'I don't write songs about trucks & whiskey'- Leyland mum launches new country song with US star

A singer from Leyland is hoping to take the country music industry by storm with her latest single.

Independent country sensation Bee Smith, who lives in Penwortham, today sees the simultaneous worldwide radio launch and VEVO music video premiere of her new single, ‘Summer Before The Fall,’ featuring veteran US country star Chris Chitsey, who has toured with the likes of Tim McGraw and Jo Dee Messina.

The mum of one, originally from Leyland, has had a whirlwind two years getting into the music industry and she’s hoping the track will be her biggest yet.

Former Balshaw CofE High School and Runshaw College pupil Bee had always dreamed of a career in music but was brought up being told it was not a viable career option.

After studying media at university and working in mental health for over a decade, Bee decided to kickstart her music career back in 2024, inspired by her 7-year-old daughter, Lana.

The now 42-year-old told the Post: “Having my daughter really pushed me to go after my dreams. As she’s growing up, I’m teaching her that she can be whoever she wants to be and I realised that I wasn’t doing that. I felt like a hypocrite. I want to inspire her to always be true to herself and work for what she wants.’

Bee started by posting videos of herself singing on TikTok “which made my skin crawl, I’m not the best at social media”, she admits.

The TikToks however got the attention of a record company in Louisiana who signed her, helping her make “amazing contacts” and release a handful of well received singles in the US.

Bee, who has chosen to now go independent, has had her hard work pay off: she was named the International Singer Songwriters Association (ISSA) Songwriter of the Year in 2025, placed in the top ten three times at the World Songwriting Awards and was nominated for Breakout Artist of the Year at the Elite Music Awards.

Her latest track with Chris Chitsey also comes off the back of the news that she has secured an impressive five nominations at the 2026 Josie Music Awards (JMAs)—the largest independent music award show in the world.

Due to be held at the iconic Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Bee has so far been nominated for Vocalist of the Year, the Fans' Choice Award, two separate Songwriter Achievement Awards whilst ‘Summer Before The Fall’ is nominated for Vocal Event of the Year.

Encouraging the people of Lancashire to get behind the track, Bee said: ”I think it's one of those songs that a lot of people can resonate with. It kind of balances between friendship and risking that for romance, and I know there's a lot of people that can relate to that here and across the pond. We've had really good feedback from people and it’s had some awesome critic reviews as well.”

Bee wrote ‘Summer Before The Fall’ alongside Grammy-nominated writer Thornton Cline, owner of Clinetel Nashville Records, whilst it was produced by D Scott Miller, featuring studio session musicians who have recorded and toured with music royalty, including Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, and Willie Nelson.

The song’s music video - Bee’s first-ever - was filmed entirely on location in Cancun Mexico, bringing the emotionally charged narrative of the track to life against a backdrop of tropical beaches.

Bee, who has also performed at the famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville said: “I don't think I'll ever get over filming my first music video in a location as stunning as Cancún. To follow up the ISSA win and the World Songwriting Awards top-ten placements with five Josie Music Award nominations—and the chance to stand at the Grand Ole Opry—is completely surreal. Co-writing with Thornton Cline, working with D Scott Miller's elite musicians, and partnering with Chris, who has such an unbelievable 30-year legacy, has been an honor. Hitting global radio and launching on VEVO on the exact same day makes this an incredibly proud moment for independent UK country music.”

Reflecting on her career so far Bee told the Post: “I'm really grateful that I've been brave enough to say ‘well, actually, I need to do this for me’... There's never been an intention from me to be famous, I would just love to write songs that resonate with people, and whatever comes off the back of that is a bonus. You know, I'm not a 21 year old, I want to write stories that I've lived, and if that connects with people, then that's incredible.

“I don't write songs about trucks and whiskey. Country music to me is about telling the truth. It's writing about experiences that I've had, or that I know that people have had. I worked in mental health for many years so there's lots and lots of stories I can tell. What I love about the songs that I've released previously is that they have resonated over in America, which is mind-blowing to me. I didn't know if I was going to be accepted by this community, you know ‘you're from England, what do you know about country music?’ Sure, I'm not a farmer's daughter, I don't ride horses, so I don't write about those things, I just write about love and heartbreak and feeling things really deeply, and that's the essence of what country music is. So, thankfully, I have been accepted by that community, which is amazing.

“When I played at the Bluebird last year, I performed a song that I wrote about my dad, he wasn't around when I was growing up, called ‘Little Girls Heart’, and it was just such a humbling moment. There were people in the audience there that cried with me as I was singing that, and I'll never ever forget that it was just such a raw human connection/experience to be able to do that with strangers, and it was amazing. It just makes me want to continue writing.”

Summer Before the Fall is available across all major digital streaming platforms via Clinetel Nashville Records and SONY/The Orchard.

You can also keep up to date with Bee’s career by checking our her website, where all her social media accounts are linked.