Clare Bowen is coming home

Australian born, US based singer songwriter Clare Bowen returns to Australia for her third headline tour, fresh off the set of NASHVILLE after six years of filming. Taking a moment to focus on music and to share her new debut self-titled album with all her fans in Australia, we chat to Clare ahead of her homecoming theater tour.
Hi Clare, thanks so much for taking the time to chat to Forte! How are you and what have you been up to recently?
I’m fantastic and rolling about in extreme gratitude that I get to do what I do. I feel like I’ve been up to just about everything lately. Just finished an incredible album release and tour in the UK and am about to leave for Australia to do it all over again.
You’re returning home to Australia soon for a run of headline dates. Does the saying ‘there’s no place like home’ resonate with you, in terms of both music and/or life?
I grew up moving around a lot, so for me, home is not a place, it is people. I’m so excited to come back to see everyone and spend time with my family. It’s such a privilege to get to do what I love in the country I was born in.
This all surrounds the release of your highly anticipated self-titled debut album – congrats on the upcoming release! Can you talk us through the process on this one?
Thankyou! My debut album was five and half years in the making. My team and I snatched every spare minute we could between shoots, rehearsals, performances and tours to make it happen. It contains songs from all across that time span – ‘Lullabye’ was one of the first songs I wrote when I got to Nashville. ‘Warrior’ was among the most recent. They are all stories from my life, and stories from the lives of people I love and admire. My approach consisted of working my hind end off to make sure the album was completely me. It meant shooing a lot of characters out of the way. I knew I’d only get to make my first record once, so it had to be absolutely true to me, and I had to get it right.
What/who are some of your main influences in music, and what impact have they had on your album?
I’ve always loved Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics. Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Annie Lennox, Gurrumul, Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday, The Rolling Stones, Etta James, Gilbert and Sullivan, Tata Vega… lots more. I was lucky my parents played all kinds of music, all the time. Each of these artists made me want to tell stories. They’re all very unique people and that was very apparent through their music. It taught me that being the only one of yourself in the whole world is actually a good thing.
I’m loving your track ‘Tide Rolls In’, which you released early this year, has a very orchestral feel to it. Is this track reflective of your musical upbringing and classical training or did it just naturally occur?
Thankyou. I has such fun recording Tide. I love orchestras! Maybe because I love big sound, and music that is made with the necessity of togetherness. We tracked it live in the room and it was absolutely ridiculous. Between Sam
Kassir hanging out the top of an upright piano muting the strings and hitting the keys as hard as he could, to Buddy Miller rocking out next to me playing baritone, I had my own personal rebel orchestra.
What can we expect to see at these upcoming shows? If performing only at premiere theater venues reflective of what type of show we can anticipate?
I love theatres. It’s a big ole party. We’ll sing songs from the album, the Nashville show, covers, some originals I’ve not even recorded yet. We sing songs that allow people to forget all their worries, and then sing songs that have the potential to help people find the words to voice those worries that they mightn’t have been able to access before. We dance we laugh we cry and we create a space where it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from – you belong right here with us.
You’ve also got rising stars Imogen Clark and brother Timothy James Bowen joining you on this tour. What can we expect from these two up-and-comers?
Epic musicianship and general badassery. I think I first met Imogen when she was visiting Nashville and got denied entry to an Australian industry event over on the East side of town because she wasn’t 21 yet and the thing was held at a bar. Timothy was singing at the Grand Ole Opry with me that night, and told me he had this lovely friend who was super bummed that she’d just had her night go wahooni shaped. I thought that was just the pits so we swung by on our way to the stage, stuck her in the truck and she came and hung out with me, Brandon, Justin Halpin and Timothy backstage at the Opry instead. I couldn’t help but notice how well she fitted in and have thought she was fantastic ever since. It was actually the night Timothy was doing his first performance since coming off chemo and going into remission. He knocked it out of the park, and has continued to do so – particularly over the last few weeks he’s spent opening for me in the UK and playing during my set. It’s wonderful to watch him up there, watch people love on him for the amazing creature he is. I’m so glad we get to do all this stuff together.
Obviously you are well known for your leading role as Scarlett O’Connor on the hit TV series NASHVILLE. When did music become something you wanted to pursue? Did it come from being a performer on screen or was your interest there before that?
Music came slightly before acting. It was always a huge part of my life. And Nashville opened my eyes to a whole different side of it.
How have you found balancing the two; do you approach music as your ‘down time’ from acting?
No. It’s just different. My shows are like running a marathon, and it’s like a change of seasons depending on what I’m doing. Can’t do anything by halves in this industry and expect to evolve properly, and you have to have a team that communicates really well to cover both the acting and music industry. Real down time is something I honestly haven’t had in over half a decade, but I love what I do, so I keep going. One day Brandon and I will go on a honeymoon. For the moment, we’re exploring the world together, stage by stage.
What’s next for you following this Australian headline tour?
A nap. Then everything.
When & Where: Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne (All Ages) – October 5. Tickets via ticketek.com.au