Bekka Dowland Shares Inspiration Behind New Single, “Ain’t Thinkin’ Bout You”

Welcome to Buzz, Bekka! We're moving and grooving to your empowering new single, "Ain't Thinkin Bout You." What life experiences inspired you to write this tune?

Hey, thanks for having me again! This song was inspired by a true story. I landed myself in a “situationship,” as they call it. I tend to get myself into these situations where my kindness is mistaken for far more than what it is.

There was a guy in my life a few years ago that I had to encounter pretty frequently because we were coworkers. He thought we were something, but we weren’t. I always try to be polite and friendly without appearing flirty, especially when that isn’t my intention.

Long story short, my life changed, and I didn’t work in the same place. A few years passed, and I was certain his phone number was blocked. Well, I was wrong. Out of the blue, I got a LONG text saying, “I miss you,” “Let’s get coffee,” etc. I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” because I had already put the situation behind me. Then, this song came to life in about 30 minutes on my basement floor.

How does "Ain't Thinkin Bout You" differ from your previous release, "Malibu?” What makes these songs unique on their own?

I like to call “Ain’t Thinkin’ Bout You” the sassy sister to Malibu. Malibu has a very chill and relaxed vibe to it. With the new release, I feel it packs more of a punch and captures a more straightforward vibe while bringing some spice. I think I took a more simplistic approach with Malibu that perfectly told part 1 of this story. I knew following it up, and I wanted it to be more elevated. My team and I worked hard to make “Ain’t Thinkin’ Bout You” fun yet sassy to get our point across.

What sort of feeling or vibe did you want listeners to feel in "Ain't Thinkin Bout You?” How did you want this single to impact them?

I think anyone who didn’t know how to tell someone to “get lost politely” will relate to this. The lyrics are very straightforward and perfectly articulate my intention for this person to move on. I want this to be the sassy anthem they can sing along to, and I want them to realize that it’s okay to be that blunt.

I also want listeners to understand that even if their genuine friendliness is mistaken or read into “more,” it doesn’t mean they should stop being nice. You know your intentions; sometimes, you must step outside your comfort zone to ensure those intentions are clear.

What was your favorite part about creating "Ain't Thinkin Bout You?” What moments or parts of the process did you enjoy most?

I absolutely loved everything about creating this song. My team is amazing at what they do and blows my expectations out of the water. My co-writer Danny only added a line to each pre-chorus and a line in the bridge that I really think helped tie the story together. I love bouncing ideas off each other because our minds work similarly, making everything a lot easier.

Being in the studio with my sound engineer, Drew is always a treat. He has an act for getting the emotions out of me that we want to be heard in each song we record. I think we nailed the anger and sass on this one. From there, we sent the vocals off to Marcus, who does all of the mixing and mastering of my songs from LA. The echoey vocals he created on this track really elevated the song.

If I had to choose one moment that was my favorite throughout this entire process,

I would say the music video shoot. My acting manager/ producer, EJ, is the best. Working with him feels like hanging out with family. We always have so much fun choosing different locations, scenarios, etc., for filming. We flew Brandon in from Chicago for this project to film and edit. Working with him was such an honor. He’s great at storytelling and capturing an audience with visuals. We had an amazing day filming on the beach, in a hotel, an ice cream shop…we truly went everywhere in Fort Myers that day. I think it’s my favorite music video I’ve done so far.

Overall, I truly enjoyed every single part of creating “Ain’t Thinkin’ Bout You.” Seeing a song go from a voice memo to a studio recording is fun.

What's your goal in creating music in the broader scheme of things, and how do songs like "Ain't Thinkin Bout You" help you achieve it?

My goal has always been to make connections with people. I enjoy writing about experiences I’ve had, hoping that maybe even one person can relate to them. I hope to play more shows this year and expand my fan base.

I think songs like “Ain’t Thinkin’ Bout You” really help with this because although it’s upbeat and fun, it’s also real. I mean, this is a real story written about my real life. I hope that by opening up with my songs and sharing these stories, other people will know that they aren’t alone in the things that they go through.

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