At the beginning of 2024, a then-17-year-old Grace Bowers couldn’t have imagined she’d drop her uber-vintage, all-conquering debut record, Wine on Venus – and she definitely didn’t think she’d be one of Guitar World’s guitarists of the year.
But here she is, now 18, having accomplished all that (and more). “Oh, man,” Bowers says. “I don’t even want to know who else is on that list because I’m probably not worthy to be listed next to them.”
Bowers has earned it. There’d been buzz about her before she broke out, but Wine on Venus confirmed she’s here to stay. She’s made no bones about her love for classic rock and blues, and despite her vintage-inspired cover of Led Zeppelin’s Going to California, she’s got other places to go. “I feel like I’ve broken out of that,” she says. “It’s easy to get trapped because it’s comfortable and familiar. But that’s not all I want to do for the rest of my life.”
So where will Grace Bowers go next? “The album we recorded has a throwback sound,” she says. “I love that, but I want to do something new now and again. But I’m just taking it all as it comes. I’ll always be learning. I’ll still be practicing every day. But I want to eventually make another record and get more music out there. I want to keep touring and doing all this stuff. I’m just gonna see where it all takes me.”
You’ve had a hell of a year. Have you had a chance to reflect on it?
“A whirlwind is a great way to describe it. Looking back on a year ago from today, I was in such a different place. What I’m doing now is what I wanted to do then – and it’s all happened so perfectly. I’m very grateful for being thrown amazing opportunities. This is my first year, and I put a record out with my band; I’ve been very lucky.”
Now that you’re in the thick of it, has your perception of the music industry changed?
“I’ve seen and experienced a lot of the ugly side. I’ve had to deal with a lot of horrible people, but at the same time, I’ve gotten amazing experiences. I’m just more aware of what’s happening than last year when I was still playing out in Nashville clubs every night, and that was my life. I’m glad to have broken out of that and to have a broader outlook.”
Not many people have done what you’ve done by their 18th birthday. I’m sure you’ve had people cast you aside because of your age.
“Absolutely. I get disrespected before I even play. People take one look at me, [see] a young female and immediately get a thought in their head of what I am, and they don’t take me as seriously as they should.”
There should be mutual respect, regardless of age.
“For the most part, I feel that way. I feel equal. But there’s been a lot of times when I feel disrespected or lesser, which is not cool. At the same time, being young and a girl is an advantage. There’s a lot of other people who are in that position, so I view it as an advantage – and a disadvantage.”
You can feel tube amps like they’re real. That sounds kind of cheesy, but there’s something about tube amps that digital can’t really capture
You’re empowering women to pick up the guitar, which is happening more than ever.
“Yeah, that’s become less of a stigma. I get girls coming to my shows all the time, and they’re like, ‘I picked up guitar because of you,’ or, ‘My dad bought me my first guitar after I came to see you.’ That’s my favorite thing. I love that there’s more female players – but not just guitar players – in music now.”
Who are some of the contemporary players who inspire you?
“Daniel Donato is cracked. We’ve played a few shows together, and he’s just on another level. Marcus King is a monster guitar player, singer and songwriter. He’s all of the above. He’s awesome. Kirk Fletcher is cool, and right now, I think Cory Wong is great, too.”
You’ve become synonymous with a Gibson SG, but if that guitar were taken away, or if you were “banned from the SG,” what would you turn to?
“It can’t be an SG at all? Man, I don’t even know! I genuinely cannot answer that. I don’t know what I would do.”
The SG is quirky. It’s surprising that a young player like yourself would be so committed to it.
“When I’m touring, I play a Murphy Lab SG that Gibson gave me, and the [Maestro Vibrola] tremolo is just perfect. I’ve never experienced neck dive, and it’s never gone out of tune even once. I think it gets a bad rap for that. It looks cool, which is a plus, and I have full access to the neck and can get to those last few frets. And there’s so many tonal differences you can get out of it. But I’ve been playing a Strat now and again, which I’ve come to love because it’s totally different.”
Have you had any gear discoveries while on the road this year?
“I’ve been playing Silktone amps recently. The guy that makes them [Charles Henry] is going to make me a new one, which is like the size of, or a little taller than, a half-stack. I told him I needed something with lots of headroom that wouldn’t break up. I’ve also been using an Analog Man King of Tone [overdrive].”
Are you a tube amp purist?
“I don’t know… I’ve never really messed around with stuff like modelers, to be honest. It would probably make life a lot easier not to lug around tube amps. [Laughs] I’d be open to it if it can sound good, but it’s tube amps for now. You can feel tube amps like they’re real. That sounds kind of cheesy, but there’s something about tube amps that digital can’t really capture.”
As far as technique, how has your playing evolved over the past year?
“I’m learning every day. My playing has changed a lot – especially my rhythm playing. That was never something I focused on, but now I’m playing my own songs, and there’s lots of funk and soul, so the most important part is good rhythm playing. And then I’m kind of backing away from being a ‘blues guitarist.’ I’ve been trying to get out of that realm and playing a bit out of that box.”
Is it challenging to keep yourself from leaning into those things since they’ve given you success?
“I love the blues. It’s what got me into guitar. But if I’m in my car listening to music, I’m not listening to blues. I’m still very blues-influenced, and as you can hear in my playing, it’s an inspiration to me. But it’s not what I wanted to be boxed into because there’s other things to be done.”
Do you see yourself leaning more toward R&B, funk and hip-hop?
“Absolutely. I’ve been really into Cory Henry. I love Anderson .Paak, and Bruno Mars is great. I already want to make another record; I just don’t have the money right now. But if I did, it would have a more modern sound.”
Lack of financial backing is a good point, since you’re an independent artist. Has that held you back?
“Literally, everything is a challenge when you don’t have a label behind you, which is essentially a bank. It’s so hard. I’m still paying off the record we made. People online are like, ‘Her parents paid for it,’ ‘She comes from a rich background,’ or, ‘Her family was in the music business.’ None of that’s true.”
Here and now, what would you say to those people?
“This record was self-funded. I have a distribution company that has helped me, but people don’t see how hard it is to do this by yourself without a whole lot of guidance. With every single show I play, I’m not seeing any of that money because it’s going toward the record. That’s how much I believed in it. I was willing to make that kind of sacrifice because it was something I really wanted to do.”
Odds are that a major label will come knocking. When they do, does getting deeper into the machine – and potentially losing control – scare you?
“The decision to do it without a label was intentional because I wanted complete control over it and for it to be my vision. After going through this cycle and seeing how hard it is financially, I’m definitely talking to some labels. It’s about finding the right person to work with; if you’re butting heads creatively, that’s not the best place to be. If I ever do sign anywhere, I’d make sure we’re on the same page.”
What are your thoughts on the modern guitar scene, which is increasingly geared toward social media and less about what’s “traditional”?
“As someone who got their start from social media, it’s an entirely different realm from 10 or 20 years ago. There’s so many ways you can break through and be noticed.
“That’s cool, but at the same time, you see ‘Instagram guitarists’ who do nothing but that. That takes away from the spirit of playing guitar. It should be about more than showing off. At the same time, it’s a blessing because some people wouldn’t have heard you otherwise.”
How do you differentiate between somebody who’s the real deal and somebody who’s just farming views and clicks?
“Everyone has different intentions. I started on social media, but ultimately I knew I wanted to be playing shows and make my own songs. That was my goal from the get-go. But other people are fine just playing in the bedroom on YouTube; that’s all they want to do. It depends on what you want and are motivated to do.”
- Wine on Venus is out now.
