Lainey Wilson’s song “Smell Like Smoke” from Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone” will be nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Music and Lyrics category.
Wilson made her acting debut in the Season 5 premiere of “Yellowstone” as a musician named Abby, and “Smell Like Smoke” appeared in the season’s third episode.
Talk with VarietyWilson said the song “is built around four pillars that make ‘Yellowstone’ what it is – cowboys, grief, self-confidence and faith.”
The song was co-written with songwriters Monty Criswell, Derek George and Lynn Hutton. “Derek came up with the signature guitar lick at the start of the song and followed along to the original demo, while Monty and I played along with the lyrics and Lynn led the melodies,” Wilson said.
“If I smell smoke, it’s only because I’ve been through hell” was the first line that kicked off the song. “It was a little rough around the edges, but with good energy, which we thought was perfect for ‘Yellowstone’,” Wilson said.
Wilson felt the song suited the experiences of women Dutton Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Monica (Kelsey Asbille). “We thought a song about owning tough times in a proud, pragmatic, light-hearted way would fit well with how the show makes the look sexy and fun,” Wilson said.
As for landing the role in the drama series, Wilson got the call from showrunner and creator Taylor Sheridan in February 2022. “He asked me what I thought of him creating a character for me. He said I would play a musician and I could wear all my crazy clothes and sing my songs, but my name would be ‘Abby’,” Wilson said. “He knew I hadn’t played much, but I told him I had acted like a fool all my life, so I was up for the challenge.”
Aside from “Smell Like Smoke”, Wilson’s sync to “Workin’ Overtime” can be heard in Season 2 of the show.
Listen to the song below.