About That Song: Kevin Bowe
About That Song #5
In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them.
Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives.
Our fifth guest is Kevin Bowe, a writer/ producer/ mixer/ musician from Minneapolis who’s written songs on platinum-selling and Grammy-winning albums and seen his songs placed in dozens of films and TV shows. He’s worked with a ton of artists (including me!) in his studio, The Kill Room.
Kevin Bowe. Photo credit: Paul Lundgren.
Sarah: Hi Kevin!! Congrats on the release of your new album, Half Past Never. As much as I’ve enjoyed getting to talk about songs and songwriting with you in the studio, I’m really thrilled to get to ask you a few questions about songwriting “on the record.” So, do you remember the song that made you want to be a songwriter? Tell us about that song.
Kevin: Well, I think the album that made me want to play guitar was The Who’s Live at Leeds. Pete Townsend is a great guitarist, and my tiny 13-year-old brain noticed he didn’t exactly look like a male model, but I had the feeling he was enjoying all the benefits of a rock ’n’ roll lifestyle. This impressed me because I was not good at sports and I was interested in someday being able to talk to a girl. He’s a great player but also kind of simple and you can actually figure out what he’s doing, especially on a live album where there are no overdubs. That record was mixed in the early days of stereo so the guitar was panned all the way to the left, bass to the right. They’d never do that now! So if you panned your Pioneer receiver all the way to the left you could hear mostly just Pete. I played that record all summer and learned how to play the songs that way.
As far as actual songwriting goes, in about 1980 I got my head turned around by punk rock. I was disillusioned by the corporate rock that had taken over the FM radio so I was ripe for the picking when I heard the Ramones, Pistols, Clash, Damned, etc. Then I had the good fortune to be in attendance (actually it was mandatory) at the Replacements first gig ever.
Sarah: WHOA!
Kevin: I was in a halfway house for drug addicts and they took us to a “sober teen dance” which is about as much fun as it sounds. Some misguided person booked the Replacements to play! They got one set in before getting kicked out for drinking or whatever, but it changed my life. They were the worst band I’d ever heard but I loved it and I couldn’t figure out why. That’s when it dawned on me that it was about the songs,not guitar heroics. I went on to join a punk band and got to be pals with Paul Westerberg. He explained songwriting to me, kind of… and that was it.
Kevin Bowe. Photo credit: Paul Lundgren.
Sarah: That is an amazing origin story. I admit I’ve never listened to the Replacements (I know, I’m a bad Minnesotan). Where should I get started?
Kevin: As a songwriter I think you’d like Don’t Tell a Soul. The songs are drop dead amazing.
Sarah: Once you began writing, did you feel like a writer immediately? It took me a few years of writing before I believed it—was there a song that gave you that “a-HA! I AM a songwriter!” moment? Tell us about that song.
Kevin: I was really bad at first, blatantly imitating my heroes and writing a lot of atrocious songs. Then I got kicked out of the band I was in (1987) because they wanted to play jazz/rock fusion stuff, which made me sick. I decided to focus on writing and not just join another band. From then on I formed bands around my songs instead of the other way around, and things started to pick up. I didn’t feel like a real songwriter til Kenny Wayne Shepherd put my song “Riverside” on his debut album and it went platinum. That’s when it started to feel real to me.
Sarah: Yes, I can imagine that that would be some lovely tangible evidence of your songwriter-hood! Okay, I’ve read that Half Past Never is a collection of your “orphan songs.” Is there a song on it that gave you the sense “it’s time to make a record”?
Kevin: Not really, it was more that COVID set in and I had time on my hands for the first time in years. I made a list of songs I’d written that were probably never going to be recorded by anyone else, but that I really loved, and went to work. I was very happy to finally finish “Only Child” because I’d been working on that one on and off for over 20 years and every time I tried to finish it, it got worse and worse. One day I finally nailed the chorus and that made me happy. Sometimes it’s hard for me to let go of stuff!!
Kevin Bowe. Photo credit: George Roedler.
Sarah: Oh, but what a wonderful thing when the “not letting go” results in a song you’re happy with 20 years later! I love that. One last question: In addition to your work as a songwriter and guitarist, you’re a much sought-after producer. I’d love to know what pointed you in that direction—was there a moment where you heard another artist perform and knew that you wanted to be a part of that song from the production side of things?
Kevin: One time I was in the studio working on Jonny Lang’s second album “Wander This World” and we were recording a song I’d made up with Jonny called “The Levee.” Steve Cropper was on guitar (legendary member of Booker T and the MG’s, wrote “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay” etc.). I ‘d done a little demo of the song and the producer played it for the band. Ritchie Hayward from Little Feat was on drums, and I was very nervous. Cropper looked at the producer, David Z, and said “we can record this, but we’ll never beat the demo.” That’s when I thought, hey….. Maybe I could do this!!
Sarah: Yeah! Turns out you could! I love that song, by the way. I played the heck out of that album. Thank you so much for being here, Kevin.
Listen to Half Past Never
Credits for Half Past Never
All songs written by Kevin Bowe except 2 (Bowe/ Parish/Lucas and 9 (Bowe/Hutchinson)
guitars, harmonica, mandolin, fake stuff, keys, percussion and vocals – Kevin Bowe
slide guitar – Paul Mayasich
drums – Peter Anderson & Noah Levy
great bass – Ian Anderson
upright bass – Gordy Johnson
other bass – Kevin Bowe
vocal harmonies – Kevin Bowe & Tim O’Reagan
Sarah Morris. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Sarah Morris is a superfan of songs and the people who write them, and a believer that certain songs can change your life. A singer-songwriter / mama / bread maker / coffee drinker who recently released her fifth album of original material, she’s been known to joyfully sing with people in her Big Green Bathroom.
