NASHVILLE, Tennessee- An artist that I have featured a few times in the past is Becca Bowen. I love her energy, passion, and big, beautiful voice. The South Carolina native mixes her authentic country charm with her background in gospel music and musical theater to bring us a traditional country sound with a soulful approach.
While Bowen has been releasing singles since 2020 and her debut album in 2022, it wasn’t until recently that she became brave enough to release an entire EP, County Line, where she co-wrote every song.
The EP County Line connects Bowen’s feelings and emotions with others, and she delves back into how she was raised.
“It goes back to my roots,” she stated.
To write County Line, Bowen teamed up with guitarist and singer-songwriter Sam Woods. He often played at the writers’ rounds with her. One day, not long after Bowen had experienced a breakup, they decided to see if they could come up with something. She was so perturbed that her guy had cheated on her that they ended up writing “Son of A Gun” in about an hour. The song resonated with many others, and it became her breakout song. It was even featured in People Magazine.
She said, “We weren’t even going to release that song. I just wrote it to get the frustration out. It was a therapy thing. But when people started requesting it at the writers’ rounds, I thought, ‘Oh gosh, we are going to have to record this song.’”
Since they were so compatible as songwriters, Bowen and Woods teamed up to write even more songs. The second song they put out, “If I’m Being Honest,” has become even more popular than “Son of a Gun.”
Songwriters soon realize that if a song can help themselves, they can also help others. When people are having bad experiences, it helps to know that they are not the only ones to have felt that way and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Bowen said, “In the past, I never felt brave enough to share these types of songs with other people. To share your own words and feelings, that’s very vulnerable for me. So, with this EP, if you listen to all the songs, by the end, it’s almost like I have healed.”
Bowen brings up the blues with her soulful single, “Baby, Lie to Me.” Written alongside Sal Oliveri, the country singer shows a sultry side of herself with the seductive song. The jazzy tune was a bit unexpected on this country EP, but it proves that Bowen has the pipes to pull off this “searching for love in all the wrong places” track.
The title track “County Line” is a beautiful homage to leaving your comfort zone to follow your dreams. With the lyrics, Keep on livin man/ Give things a second chance/ Learn to dance to the rhythm of your heart/ Life’s too short to spend feeling irrelevant/ Gotta chase your dreams if ya wanna leave your mark/ And that all starts when you cross that county line…Bowen urges the listener not to be afraid to move forward into the unknown.
Having known Bowen for several years now, one thing that impresses me about the single mother of two teenagers is her resilience. Her female empowerment song, “I Choose Me” is not only applicable to herself and her daughters but also to any woman who fails to see their worth.
The final song on the EP “On To The Next Ride” was originally written for a friend of a friend who passed. Bowen said. “She was a pretty incredible person. I did have the chance to meet her at one time and she had told me, because I was going through a hard time, ‘You know what, you need to just get back up on that horse and ride.’” The simplistic song is a reminder to all of us not to give up, no matter where life takes us. She knew the song would be the perfect one to conclude her EP.
Even though Bowen has been singing her whole life and pursuing a country music career for several years now, I truly believe she is now at the top of her game. Her EP, County Line, proves that. As she has figured out who she is and what she is capable of, especially as a songwriter, I look forward to what lies ahead.
You can follow Becca Bowen on Instagram, X(Twitter,) YouTube, and all streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and X(Twitter).
