I came across the chill hip-hop/lounge sounds of Bowlsey at the Momentum OKC art show by the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition. After listening to their album, I had to get in touch with them to feature them as a Creator Conversation interview.
For those unfamiliar with Bowlsey, talk a bit about yourself and your music.
Bowlsey is a chill hip-hop/lounge infused four piece, with fairly folky roots. The collective consists of Cidward St. Cler, a.k.a. Cid is the powerful frontwomen, lead-singer, and occasional violist. Along with Shraz, frontman, rapper, organist, guitarist. Reverend WJ Hogan the more than well seasoned organist and guitarist. And Donald, the damn golden rock, upon the drum throne.
Our debut album had a solid amount of time to culminate itself into the the project it became. It primarily started with Shraz and Cid writing folk songs together after having gotten out of high school. Soon the two met Rev. Hogan who, though at first attempted to manage the duo, quickly became a solid part of the writing process and a member the whole project. After releasing what one might loosely call an EP, titled Sleepy Weather, and experimenting over time with using live drums in instead an analog drum machine, we finally came upon Donald who completed our sound.
What inspired the album, decorous, and the title?
Over the course of all the time that passed in maturing the sound of the collective Cid and Shraz lyrically drew from a good deal of the hardships that they had gone through not long before starting and partly throughout the musical venture. This in synergism with the bands’ chemistry and hard work is the main foundation of inspiration for the album ‘decorous’. The title, meaning proper, seemly, decent, or just up to social standards if you will, seemed the most appropriate while at the same time the most passively thought provoking label that could be given to what in actually is a wholesome project.
Use only seven words to describe the album.
CHILL
SOULFUL
ACTIVE
LUCID
DRIVING
DYNAMIC
COLORFUL
What was the greatest challenge in making the album?
The greatest challenge in completing this album was finding a proper drummer.
What have been some of your favorite places/events to perform or experience music in Oklahoma?
Some of our absolute favorite shows are actually when we play art shows such as the Momentum Art Gallery.
Anything else you want people to know?
Other than all that, we just recently released our debut album ‘decorous’ on vinyl and they can be ordered though contacting us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bowlseymusic. Also, keep a look out for the release of our new EP, currently projected to drop around April.
