Australian actress and singer/songwriter Clare Bowen will be familiar to viewers of the drama series, ‘Nashville’, where she’s played the part of Scarlett O’Connor since 2012. She’s left the series now, and is set to release her eponymous debut album tomorrow, ahead of UK tour, which commences 2 September. We caught up with Clare for Six Quick Questions, shortly before she took off for London.
EP: Hi Clare! We have something in common I believe, the Illawarra region in Australia! I grew up in Figtree! How does a girl from Stanwell Park end up on ‘Nashville’?
CB: Yay, Figtree! I’m still trying to figure that one out, honestly. Having a family who were always encouraging and supportive of whatever crazy thing I wanted to do was a big factor. We moved around a lot, so maybe that made buying a one-way ticket to the other side of the world where I knew absolutely nobody, slightly less scary than it could’ve been. I have a wonderful team who called and told me I had the job, and that I was moving to Nashville, Tennessee, to which I replied: “Yay! Where’s that?” Turned out to be the city that changed my life.
EP: You’re releasing your debut album at the start of September – what can fans expect from that?
CB: The songs are stories from my life, and stories from the lives of people I love. I’m going to let other people decide what kind of album it is, as I was simply focused on making sure it was just me. It took five and a half years to write and record, all between filming and touring and everything else wonderful that came with the ‘Nashville’ television show, and I’m glad. I needed that time to shoo all the characters out and find out my own voice. The album was written with people who are dear to me…Wyatt Durrette, Amy Wadge, Lori McKenna, Josh Kaufman, Justin Halpin and of course, my sweet husband, Brandon Robert Young. It was so much fun to make.
EP: What’s your take on the current state of the music industry, and the entertainment industry in general? Do you have any advice for people just starting out?
CB: You must remember where you came from. It is part of what makes you the only one of you in the whole wide world, and that is what makes you special. It’s easy to begin to listen to voices that tell you you’re not good enough, or that you should look a bit more like this or that. I remember being told to change parts of my appearance in order to have a “better chance” at being employed as a performer. To “blend in a bit”. I whole heartedly ignored those people, and instead thought about the times when I barely had enough silver in my pocket to pay for a bus fare. Perspective rocks.
EP: If you could start all over again what, if anything, would you do differently and why?
CB: Nothing!
EP: What’s next for Clare Bowen?
CB: Short term…I’m about to hop up for 12 hours of press in London. Long term…oodles.
EP: Finally – what question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview but nobody ever does?
CB: Q: Bourbon or champagne?
A: Both!
Clare Bowen’s debut album is released in the UK on Friday 31 August. You can buy it here.
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