By: Tamma Hicks, Steam Magazine
Show Info:  12-5-13 Brewster Stree Ice House

Website: www.wadebowen.com
Social: Facebook/Twitter / wadebowen

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STEAM  We are in New Braunfels this morning; where are you?

WADE BOWEN  Oh cool, I live in New Braunfels; we are on the road to Stillwater.

STEAM  Oh, I didn’t realize that. I thought you lived in Waco.

WB  I was born and raised in Waco, went to college in Lubbock, and now live in New Braunfels; have for about 10 years now.

STEAM  I just love New Braunfels. We stay at the Gruene Homestead Inn right next to Tavern in the Gruene. We just love this town.

WB  That’s a great place. New Braunfels is a great town and it’s been growing like crazy in the last couple of years; as you can see by all the construction.

STEAM  I just read that you are planning to put a new CD out in spring 2014. Can you tell me about that project?

WB  Well, we’re just getting into the studio right now and we don’t really have any plans for release date on this project. Anybody who has followed me over the last few records knows that I take my time and make sure that everything is right. So, at this point I don’t have a release date or even know what’s going to happen with it.

STEAM  Tell me about Troubadour Texas. I saw you on the last season and you are back this year too.

WB  You know, they have certain people on there all the time and we have been lucky enough to be a part of it last season and then a couple of times this season. I love what they do.

STEAM  I think it’s a great show. I like how they follow the artist around to give insight on what life is like being a musician, both as a new comer and as a seasoned traveler. Being married to a musician I understand what you guys do and I really appreciate that Troubadour Texas gives us a small glimpse into that life.

WB  Yeah, for sure. I don’t think people get to see that side enough. I think people think all we do is get on stage for an hour and a half each night and then party away. They don’t really see what it takes to get a concert to happen. I’m sure a lot of people think like that. In fact I used to think that way to until I got into music.

STEAM  That’s right you’ve been in the music scene for about 15 years. How did that come about?

WB  Well, it’s the age-old story of meeting some friends in college and starting a band. I’ve always been around music and love music; I just never really took it serious until I was in college in Lubbock. I met some students there and we talked about starting a band, so once we were all in agreement we did. So after a few practices we started playing around town. And yeah, it has been 15 years.

STEAM  When did you begin playing guitar?

WB  I started playing guitar when I was 17; I really wanted to write songs, so I started to teach myself guitar. I had always written short stories and poems and when I was 16 or 17 I really wanted to turn those into songs. I wanted to teach myself guitar well enough to write songs.

STEAM  I was looking at your recent tour schedule and I see that you do a lot of shows in the South and Midwest; are you looking to travel more?

WB  Over the years, we’ve gotten to tour all over the country and starting in January we’re going to do a cross-country tour. We’ll be heading to the West Coast first. Then we will be back home for a little bit before going to the Southeast and up through the Northeast. So this tour should take us pretty much from Los Angeles to New York.

STEAM  That’s right; I did see you are going to be at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle. We have a lot of friends in that area, so be ready for a great show.

I want to congratulate you on having ”Songs About Trucks” in the top 5 on the Texas Music Charts throughout November; I know you were at number one for at least three weeks. By the way I just love that song.

WB  Oh, it’s a quirky little tune. You know I write a majority of my songs, but every now and then a song comes across my table that I wished that I had written, and “Songs About Trucks” is one of those. I think it’s hilarious. I think it’s funny. It’s also very heartbreak and just what country music really needs and what it’s about. I love country music and always have. And I’ve yearned for it to be sad and depressing and heartbreaking and all those things that make country music so good and that’s what I try to explain to people about Songs About Trucks; it’s a heartbroken song from a different perspective. Basically it says we have written enough about trucks and we need to start writing about heartache and I hope that we are trending back that way.

STEAM  I’d like to talk about the Bowen Family Foundation and your golf tournament, Bowen Classic.

WB  We started the Bowen Family Foundation last year and I’ve done the charity golf tournament for 15 years. I literally started holding the tournaments when I began playing music. I love golf and I love music, so I figured The Bowen Classic was the perfect combination for a two day event. The first day is a big concert and second day is the golf tournament. Last year we raised almost $250,000! 

We started the Bowen Family Foundation to be the administrative division and to distribute the money we raise. After the golf tournaments I’ve always taken the money and distributed it to groups in need throughout the community. A couple years ago we helped an abuse center that was about to close its doors, so we gave them the money to stay open because the community really needs that kind of program. There are a lot of great people out there doing a lot of great things and my foundation is to help those people continue doing great things for our community.

I have learned through doing this that it’s quite an undertaking to start a foundation like the Bowen Family Foundation. I feel blessed to have such an event, the Bowen Classic, as the groundwork to get the Bowen Family Foundation off the ground and I know it will also take time to be fully established and meet the goals that I have.

STEAM  I think last spring I read that you helped out the city of West and I wanted to say thank you. I love to see people give back to their community! I also wanted to say that I love the idea behind the Bowen Classic. I know firsthand how much work goes into making an event that large go so smoothly.

WB  It really is a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun! And what really makes it all worthwhile to see the smile on people’s faces when you’re helping them out.