asking for much! Ha, but sad to say, it hasn’t happened yet. I keep coming home empty-handed, still single, but with this great song in tow, so it actually feels like I got the prize!”

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Did you catch Lazy Susan in the music video?

Cowboy Man is a swooning, seductive slice of country-rock with a healthy dose of the Australian music icon’s trademark wit.

Filmed in Melbourne, the music video leans into the dusty saloons, neon lights and romantic mythology of the American West.

Equal parts flirtatious, cinematic and mischievous, it’sa sparkling glimpse into the richly textured world she has created for Ella’s upcoming album, Overnight Success.

“This film clip was such a hoot to make!” Ella said. “I had the idea that I could hold cowboy auditions and collaborate with Lizzie Bailey, the director and Lauren Simpson as producer.”

Ella met them when she had a cameo role on the supernatural drag comedy series, The Witchy Girls.

Source: Instagram @TheWitchyGirls
Photos by @peterfosterphoto/@eloisebeath

“It’s a hysterical show about teenage witches created by and starring Australian Drag Royalty, current winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, Lazy Susan, who I am a HUGE fan of!” Ella said.

“Lazy returned the cameo favour and joined in the madness of my cowboy auditions. We pulled together an amazing array of ‘cow people’, some of which are my real-life buddies from Melbourne bands, some are drag superstars, some are incredible actors – some are crew members’ parents!”

“It was a real group effort and a very funny, silly, so grateful-for-my-creative-community kinda day!”

It’s the perfect way for Ella to introduce her new musical chapter. She kicks open the saloon doors with a little more swagger and a beautiful sound.

‘I’ve been itching to announce and release this album’

Ella’s forthcoming album Overnight Success is built on contrast. With swagger and songs fit for a Sunday afternoon and a Saturday night dancefloor.

Across its 11 tracks, Ella explores heartbreak, family, growing older, desire, resilience and the absurdity of being human. All through a distinctly Australiana-Americana lens and with her irreverent spirit firmly intact.

And it has a recurring philosophy: it might be that the glitter and the grit belong together.

“I’ve been itching to announce and release this album,” Ella shared, “Trying to stay calm through delays, changes of team, a few one step forward, two steps back moments. Which I’m learning is just par for the course for an independent, self-managed muso.”

“But I’m just ecstatic that it’s coming into sharp focus now, and that in a mere month or so those who’ve been following along will get to explore all of Overnight Success, and hopefully so will a few new folks too.”

Ella is hitting the road with an album launch tour

Ella has been splitting her time between Nashville and Melbourne while the album was being created. But she can’t wait to wow Australian crowds later this year when she hits the road for a special album launch tour in October.

“Playing live is my happy place and what I feel I do best,” she says. “I’m a bit of a tried-and-tested road dog now, but to have my own album tour to create a world with, to really curate the evening, is the best version of touring to me.”

“I worked really hard on this record, took risks and fought for things, sent myself broke making it over multiple trips to Nashville. But also met some incredible talents along the way, and I couldn’t be more confident and stoked with the end result.”

For Ella, it was “worth every sleepless night and grey hair. It definitely feels like a level up, in my writing especially.”

“I’m exploring my voice and my relationship to Americana, the sounds, the genre, its parameters. I’m not an easy act to pigeonhole; but God, I feel like myself on this record!”