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In a music industry oversaturated with inauthenticity and image-driven personas, country singer-songwriter Bekka Dowland keeps it real—grounded in genuine storytelling and led by a whole lot of heart. The Western Massachusetts–based artist recently released her latest single, “Be A Little Kinder”, a song that reflects her compassionate spirit and makes her music deeply relatable, offering listeners something meaningful to hold onto.

StarShine caught up with Bekka to talk about “Be A Little Kinder”, her songwriting process, and her journey as an artist.

How did you know you wanted to be a music artist?

I think I’ve said this in a few interviews — we listened to the radio more than we watched TV in my house. And if the TV was on, we were watching the CMT 40 Countdown or whatever it was back in the day. So, I knew that’s what I wanted to do because I was just immersed in music from a really young age.

We’d get in the car, pick a country CD, listen to the country station — I was always immersed in country music. And pretty much when I could start speaking, the melodies just came out. I would sing along to the radio and dress up in my little cowgirl outfit. I knew very, very early on that I wanted to grow up and be a big star, like the people I was seeing on TV. I don’t think my parents were going to convince me to do anything else because I was that child who was like, ‘Okay guys, the show starts at noon in our living room — be there, I’ll be performing.’ There was really no way around it. That is what I wanted to do.

What inspires your songwriting?

My life — honest to God. I know a lot of people say that, but I genuinely just have no shame in writing about things I’ve gone through or even using my imagination to exaggerate a situation. You’re getting the truth, but in a more theatrical way.

I’ve always been very dramatic, so I tap into that in my songwriting. I’ve got some sassy anthems where it’s like, ‘I’m not thinking about this guy anymore.’ And now with this new single “Be A Little Kinder”, it’s very personal and very relatable to a lot of things going on in the world right now.

I like to draw inspiration from personal things in hopes that people can learn from me or relate to it wherever they’re at in their life. I kind of like to think of myself as the big sister approaching country music. I’ve written about the last decade of my life — my 20s — which everyone knows is very messy and very crazy. I’m hoping anyone approaching that decade can have some guidance through the songs I’ve written.

Your new single is “Be A Little Kinder”. What’s the story behind it?

Every song I write starts with me sitting on the floor. I don’t know why — that’s just where I write songs.

At the time, the wildfires were happening in California, and I was watching it like everyone else because it was so horrific. I’d traveled to L.A. before and recorded there, and my manager sent me a video saying, ‘We can see the fires from the studio.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve been there.’

That started the line, ‘There’s a wildfire in California,’ and then I thought about the hurricane in North Carolina the year prior, and how Florida’s always dealing with hurricanes lately. The first verse just wrote itself with things happening in the world.

From there, I thought about how we’re only here for a short amount of time, and it takes so much more energy to be mean than it does to be nice. The tiniest things — opening a door, smiling at someone — go such a long way. I really wanted to encapsulate that in this song.

The music video is beautiful. How did it come together?

I’m so excited to talk about the music video. One of my best friends filmed it — Rebecca Curtis. She started a production company this year called Heaven to Art Productions.

Months earlier — like the middle of summer — I had a dream that we worked on a music video together, which was funny because she doesn’t usually do music videos. She does ads, commercials, and short films. I texted her and told her about the dream, and she said, ‘Maybe that’ll happen someday.’

When it came time to make the video, I couldn’t think of a better person to capture the vision. We filmed in Wardsboro, Vermont — a tiny town, middle of nowhere, an hour from the closest grocery store — in this small church that gave us exactly the country vibe we wanted.

The second location was outside Boston in a blank-wall studio where we did the projection shots. I can’t even put into words how happy I am with how it turned out. It’s simpler than my past videos — those were more sassy and glam — and I wanted this one to feel stripped down and raw.

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You’re also working on your first full album. What can fans expect?

A roller coaster. We’re traveling from me at 20 all the way to me at 29. I hope somewhere in there, people can find a story that relates to their life now, or learn from things I’ve already been through.

Do you know when it’ll be released?

I wish I could pinpoint exactly when, but I don’t know yet. I just know I want it out this year. It’s definitely still heavily in the works.

What message would you like to share with fans — new and old?

If you’re just discovering me now, hi, welcome. And if you’ve been here, thank you so much for the support. I’m literally just a girl from Western Massachusetts — the girl next door — chasing her dreams. It means a lot when people follow along, and I hope you look at me as your big sister.