Grace Bowers
Thunder, lightning and torrential rain raged outside while Grace Bowers and the Hodge Podge made their debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry stage July 30. Matching the energy of the storm, they launched straight into an electric two-song set of soulful funk-rock. Singer Esther Okai-Tetteh filled the room with goosebump-inducing vocals while Bowers shined on guitar, playing with Joshua Blaylock on the keys, Dekar Justice on drums, Alex Mayweather on bass and Prince Parker on another guitar.
“This has been a dream stage of mine ever since I moved here,” Bowers said between songs, peeking out at the crowd from beneath her shaggy curls. “It’s a huge opportunity to play here, especially on my 18th birthday. If you’ll allow us to de-countrify your stage for a bit, this is a song called ‘Wine on Venus.’”
The titular song from Bowers’ debut album, “Wine on Venus” was inspired by the guitar wizard’s late nana, who passed away at the age of 100. She told Bowers that when she died, she’d be doing just that — drinking wine on the planet that’s just a little closer to the sun than we are, the one that’s easily mistaken for a star in our night sky.
“She was in a nursing home and we could only talk to her through the window,” says Bowers, speaking with the Scene in an interview prior to her Opry performance. “The last time I saw her, I played guitar for her for the first time outside of her window.”
Bowers’ short music career is already stacked with major accomplishments, such as playing alongside Dolly Parton and Lainey Wilson, being nominated for Instrumentalist of the Year at the upcoming Americana Music Association Honors and Awards and raising tens of thousands of dollars through multiple benefit concerts, including the second edition of Grace Bowers & Friends at Brooklyn Bowl in July. While these achievements are particularly impressive for someone who’s been playing guitar for less than a decade, perhaps Bowers’ biggest strength lies in her focus on collaborating with other stellar musicians.
Wine on Venus is just as much about the band as it is about Bowers’ guitar. Throughout each song, juicy riffs ride along sophisticated, bluesy grooves and rich, booming vocals to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Bowers established The Hodge Podge after plucking the best musicians from a revolving lineup she’d played with in Nashville (hence the name of the ensemble). She met Okai-Tetteh at a rock camp; they wrote most of the album together on Bowers’ bedroom floor.
Grace Bowers
Their collective sound points to influences like Funkadelic, Buddy Miles, and Sly and the Family Stone; they even cover Sly’s indelible 1967 tune “Dance to the Music” on the record. Yet the album brings in other genres as well, from the rootsy country vibe of “Lucy” to the keys-driven interlude “Mookie’s Blues.” Drummer Brandon Combs (who played on the album but not at the Opry House) is the first player we hear, inviting us into the rest of the album, and his rhythms stand out throughout the record. Eric Fortaleza’s rich bass hits heavy, while Blaylock’s keys add character, Parker’s guitar complements Bowers’ beautifully, and Okai-Tetteh’s vocals distinguish the music with impressive range and intensity.
Despite how large their sound is, the music reads tight and well-rehearsed. Producer John Osborne of the country powerhouse duo Brothers Osborne had a role in fostering that while recording the album from his studio in East Nashville.
“There’s been a lot — a lot — of people who have believed in me and just done anything that they could to help me, but John Osborne has really been just amazing,” says Bowers. “He produced our record, and I can’t imagine doing it with anyone else, because it was my first time making a record, and that’s a really sacred process. And he understood that, and was just very patient. And he knew the sound I was going for, and he knew how to push everyone to their limits while playing.”
Bowers’ experience reflects some of the best parts of Nashville, namely the inclination for musicians to collaborate with and support one another. The momentum she’s gained since moving here from California with her family lays an exciting runway at the beginning of her music career.
In addition to their Opry debut and album release, Bowers and the Hodge Podge just opened for Guns N’ Roses guitar hero Slash, who was Bowers’ earliest musical inspiration, and they’re set to perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Aug. 12. Bowers says she’s already thinking about her second record; somewhere along the way she has to finish high school too. She hopes that, maybe for her 19th birthday, she can play Red Rocks. At this rate, nothing seems out of reach for Bowers, especially with her bandmates behind her. In the meantime, the goal is to make Wine on Venus ubiquitous.
“I want it to annoy [people] that it’s stuck in their head so often. I just want to make people feel something — hopefully a good feeling.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed the names of the drummer and bass player who performed with Bowers and the Grand Ole Opry House. We regret the error.
