Jay Bowcott
Jay Bowcott | |
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Jay Bowcott in October 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jay Bowcott |
| Born | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
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| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | Rock Water Records |
| Website | jaybowcott |
Jay Bowcott (born 1987) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and musician from Medicine Hat, Alberta. Bowcott's music encompasses country, folk, western, and Bluegrass styles. Bowcott is a member of the Calgary, Alberta band "Rooks," taking the role of singer, guitar and lyricist since the band’s formation.[1][2]
Bowcott released four solo albums, and two albums in collaboration with his bands Enslow and Rooks.
Career
Solo
Bowcott released four solo albums. His first self-titled album, "Constant Rain," featured ten songs and was released on August 29, 2013. A year later, he followed up with "Morning Sky Blues," which featured eleven songs and was recorded at The Rebeltone Ranch.
Bowcott toured his two albums across Canada with friend and future bandmate Brady Enslen.[3]
Bowcott recorded his third solo EP, "Chidult," as a collection of songs that are semi-autobiographical and cover events from his life. The album was recorded from his home studio during the summer of 2018. During production, Jay’s eardrum ruptured and he wasn't able to play music for 4 months. "Chidult" marks Bowcott's second self-produced record, which was released on September 5, 2018.
In 2019 came the release of Jay's fourth solo album, titled "Bellow," which features ten songs. Joining forces with other musicians to form a band called Rooks, they put a rock spin on many of the popular songs previously released by Bowcott. The band released an eight-song album under the band name "Rooks" called "The High Road," featuring many of Bowcott's songs.
Enslow
Having met in Medicine Hat.[4] Bowcott and Brady Enslen met when the pair took their show on the road with a cross-Canada tour of Bowcott's albums "Constant Rain" and "Morning Sky Blues". As a result of their cross-country tour, Bowcott and Enslen formed the band "Enslow." In 2017, the group released their only album, which was a twelve-song EP called "drifters".[4]
Rooks
Originally called "Jay Bowcott and the New World," the band name was changed to Rooks shortly before releasing their debut album "The High Road".[5]
Influences
Bowcott has been influenced by numerous activist artists who recorded much of the protest music from the thirties to the sixties.
General Influence
Influenced by artists that are rooted in an organic and "real" sound through the use of their instrumentation, Bowcott's music and style is inspired and reflected in the Folk Alt-Country style he predominantly records and performs. Drawn to artists who tell a story with lyrical honesty instead of traditional songs about heartbreak. Artists that have influenced Bowcott's style include Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Thin Lizzy, Blue Rodeo, and Bela Flek.
Bluegrass Influence
With the organic sounds of instrumentation influencing Bowcott's style, the influences of Bluegrass have become stronger over the past few years. Bluegrass artists that are influential to Bowcott include Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton, and Ricky Skaggs.
Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger
Taking inspiration from Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, Bowcott has made tribute to both artists through his career.[6] Referring to Woody Guthrie in the lyrics of his song "The High Road" to putting on a full Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger tribute show in Medicine Hat, Alberta in January of 2014 when he was 27.[7]
Gord Downie
Bowcott, like any Canadian songwriter, has been influenced by the work of Gord Downie. Downie has left a mark (and void) in the Canadian Music Scene, which is only pointed out further through the tributes that poured in for him over the years.[8] Bowcott himself paid tribute to the Canadian musician by writing and recording a tribute song called "Legacy (a Song for Gord Downie)." Bowcott uploaded a video of the song he had written for Gord Downie to YouTube. The song was written not long after Bowcott had learned about Downie's cancer diagnosis, but the song got “lost in his phone” for a while. The YouTube description from Bowcott; “Gord was a huge inspiration for me artistically and I wanted to send him my thank you in the most sincere way I know; by writing a song.”
Discography
Albums
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Singles
The Country (Revisited) - 2022
Tours
Western Canada 2013
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Medicine Hat, Alberta
- Lethbridge, Alberta
- Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Calgary, Alberta
- Banff, Alberta
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Penticton, British Columbia
Morning Sky Blues Tour 2014/15
- Medicine Hat, Alberta
- Twin Butte, Alberta
- Edmonton, Alberta
- Banff, Alberta
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Tofino, British Columbia
- Revelstoke, British Columbia
- Golden, British Columbia
- Calgary, Alberta
- Lethbridge, Alberta
- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario
- Toronto, Ontario
- Moncton, New Brunswick
References
- ↑ Kubackova, Lucia (October 8, 2020). "One day in Calgary: lead singer of Rooks, Jay Bowcott". Eat North.
- ↑ "Big things come from human hookup with bodacious Calgary classic rock revivalist trio Bowcott and The New World – TheYYSCENE". May 10, 2019.
- ↑ Geoff Johnson (September 16, 2014). "Down By Law". Ballistic Pig Dot Com.
In other West Coast music news, it was a blast having Jay Bowcott and Brady Enslen at the jam last night. They're on tour from Alberta...
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Loh, Tash (April 5, 2017). ""Jasper welcomes pair of drifters"". Jasper FitzHugh.
'It started when I moved to Medicine Hat about four years ago,” said Enslen.'
- ↑ Eric Volmers (December 11, 2020). "Calgary's ROOKS take The High Road to classic guitar rock". Calgary Herald.
Once known as Bowcott and the New World, Calgary trio ROOKS had a few good reasons for changing its name before releasing last month’s The High Road.
- ↑ Amery, Richard (September 18, 2013). ""Medicine Hat's Jay Bowcott and Michael Coughlan strut their stuff"". L.A. Beat.
Jay Bowcott kept up the energy on his own with an acoustic guitar and a snare drum set at his feet. He played more traditional folk by Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie’s “Jesse James.
- ↑ "Tongue on the Post". Medicine Hat, Alberta. January 24, 2014. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Cross, Alan (October 30, 2017). "The Gord Downie Tributes Just Won't Stop. Here's the Latest". A Journal of Musical Things.
Jay Bowcott wrote this for Gord Downie back in the summer of 2016. After getting lost on his phone for a while, he decided to make a proper recording. Enjoy.
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- Musical artist
- 1987 births
- Canadian folk guitarists
- Canadian male guitarists
- Canadian country guitarists
- Canadian folk singer-songwriters
- Canadian country singer-songwriters
- Musicians from Alberta
- People from Medicine Hat
- People from Calgary
- 21st-century Canadian guitarists
- 21st-century Canadian male singers
- Canadian male singer-songwriters
