The Bowmans

The Bowmans have recorded their forthcoming release with Grammy-Winning Malcolm Burn (Emmylou Harris, "Red Dirt Girl"), mastered by Greg Calbi due for release in Spring, 2009 in the UK (following the BBC Radio2 Broadcast of their Bob Harris show taping) and early fall in the USA.

The heavily DIY Indie-Americana songwriter duo, twin sisters Sarah and Claire Bowman, has been touring virtually nonstop for the past two years, having been on the road for four years since relocating to Brooklyn. The Bowmans played over 250 shows in 2008, touring Europe and the U.S. constantly. The sisters' career is blowing up in Europe, where they are headlining shows to sizeable audiences across the continent.

Highlights in The Bowmans' 5-year career include performing among a star lineup on last year's floating festival cruise, which included Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Patti Griffin, Brandi Carlile, and other top artists. The Bowmans had this opportunity thanks to Paste Magazine and the overwhelming support of Bowmans fans. They also recently recorded a session with UK BBC Radio2's music icon, Bob Harris to be aired in May. They have performed two, 5-week residencies at Los Angeles' Hotel Cafe, including a live show at Hollywood's landmark record store, Amoeba Music. They have also supported Rasputina on two full tours, Fran Healy of Travis at NYC's reputed nonprofit, Housing Works, Greg Brown at NY's (The Fillmore at) Irving Plaza, and their friends The Avett Brothers in Nashville, TN. Sarah and Claire both received ASCAP live performance awards in 2008. They performed seven showcases in Memphis, TN at the 2008 International Folk Alliance Conference in late February, and continue hitting the road to answer the demands of loyal fans.

Currently, their music is aired on national radio in the United Kingdom and Portugal, plus regional radio in Spain, Holland and the U.S., including an early inclusion of their music on NPR's "All Songs Considered." Their music is also circulated in U.S. and German Starbucks stores, was featured twice on an MTV reality show, and "On the Road" presents the opening credits of an Italian film.

The new, self-titled release intimately captures The Bowmans in moving, live-like performances of Sarah Bowman's original songs with delicate instrumental enforcements. Malcolm Burn maintains their integrity while adding his brilliant brushstrokes to complete the picture, blending together Sarah and Claire's vocal and instrumental performances with his own and those of two other guest performers.

Sweeping across a full range of passions, the cohesive debut album "Far from Home" (Mother West), includes shattering acoustic harmony-rich ballads to heartening rock songs infused with early classical to blues influences. The duo's sound has been compared to Simon and Garfunkle, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Joni Mitchell, to name a few, but they are impossible to pigeonhole.

Photo: David S. Rubin