The 18-Year-Old Guitar Prodigy Taking Over Nashville: Grace Bowers
Nashville's newest guitar prodigy is smart, soulful, savvy, and eager to share her debut album with the world. Meet 18-year-old Grace Bowers! Image: David McClister
The word “prodigy” is often thrown around with reckless abandon. But it’s undoubtedly the appropriate word to describe Grace Bowers, who picked up a guitar at age nine and never looked back. The Blues musician just made her Grand Ole Opry debut … on her 18th birthday. In her debut album, Wine on Venus, she explores what it means to be young, thought-provoking, soulful, and empowered. In honor of International Youth Day, we’re honored to highlight this Nashville-based powerhouse who’s inspiring the world’s youth through her music. Please welcome Grace Bowers!
Where did you grow up, and what brought you to Nashville?
I grew up in a small town in Northern California. At the tail end of COVID, my family visited some friends in Nashville. We ended up moving six weeks later; it was definitely a spur-of-the-moment decision! [It wasn’t] necessarily for music, but it was a better environment for my brothers and me, and we all just loved it out here.
Who or what inspired you to start playing music?
The first time I ever wanted a guitar was when I was nine years old and saw a video of Slash (from Guns N’ Roses) on YouTube. Initially, I picked it up because I wanted to look cool like him! It wasn’t until I was 13 and heard BB King that I found a true passion for the instrument.
Tell us about your new album, Wine on Venus. What inspired that title, and what does the album tell us about your journey thus far?
The song and album name come from something my Nana said. She passed at the age of 100, not too long ago. My family went back to California for Christmas last year, and it was our first time getting together as a family without her. We all kind of got to talking about her. My uncle mentioned that she told him when she died not to worry — she’d be drinking Wine On Venus because it’s the brightest star. I hung onto that phrase, and then me, Ben Chapman, and Meg Mcree wrote the song.
You have quite the lineup of upcoming shows, including Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin,TN, and Riverfront Revival in North Charleston. What has been your favorite gig thus far?
So far, I’ve had a great summer out playing festivals, but Bottlerock in Napa Valley is my favorite so far! I also got to meet Slash recently — my band is opening for him in Pennsylvania soon.
When you’re not playing or touring, what do you do to relax?
Whenever I have the time and need to relax, I’ll get in my Jeep with my two dogs. I usually go about one to two hours outside of Nashville, and it gets really rural and pretty. I love to find abandoned buildings out there and take pictures of them.
What’s the biggest challenge of being an 18-year-old female musician?
It can be tough. I get underestimated a lot, and sometimes, people don’t take me seriously, which can be really frustrating. But at the same time, my age and gender help me stand out from the crowd. That’s definitely not lost on me.
What’s something most people would be surprised to learn about you?
Tell us about your passion for nonprofit work and our local community.
I’m a very stubborn person; if I believe in something, everyone will know because I’ll say it loud and clear. So, charity work is super important to me; I love to give back. I played the [AB] prom last year … and I couldn’t have said “yes” faster. As for my charity show — I am a huge advocate for safer gun laws, especially in Tennessee. It was easy to feel powerless after something like the Covenant School shooting happened. I wanted to do anything I could to help and have a voice on the issue.
Outside of faith, family, and friends (and, of course, your guitar!), what three things can’t you live without?
My dogs, frozen yogurt, and my Jeep.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite local restaurant/comfort dish? A Dino’s cheeseburger.
Favorite snack on the road? Mike and Ike’s
Good luck charm that you always take with you? I always wear a necklace with a little middle finger on it. Haha!
Local artist you would most like to collaborate with? I’d love to jam with Post Malone.
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Southern women are doing inspiring work. Meet more of them over at our FACES archives!
Jenna von Oy Bratcher
Jenna von Oy Bratcher is StyleBlueprint's Associate Editor and Lead Nashville Writer. The East Coast native moved to Nashville almost two decades years ago, by way of Los Angeles. She is a lover of dogs, strong coffee, traveling, and exploring the local restaurant scene bite by bite.