With just one listen to singer-songwriter Philip Bowen’s music, you can pinpoint where he’s from. His fiddle playing dances like rain and flows like water. His acoustic-based songs marry man to nature. One thing is for certain, Bowen’s Appalachian roots run deep. He forged his body of work on the banks of the Kanawha River in small town Montgomery, West Virginia.
He told The Epoch Times that West Virginia’s natural setting made for an “idyllic spot” for artistic inspiration.
“My favorite place to write is by that river or outdoors where I can smell the trees or hear the water. … Especially in Appalachia, we have such a connection to the land where we’re from.”
While Bowen considers Appalachia his forever home, his surprise success has taken him to places like Nashville and onto the world’s stage. In 2023, Bowen blew audiences away with his fiddle playing on Season 18 of America’s Got Talent, where he finished in the top five.
‘Blue as Water’
Bowen’s authenticity and ability to connect with his audience through vulnerability are two key elements of his music that continue to attract new listeners and inspire longstanding fans.His most recent single, “Blue as Water,” covers miscarriages—something seldom written about, though commonly experienced. After his wife experienced a miscarriage, he wrote the intimate song as a way to cope with the emotions accompanying their loss. He shelved it for a while, but when he eventually began performing it live, he was moved by the way the lyrics resonated with listeners.
“Music is a really good gift in that way. … It can help you through things,“ he said. ”You can empathize with somebody just through music, and they can relate to it.”
“Blue as Water” also resonated with Bowen’s good friend and fellow musician, Charles Wesley Godwin.
The country-folk singer collaborated with Bowen for the single and contributed vocals. The two originally connected at a Zach Bryan concert. Godwin was the opening act and invited Bowen to attend the show. They quickly bonded over their shared West Virginia roots and formed a tight friendship.
Children’s Show Sparks Lifelong Passion
Bowen’s musical journey began when he was a young child watching an episode of his favorite childhood show, “Sesame Street.” Renowned Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman guest appeared on the show. When Bowen listened to Perlman’s playing, he knew he wanted to do the same.At just 4 years old, he took up the instrument and learned how to fiddle, a playing style commonly heard in genres like bluegrass and folk. For Bowen, it became a lifelong passion.
“It’s always made sense to me. I have always loved it so much. It’s hard for me to remember a time in my life where the fiddle’s not part of [it] because I’ve been playing it so long.”
Now, Bowen is readying for his first headlining tour kicking off this summer. The “Appalachia Forever Tour” supports his forthcoming album by the same name. The shows will also feature performances by fellow fiddle player Julia DiGrazia.
The tour represents what the performer thought was an impossible dream, which is now coming true.
A Culture Built on Storytelling
While Bowen now gets to share his stories with audiences across the country, it all started in West Virginia, a state he says has “so much beauty … especially the people.”
“It’s such a strong culture of storytelling,” he shared. “We take a lot of pride in our stories.”
The fiddler also shared how songwriting helps him stay present and connected to the moment.
“I think I’ve tried to use songwriting as a grounding tool to be like, ‘This is who I am. This is what’s real. ... This is what I feel.’ And I think I’ve had the best success as a songwriter … when I can just write about myself and be authentic to who I am.”
Fans of Bowen’s heartfelt music continue to find comfort in the songs he shares. “Old Kanawha,” a song about the landscape of his youth, was a breakout single for the rising star.
“One of the things that I always hear about with “Old Kanawha” is that people will tell me, ‘Oh, it makes me homesick for a place I’ve never been.’ And I love that.”
His ballad “Sure Could Use The Rain” expresses a universal sentiment for needed spiritual reinvigoration. Though the composition has attracted audience due to its relatable theme, for Bowen, the track’s inspiration came from something more specific.
“That song is really inspired by writer’s block. … I think a lot of people can relate to that feeling in their life … just going, ‘I’m going through a dry season in my life, and I need a little rain.’”
Connection Through Music
This fall, Bowen will hit the road again as the opening act for select concert dates with country crooner Dwight Yoakam. Despite life feeling like a whirlwind at times for the independent musician, Bowen’s dedication to music keeps him focused on the true meaning of his path—connection and growth.“I want to keep getting in front of people … get better at being there with people... [and] to keep writing great music. I just want to keep telling stories and … for it to grow. Because, you put so much time and effort into these songs,” he shared. “It’s nice when they find who they’re meant to find.”
