Adversity leads to success. Anything can be overcome. "You can’t let mistakes keep you from trying again". - Grace Bowers

Photos provided by Hannah Laney

GEAR SPECIALIST | GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE TAMPA, FL U.S.A

Edward Schooley

Founded in 2021. GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE of Tampa, FL Guitar Thrills Magazine of Tampa, FL U.S.A. The GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE is excited to bring you some of the music industries finest talent. Including the world of entertainment. Our focus includes the long term goals and aspirations of artists of all sorts. We are an unbiased reporting platform. You are getting insight into the world of music. No, we are not your fathers website for music news. We have grown into our own, and rely upon decades of music experience and knowledge. Guitar Thrills Magazine is a hard act to follow.

According to www.fortbehavioral.com the six types of adversity are physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and financial. Here is where their input to adversity ends. The resource does provide valuable information to overcoming adversity. However, our focus is on those that have found a way to overcome it, despite the challenges that they faced. Severe and often insurmountable odds are faced by the strongest of individuals. 

I have friends and acquaintances that have proven that endurance, along with hope anything can be overcome. Though there are times when adversity leads to traumatic experiences. There are self-help books that are written to assist individuals with overcoming adversity. However, the pages of book or website might not be enough. A physician or specialist may need to intervene. 

It is encouraging when you see others overcome adversity, and it leads to something unexpected. Throughout the challenges faced, success is the least unexpected result. 

However, when you are a young talented guitarist, what kind of adversity is there? Is it possible that adversity is even possible? Many of you already know Grace Bowers. We have also interviewed several times before her recent success. However, we need to find out what she has experienced along the way. Just maybe, we can help others looking to make it big in the music industry as well.

ABOUT GRACE BOWERS

Grace Bowers was baptized by rock ‘n’ roll music. She cut her teeth on sweat soaked stages inside dive bars and found fellowship in the divine playing of B.B. King. She once studied six-string scripture – written by Slash and Leslie West – for hours a day, mastering her favorite riffs on a ‘61 cherry-finished Gibson SG.

As an up-and-comer in Nashville, Dolly Parton recruited her for a network television special and Tyler Childers requested that she join him on stage. She’s played with a who’s-who of three-chord storytellers and guitar-pickin’ torchbearers – Lainey Wilson, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Susan Tedeschi, to name a few.

And she’s not yet old enough to graduate high school. Phenom? Wunderkind? … Prodigy? No matter what label may be pinned to Bowers, she’s just a teenager who’s putting her faith in rock ‘n’ roll – one song at a time.

“[It’s] a cool thing,” Bowers said. “It blows people’s minds that I’m a 17-year-old girl, playing guitar. And as much as I hate being labeled as that, it’s true.”

But Bowers isn’t just a sought-after 17-year-old guitarist storming jam sessions with her Gibson and a gold-blonde mop of shoulder-length curls, of course. She’s a bandleader and songwriter preparing to leave her mark on some of the biggest stages in music. Her debut album, Wine On Venus – produced by ace guitarist and songwriter John Osborne (of hitmaking country group Brothers Osborne) – hits turntables and streaming services later this year.

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Listeners get a first taste of the album on lead single and standout number “Tell Me Why U Do That,” where Bowers and her band – affectionately called The Hodge Podge – deliver a throwback, feel-good tune that comes jam-packed with funk grooves, soul-inspired melodies and a stop-you-in-your-tracks guitar solo. It’s the type of song that dares listeners not to stand up and sing along.

Bowers co-wrote “Tell Me Why U Do That” alongside Osborne and his singer-songwriter wife Lucie Silvas, plus Nashville artist-songwriters Meg Mcree and Ben Chapman.

“I hope this is the one that gets stuck in people’s heads,” Bowers said, with a laugh.

“Tell Me Why U Do That” and the rest of Wine On Venus showcases Bowers’ journey from a teenager who livestreamed bedroom practice sessions on Reddit – sometimes to 20,000+ viewers, no less – to a bona fide album-maker with more than 200,000 followers on Instagram. She picked up the acoustic guitar as a nine-year-old obsessed with so-called “cheesy” hair metal videos. A few years later, her fandom progressed to blues music after she stumbled across B.B. King while shuffling through radio stations in her mom’s car. The proverbial floodgates opened, leading her to discover essential blues artists Mississippi John Hurt, T. Bone Walker and others.

A native of Northern California, Bowers and her family relocated to Nashville two-and-a-half years ago, weeks before her freshman year of high school (Bowers now studies online). Not yet old enough to drive, she continued to grow her audience on social media, becoming a Gibson-endorsed artist by age 14.

She found her way to performing live, taking her skills to dive bars and pay-at-the-door rock clubs before graduating to guest spots at Newport Folk Festival, Nashville’s Big Bash New Year’s Eve concert and her own fundraising gig for victims of the city’s Covenant School shooting in 2023, among others.

How did one teenager cover so much musical ground in such a short time? “Lots of practice,” she said. “Lots of cutting teeth. Lots of not saying ‘no’ to people when I should’ve. Just being stubborn and persistent. I have worked my ass off to make this happen. Just hard work.”

ADDITIONAL REFERENCE: https://www.guitarthrills.com/grace-bowers-interview-guitar-thrills-magazine/

On the album, Bowers and The Hodge Podge graduate from traditional rock and blues influence to sounds inspired by Parliament-Funkadelic and Sly and the Family Stone, she said. The group takes its name from a mixed bag of players that Bowers would invite to share the stage with on a given night. Despite now being a solidified group, the name stuck. The Hodge Podge includes vocalist Esther Okai-Tetteh, bassist Eric Fortaleza, drummer Brandon Combs, guitarist Prince Parker and keys player Joshua Blaylock.

Bowers co-wrote most of Wine On Venus in songwriting circles – a creative exercise that took her “a hot second” to comfortably navigate. But listeners wouldn’t know a first timer was behind much of Wine On Venus; that’s clear on “Holding On To Something,” a savvy and confident number anchored by a riff Bowers began toying with years ago, she said. The song features a slow-building solo that culminates with harmonized playing and a high-flying howl from Okai-Tetteh. 

“I never forgot [that riff] and I was jamming on it one day with a friend of mine. We were writing some lyrics to it and we called over Esther,” she said. “This was the first time we had ever written [together]. It turned out to be that song.”

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And Wine On Venus features a cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Dance To The Music” that takes on a Hodge Podge twist.

“It was just fun,” Bowers said, recalling the cover session with a laugh. “If you listen to it, you can hear all of our voices in the background throughout the entire song, which I thought was a cool thing to keep in. That one took us a couple hours to knock out. It was a fun, easy song.”

This year, Bowers and the band take Wine On Venus on the road for a run of dream-making festival shows, including slots at BottleRock Napa Valley, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Bourbon & Beyond and Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, among others.

But a booked schedule doesn’t mean Bowers isn’t already thinking about the next project. Like most people who believe in something, she wants to find out where this rock ‘n’ roll journey leads her. 

“I love it,” she said. “Seeing where I can go with it, I still have so much to learn.”

INTERVIEW WITH GRACE BOWERS AND GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE

Guitar thrills: Thank you for joining us this month. We are excited to get to know the Grace Bowers on another level. I think her guitar style reminds me of some of the old school guitar players. It is obvious any time she is on stage. 

Guitar Thrills: One of the first things, I want to cover is adversity. How has it directly impacted you? 

Grace: I’m on a unique path in regard to how I got started, so my adversities may be a bit different than others traditionally face. I would have to say that the hardest thing for me was having to grow up faster than I should have. I started playing in Nashville clubs every night when I was 15, and I saw a lot of things I shouldn’t have at that age. Also switching to online schooling was a huge sacrifice for me, I had to give up a lot of my social life. 

Guitar Thrills: Adversity affects people in many ways. Some to the point of failure. Especially if it’s affecting your career. How were you able to maintain your focus?

Grace: Well, there was a lot of failure, and looking back I'm grateful for those shortcomings because I learned from them. You can’t let mistakes keep you from trying again, to me that’s a mindset thing. I try to be very conscious of not beating myself up too hard when I mess up. 

Guitar Thrills: We are glad that you were able to manifest a strong determination to proceed despite challenges.

Guitar Thrills: Have you performed with any of the artists that you coveted?

Grace: Many yes, I’ve gotten some real cool opportunities this year. I just got to play with and open for Gary Clark Jr, and I’ll never forget performing with Dolly Parton. 

Guitar Thrills: What are you accomplishing now? Are you on tour, or working on an album?

Grace: I just released my first album and me and the band are currently touring! 

Guitar Thrills:  What are some of your immediate goals as a band, and where do you see yourself this year? 

Grace: I am definitely loving being on the road. Whether it be small club shows, festivals, or opening slots.. I’m down for all of it at this point! We’re cutting our teeth and getting out there for sure. I’d like to do some more headline shows this year. 

Guitar Thrills: What brands do you use, whether performing live, or in the studio? And why? 

Grace: Some brands I love are Gibson, Ernie Ball, and Dunlop. They’re reliable and I have good relationships with those brands. 

Guitar Thrills: Tell me about the band that you are currently playing with?

Grace: Sure, they’re called the Hodge Podge, right now there’s 6 sometimes 7 of us. Though if I had the funds there would be 12 haha, I’d go all out. Everyone I met playing around in Nashville, we all gel very well together musically, despite all our different backgrounds and experiences. 

Guitar Thrills: When did you know they were an exact fit for what you want to accomplish?

Grace: Everyone in the band is a monster musician, and there’s just this feeling you get on stage when everyone’s locked in with each other. It’s hard to describe, but it’s irreplaceable. 

Guitar Thrills: Within the last year or so, you have received a tremendous amount of attention and support. What is the “it” factor that Grace Bowers brings to the music industry?

Grace: When I first started out I was just a kid posting videos of me practicing guitar in my bedroom. I think a lot of people saw themselves in that, as anyone who’s picked up a guitar has been there before. Then as time went on people enjoyed following the growth and rise for sure. I think the draw currently is the music. It’s real and authentic, and most importantly… it’s live, and I’m not trying to imitate anyone. 

Guitar Thrills: Do you parents continue to keep things real for you? Are they a source of stability to keep you grounded?

Grace: I am very grateful for my parents as they’ve been big supporters despite not having a music background! They’ve helped guide me through some things for sure. They definitely keep me grounded. 

Guitar Thrills: It has been great to interview you, Grace. You have the perfect situation for success in the music industry. Youth, vigor and talent. Continue to move forward, and never lose your focus. You will be on top before you know it. 

Grace: Thank you so much! 

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A RECAP OF WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

• Adversity leads to success. Anything can be overcome. "You can’t let mistakes keep you from trying again". - Grace Bowers
• "You have to decide what ideas you're willing to die on the mountain top for, and what ideas you can let go". Sean McNabb
• Unleashing the Beast: The Schecter C-1 FR S Apocalypse Red Reign
• VAJA – dedication and perseverance results in a nostalgic reflection of an original release