Sarah Bowman

BIO

With harmonies that seem to come from one astonishing voice, The Bowmans share a rare, near telepathic musical bond. The touring twins are a Brooklyn based “roller coaster” duo, ranging from poignantly captivating to serendipitously joyful. Their music is concurrently sophisticated and imaginative, blending together the preserved vulnerability and abandoned glee of their Iowa childhood. The Bowmans deeply move and delight their audience world wide with uncanny, evocative, and unforgettable performances. Albums: The Bowmans (unreleased) produced by Malcolm Burn, Far From Home 2006

Trained cellist and vocalist Sarah Bowman started writing songs as a teenager in the sisters’ hometown, Davenport, Iowa. Claire Bowman’s talents lie in the visual arts, which she included in her study of a wide range of passions in college. Claire is the creator of the album covers and artwork for The Bowmans’ first two albums. The identical twins are easy to tell apart due to their compatible yet contrasting personalities. Their music is influenced both by the classical and early polyphonic musical tastes of their father and the American folk singer songwriters of the 60s and 70s, the Blues and Gospel tastes of their mother. The girls have been performing their original songs on stages for audiences both voluntary, and in the early days, involuntary, since the age of 8.

Highlights

The Bowmans performed 5 tours in Switzerland and Germany from 2006 to 2010. The 2010 Spring tour was well received with press in over 10 papers with glowing reviews.

The Bowmans performed among a star lineup on last year's Sixthman Entertainment Cayamo cruise, which included Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Patti Griffin, Brandi Carlile, and other top artists.  The Bowmans received this honor thanks to Paste Magazine and the overwhelming support of Bowmans fans. 

The Bowmans performed and chatted live in-studio with UK BBC Radio2's popular music icon, Bob Harris in 2009 on the Whispering Bob Harris Show. 

The Bowmans tours have included (but were not limited to) two, five-week residencies at Los Angeles' Hotel Cafe in 2008, a feature live show at Hollywood's landmark record store, Amoeba Music, two tours supporting the renowned Rasputina, feature support spots for Fran Healy of Travis at NYC's reputed nonprofit, Housing Works, Greg Brown at NY's (The Fillmore at) Irving Plaza, and The Avett Brothers at the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville, TN. 

Festival appearances on land include four times at New York's CMJ, twice at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion in TN, The Chattanooga River Bend Festival, twice at The Folk Alliance International Conference in Memphis, Charlotte, NC's Femme Fest, twice at the Tosco Music Party, and the Midwest Music Summit. 

Sarah and Claire both received maximum ASCAP live performance awards in 2008.

The Bowmans have appeared live in studio on Los Angeles' Indie 103.1 twice, KPIG, CA twice, WAMC in Albany, KUNI in Iowa, WDVX numerous times in Knoxville, TN, WNCW in NC, WFMU in Jersey City, NJ and many other regional and college stations throughout  the U.S. 

Currently, their music is aired on national radio in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Portugal, plus regional radio in Spain, Holland, Germany and the U.S., including an early selection of their music on NPR's "All Songs Considered."  Their music was circulating for over a year in over 10,000 U.S. and European Starbucks stores, was featured twice on an MTV reality show, and "On the Road" is featured at length in the opening credits of an Italian film.

Press

"“Gleich mit dem ersten Song ist klar, dass sich eine andere musikalische Dimension auftut. Dabei spürt man, dass hier zwei Menschen in ungewöhnlich engem Gleichklang schwingen.” "
- Giessener Anzeiger

"…Their music resonates with a distinctive personality all its own…their gentle demeanor finds them wistful and whimsical. It’s a sound that brings the Roches to mind … but only when those Roche siblings reveal their more sobering side. "
- Mare Wakefield, Performing Songwriter

"“[I’ve] been wanting to get The Bowmans in studio for a long time since hearing their first album, Far from Home…” "
- Bob Harris, BBC 2 Whispering Bob Harris Show (May 16, 2009)

" ”The Bowmans reveal an enchanting blend of voices... Clearly there are no boundaries that keep the Bowmans fenced in as they find themselves "On the Road," a pastoral slice of Jesse Sykes-style rustic pop where they discover (but don't care) that "the road may take a toll on you." "
- Steve Appleford, LA Weekly (Jan 30, 2008)

"The harmonies are indeed stunning… the choral purity of their voices lends a hymn like quality to the songs…the strength of the material and those amazing voices... has ensured The Bowmans have a growing following on the New York folk scene."
- J. Alder, Americana UK

"A perfectly beautiful way to wake up"
- Jessie Scott, Music Fog

"Après leur concert à Haren, les soeurettes comptent une trentaine de fans belges. Des voix impressionnantes, un répertoire varié, du charme et du charisme !"
- Preumont, Le Blog des critiques de concerts

"GorillavsBear.net I'm a total sucker for Eisley-esque harmonies, the kind where you can't tell where one voice ends and the other begins, and The Bowmans have the gift. " "
- Chris Cantalini, Gorilla vs. Bear, quoted on Done Waiting

"“An einem Bowmans-Konzert spürt man ihre Lebenserfahrung und ihre tiefe Liebe zur Musik, inspiriert und lebenshungrig” "
- 7 Tage, Freiseit Obwalden und Nidwalden

"„Ich bin immer noch zu Tränen gerührt, wenn ich sie höre“ "
- Peter Damm, Lich und Keistrich conzerts

"“Die Schwestern schaffen es ,den Zuhörern allein mit ihren Stimmen und minimaler instrumentaler Begleitung Gänsehaus zu bescheren.” "
- Barbara Rufenacht, ONZ Obwalden und Nidwalden Zeitung

"… a knack for songwriting that still hasn't managed to lose its sense of imagination... if their music can stay this sweet in a city this tough, or this authentic in a world so quick to adapt and discard the latest fad, they’ll never have left that Iowa hill behind. "
- Christin Roman, The Deli Magazine

" In short, The Bowmans are the best vocal duet to grace the Jezebel Music Songwriter Showcase. Sarah Bowman's lyrics are deceptively mysterious... the listener catches one level of the meaning to later find the dark twist of the story. "
- Gabriel Levitt, Jezebel Music

" … accessible on first listen and keeps resonating pleasantly. "
- Robert Pally, Swiss Records

For more information, please visit our Reverbnation profile, Myspace profile, our Facebook page, or our Website.

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www.thebowmansmusic.com