We were lucky to catch up with Travis Bowlin recently and have shared our conversation below.
Travis, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I have been able to make a living being creative for the last ten years. Taking chances and any opportunity that comes your way is very important. Finding people who have your best interest in mind who want to help be apart of your goals. Learning everything you can, when people offer wisdom you should listen. I try to focus on more than just one revenue stream within the scope of music/art.. I play music with instruments so I make instruments to play music. If you paint don’t just sell a canvas sell a shirt with your art on it too. If you’re a great live sound-man maybe you should be a studio engineer too. You should also collaborate with anyone who is serious and be open minded creativity is subjective. Believe in what you do and work on your sales pitch…
Ive had some many wonderful moments over the years as few would be international touring, winning awards, #1 billboard album, sharing the stage with some of my heroes, launching music products, endorsements, and playing the Grand Ole Orpy House stage during the Josie Awards. One of the best things I ever did was hire a good publicist!
I think if I would have found someone early in life who had Knowledge/Connections/Trust in my goals as well as found funding it would have given me more opportunities sooner and I wouldn’t have had to do somethings the long hard way. However on the other hand I own everything, I know the knowledge , and I’ve made my own connections.
Travis, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
In 1988, Travis Bowlin was born in a little river town just off the Ohio River called Aurora, IN near Cincinnati, Ohio. He found his love for roots music at the age 11, when he starting singing for the honorable Cincinnati Boy Choir in Cincinnati Ohio. Performing at Cincinnati Music Hall and singing the nation anthem at Reds’ major league baseball games. He first discovered his joy for playing instruments at age 15 when he received his grandmother’s old acoustic guitar. Throughout his teenage years Travis was very heavily involved in his school’s music program in both band and choir. Through the school Travis was able to perform solo at Disney World twice, the Indianapolis 500, and Cedar Point (Winning outstanding performer). After high school Travis traveled his Tri-State of Ohio, Kentucky, & Indiana booking as many shows as he could to work on his craft.
It wasn’t until 2012 when Travis would sign his 1st independent record deal. This would change things for him, allowing him to learn more about the music business and taking him to Music City (Nashville, TN). On March 1, 2014 Travis released his 1st studio single “Bad, Bad Man”. “Bad, Bad Man” was featured on many radio station across the world and would land Travis and his band a performance spot on Nashville’s NBC News. 2014 would also bring Travis his first Master and Sync license and first global TV debut performing his original song “Traveling Man” on TLC’s show 19 Kids and Counting for the episode “A Duggar Leaves Home”. During this same time Travis released his 2nd studio single “Got the Goods” which got great notoriety in the Blues,Rock,Roots Music world and scored him a feature in L.A. based Rock n Roll industries Magazine.
2015 would be marked as a big year for Travis, now with 200-250 shows a year under his belt and some recent major product endorsements from such companies as Dean Guitar, Roto-Sound Strings, and Musicvox Guitars (see more here). Travis felt it was time to take things up a notch. He prepared to release his 3rd studio single “See You Again” hiring world-renowned Blues, Rock, & Roots publicist Betsie Brown of Blind Raccoon Publicity. On June 9th, 2015 “See You Again” was released along with Travis’ 1st full length official music video. “See You Again” climbed the charts reaching #5 on iTunes new Blues and coming in at #3 on the Roots Music Radio Report for Blues/Rock. For nearly 6 months “See You Again” charted as a Top 10 Top 20 song on Blues radio as well as getting on the 2016 entry ballot for possible Grammy Nomination in American Root Performance and American Roots Song. His music video was nominated for a Midwest Video Music Award and the RockErie Awards.
In 2018 Travis recorded and released his second studio album “Secundus” recorded in Nashville, TN at Mainframe recording studios. Travis wrote 11 of the 12 songs as well as produced the album. It was released July 13, 2018 debuting at #8 on radio for Blues/Rock on the Roots Music Report, reaching the #1 spot the week of July 28, 2018, and staying a top 25 Blues/Rock album for nearly 8 months after its release. 6 of the 12 songs off “Secundus” charted in the top 50 Blues/Rock singles, with “Strange Vibes” peaking at #1 & “Vicksburg Blues” peaking at #3. It reached the #2 spot of top selling Blues Albums on Amazon and #33 on iTunes. “Secundus” made it on the preliminary voting ballot for potential Grammy nomination for “Contemporary Blues Album” and “Vicksburg Blues” for “American Roots Performance”
For the next couple years Travis held a pretty heavy and long performance schedule performing nearly 5 nights a week after the success of his last album until the world stopped and things changed for a while, during the global pandemic Travis spent a lot of time live steaming performances on online platforms, writing new songs, and focusing on his other arts.
2022 was an amazing year for Bowlin, welcoming his son Riley into the world with his partner Blues guitarist/artist Meg Williams. He was awarded the Best Of Huntsville, AL for his singing and walked the stage of the Grand Ole Opry House to accept the Josie Music Award for Jazz/Blues Artist of the year (2022/2023/2024). It was during this year when Travis decided it was time to give back. He established and organized the now annual “Travis Bowlin Box Guitar Music & Art Festival” in Blue Ridge, GA seeing thousands of attendees each year, which benefits the youth through music, art, and science.
Travis released his next Album “Hooks & Grooves” in the Fall of 2024 which reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Blues Album Charts as well as the top 50 on the Big Blues Chart. He advanced along side duo partner Meg Williams in the 2024 International Blues Challenge becoming Semi-Finalist out of 1000’s of Blues acts from around the world. As of 2025 he has opened his own shop/studio Bowlin Creatives east of Nashville TN. that offers custom instruments, apparel, and audio/video recording services. He is touring regularly, with 3 weekly residencies – Every Thursday at Stellas elixir lounge (Huntsville AL), joining Meg Williams every Wednesday at Nashville’s top blues club Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar, and Every Tuesday at Alley Taps in Printers Alley. He has performed in nearly 30 US states, Australia, and Iceland. He has performed at major events such as Clear Water Sea Blues Festival, Bayfront Blues Festival, Winter Blues Experience, Aurora Farmers Fair, National Cornbread Festival, Riverfront Nights, Texas River Fest, Queenscliff Music Festival, Venice Blues Festival, Grand Ole Opry House-Josie Awards, and He has headlined the Delta Dragon Riverboat Regatta, the Bendigo Blues and Roots Festival, and has shared the bill with Little Texas, Marshall Tucker Band, Walter Trout, Ricky Skaggs, War, Little Freddie King, Cyrile Neville, John Mayall, Samantha Fish, Big Something, Eugene “Hideaway Bridges, Reverend Payton and Big Smo.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
When you actually withness your impact on someone through your music and art.. when someone tells you they relate to a song you wrote or sing the words, a kid you let play your guitar grows up to be a guitarist, the smiling faces in the crowd at a live show, the special feeling someone gets from a custom art piece you made that only they will have.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Bringing joy to people through unforgettable performances and one of a kind personable items.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://travisbowlin.com/about/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travisbowlin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RollinwithTBowlin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TravisBowlin
Image Credits
Stevens photos
Sawick photos
Silverberg photos
Vance photos