Eric Clapton’s Crossroads, Grand Ole Opry on your birthday, Jimmy Kimmel Live, CBS Morning Show, kicking off the 30th Telluride Blues and Brews Festival are just a few noteworthy appearances in Grace Bowers’ rise to prominence. A YouTube sensation during the pandemic, her extraordinary guitar skills have raised some prominent eyebrows in the industry. Grace Bowers has appeared on stage with noteworthy names from Dolly Parton and Lainey Wilson to Devon Allman and Slash. What’s even more remarkable is the High School Graduation stage still lies in her future!
It was Slash who made an impression on a then 9-year-old Bowers when she saw a music video of “Welcome To The Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses. “I thought he looked cool” she said of Slash on guitar, “I wanted to look cool” she confessed in an interview with Marty Schwartz. This led to mom’s purchase of her first guitar, a beginner black acoustic which still resides in her room. Now sponsored by Gibson Guitars, she sports a 1961 SG as her ‘go to’ axe.
Guitar didn’t come naturally to Bowers who struggled finding passion in attempting to cover the Hair Metal bands of her youth. Then while flipping through the car radio at age 13 her epiphany came in the form of a B.B. King song. “And I heard B.B. King for the first time. He was playing the song “Sweet Little Angel” off of his first album. And those first, like, five notes he played just, like, struck me.” She said in a 2024 interview with NPR.
Residing in her native northern California, the Covid lockdown provided ample opportunity to spend time practicing in her room which led to YouTube recorded practice sessions, which led to the birth of a sensation. The family moved to Nashville just before Grace started High School and there, she began crashing every venue she could get into and a few she couldn’t (she has been kicked out mid set for being underage) to sit in with performers who quickly took note of this teen’s rising star. In addition to the aforementioned appearances, Bowers has toured with the Brothers Osbourne, Gary Clark Jr., and is making appearances on The Allman Betts Family Revival tour. John Osbourne of the Brothers Osbourne co-produced her debut album Wine On Venus by Grace Bowers and the Hodge Podge. The Hodge Podge was a tongue in cheek name for the various artists Bowers would surround herself with for performances eventually solidifying into a set lineup featuring Eric Fortaleza on bass, Brandon Combs on drums, Prince Parker on guitar, Matthew Paige on harmonica, Joshua Blaylock on keyboards, Jack Warren, Joshua Blaylock & Nigel Cathay on horns and powerful soul vocalist Esther Okai-Tetteh. This would be the group that with Bowers and Osbourne’s lead would bring Wine On Venus to life.
The album itself does not sound at all like a ‘new’ record, and it really is not a blues record. It sounds like a tribute album to the psychedelic funk sounds of the ’70s. Bowers confirms the Parliament-Funkadelic and Sly and the Family Stone influences on the sound and pays tribute with a fun cover of “Dance To The Music” by Sly and the Family Stone. The other right tracks are originals co-written by Bowers and others in group sessions or songwriting circles. There are a pair of short instrumentals, “Won No Teg,” a psychedelic opening track that serves as a lead into the funky toe tapping jam “Get On Now,” and the mellow organ based interlude “Mookie’s Blues” that plays before the album’s closing title track “Wine On Venus,” which is a provocative track that Bowers said was inspired by her ‘Nana’ who passed at the age of 100. Her uncle had shared with the family that she had said when she dies, she’ll be drinking wine on Venus because it’s the brightest star. It stuck with Grace and fittingly became the title for her debut album and arguably its best song.
“Tell Me Why U Do That” was the song the band performed for Jimmy Kimmel Live and was an excellent piece to feature. “Holdin On To Something”, “Madame President,” a song for change co-written with Maggie Rose prior to actually having a female candidate this year, and “Lucy,” with its discerning Allman Brothers influences, fill out the track lineup each with a distinctly different yet complementary sound that ties the album together in a nice Funkadelic bow.
For her part as a rising guitar maestro, Bowers’ riffs do not dominate the songs yet place a firm imprint on them. For such a young artist to collaborate as she has to create an album with a relatable, yet standout sound is quite remarkable. Wine on Venus is an easy and fun listening experience that one would not associate with a teen artist. There’s nothing adolescent about Grace Bowers’ talent and we should be looking forward to hearing it grow.
The Review: 8/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Get On Now
– Tell Me Why U Do That
– Holdin On To Something
– Lucy
– Dance To The Music
– Wine On Venus
The Big Hit
– Wine On Venus
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