Randy Houser Talks New Film 'Magnolia' and How Wife Tatiana Is 'Killing the Mom Thing' with Baby Huckleberry

Wednesday was a big day for Randy Houser. Nevermind the fact that he had his infant son, Huckleberry Randolph, and his adorable dog, Hawk, to take care of. It also marked the release of the film Magnolia, based on Houser’s eponymous album.

The movie documents the story of Noah, an oil pipeline/rig worker, who falls for the enigmatic Ana, upon making his way back home to the Mississippi coastline. Much tension and heartbreak ensue — and yes, a love story — as the film follows the beautiful thematic arch of Houser’s January 2019 record.

To celebrate Magnolia‘s release, PEOPLE caught up with the country star to talk about the flick, his wife Tatiana, and of course his new son, born June 9.

“The film’s just a second piece to the puzzle which is the album Magnolia,” Houser said, clearly excited for the movie’s release. “It’s a really creative opportunity that we took to try to get people to stay in one spot and listen to the music for a moment. I don’t really love making music videos — it’s not my favorite thing. This was just a really good way to [present the album as a whole]. It’s a really moody drama.”

“It’s about the struggles of everyday life … Trying to make a living and relationships and love and all those things. And it runs a strong parallel to a lot of my life story, in the way the album does,” he continued.

Happily for Houser, these days his life has emerged from more difficult times and he’s enjoying the role of settling into fatherhood once again. (The “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” singer is also dad to 7-year-old son West, from his previous marriage.) With the musician on the road for much of the month, Houser, 43, credits Tatiana for holding down the fort at home.

“Tatiana, she’s amazing. I’ve been gone all but about three days in the past four weeks. She’s been handling it mostly by herself. I think [Huckleberry’s] job is to make sure she doesn’t get any sleep at this point. She’s incredible,” Houser told PEOPLE, adding that at the time of the interview, he had finally been home for four nights straight. “I’ve been able to help her and she’s been so appreciative. She’s killing the mom thing. I couldn’t be more proud of her.”

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Though he may be keeping his parents up all night, Huckleberry — now 11 weeks old — is quickly growing into his moniker. “His personality already fits his name. He’s like Huck Finn. You can already tell he’s going to be very independent, opinionated,” Houser said.

Even the pup has flourished with the family’s new arrival: “Hawk’s very protective of Huckleberry. [From] the day we brought Huck home, he’s been by his side the entire time. He checks on him in the night a lot of times. You’ll see him trot over there. He’s like, ‘That’s my brother.'”

Actual brother West — who lives on the West Coast with his mother but visited in July — is looking forward to bonding with Huckleberry, and is already honing his own vocal chops, Houser reported.

Indeed, this new chapter in Houser’s life has been ripe for creativity. “There’ll definitely be some songs coming out of it,” he quipped.

Buy Magnolia via the iTunes Store or GooglePlay here.