326: HoneyDew Podcast #326 | Philip Bowen Finds Fiddling Through Sesame Street

Summary

Podcast Summary: The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler – Episode 326: Philip Bowen Finds Fiddling Through Sesame Street

Podcast Information:

• Title: The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler
• Host: Ryan Sickler
• Episode: 326: Philip Bowen Finds Fiddling Through Sesame Street
• Release Date: March 24, 2025
• Description: The HoneyDew is a storytelling podcast hosted by comedian Ryan Sickler, focusing on highlighting and laughing at the lowlights of life, inspired by Ryan's challenging upbringing.

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Introduction of Guest: Philip Bowen [03:50 – 04:26]

Ryan Sickler welcomes Philip Bowen to the show, expressing his admiration for Philip's music. Philip introduces himself as a musician with a debut album titled Old Kanaa, available on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. He shares his excitement about upcoming singles and tour dates, directing listeners to his website philipbowenmusic.com.

Notable Quote:

• Philip Bowen [03:50]: "I’m musician, so please go listen to my music. Wherever you get music... Philip Bowen’s the last name. No pun intended."

Philip's Heritage and Upbringing in West Virginia [04:26 – 08:13]

Philip discusses his roots in Montgomery, West Virginia, highlighting the diversity within the state, particularly his Lebanese heritage. His great-grandparents immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1800s, settling in West Virginia where his grandfather ran a general store. Philip emphasizes the strong sense of community and family bonds typical of small-town Appalachia.

Notable Quotes:

• Ryan Sickler [04:26]: "So, Lebanese for your family, West Virginia, but is also a big area where there's a Lebanese community."
• Philip Bowen [05:33]: "We have a lot of like, wealthier cities and communities, but they're mostly like around Charleston or up in Morgantown."

Impact of the Opioid Epidemic [08:13 – 10:07]

The conversation shifts to the devastating effects of the opioid crisis in West Virginia. Philip shares personal experiences, mentioning how addiction has touched many in his community and family, making it a pervasive challenge that alters lives overnight.

Notable Quote:

• Philip Bowen [09:34]: "Addiction has been a close friend, unfortunately, to our family for a long time... it’s just a true, like, disease there, man."

Family and Early Musical Influences [10:07 – 16:33]

Philip delves into his family dynamics, mentioning his parents' careers—his father in computer science and his mother as a nurse anesthetist. He highlights the musical environment he grew up in, with his family encouraging him and his siblings to learn instruments. Philip began playing the fiddle at four, inspired by Itzhak Perlman’s appearance on Sesame Street.

Notable Quotes:

• Philip Bowen [11:34]: "Music is a big part of everything you do in Appalachia."
• Philip Bowen [12:12]: "Shout out to Sesame Street. They wrote me in, man."

Insight on Instruments: Philip explains the difference between violin and fiddle, emphasizing that it's primarily based on the style of play rather than the instrument itself.

• Philip Bowen [13:33]: "A violin and fiddle, no difference except for how you play it."

Transition to a Serious Music Career [16:33 – 22:48]

Despite his early passion, Philip initially pursued a corporate career, obtaining an MBA in marketing. He balanced his corporate job with music, performing locally and at open mics. The COVID-19 pandemic forced him to pivot to online live performances, which became a turning point in his musical journey. Philip committed to doing something music-related every day, leading to significant personal and professional growth.

Notable Quotes:

• Philip Bowen [20:54]: "In 2020, every single day, I'm going to do something music related every day."
• Philip Bowen [21:03]: "I was like, I'm going to do this."

Achieving Milestones and Overcoming Challenges [22:48 – 35:29]

Philip recounts his gradual rise in the music industry, winning contests like TikTok’s Greatest Talent and appearing on platforms like NPR’s Mountain Stage and the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. His persistence paid off, leading to performances alongside notable artists like Darius Rucker.

Notable Quotes:

• Philip Bowen [33:09]: "I got invited to do that. It went really well. I felt great."
• Philip Bowen [35:29]: "And it was like this, this song I put out... it was my biggest song I've ever put out."

Experience on America’s Got Talent (AGT) [35:29 – 47:55]

Philip shares his journey on America’s Got Talent, where he auditioned with an unexpected rendition of System of a Down’s "Chop Suey." His unique approach captured the judges' attention, leading him to the semifinals. Despite technical mishaps during his performance, Philip made it to the top five, though he was eventually edged out by a talented dog act.

Notable Quotes:

• Philip Bowen [41:53]: "I come out there with my flat bill, wearing tennis shoes, and play 'Chop Suey.'"
• Philip Bowen [47:35]: "I made it to the top five in the semifinal."

Personal Struggles and the Healing Power of Music [47:55 – 60:53]

Philip opens up about the soul-crushing experiences of performing for little recognition and the emotional toll of financial struggles. He discusses how music became his saving grace during personal tragedies, including the loss of a child, and how it helped him navigate through immense grief and doubt.

Notable Quotes:

• Philip Bowen [49:25]: "I just shut my laptop and just play music in the room. That's how I would deal with life."
• Philip Bowen [59:21]: "Music has saved my life in multiple ways."

Advice and Reflections [60:53 – 62:27]

Reflecting on his journey, Philip offers heartfelt advice to his younger self and aspiring musicians. He emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself, planting seeds early, and persevering despite setbacks.

Notable Quotes:

• Philip Bowen [55:11]: "Keep planting your seeds. Stay yourself, stay yourself, stay yourself."
• Philip Bowen [61:06]: "Chase the dream. It’s never, never too early. Just try your best to believe it."

Closing Performance [62:27 – 63:04]

The episode concludes with Philip Bowen performing a heartfelt rendition of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” encapsulating his deep connection to West Virginia and his musical roots.

Performance Excerpt:

• Philip Bowen [62:27]:

  Almost heaven, West Virginia
  Blue Ridge Mountain, Shenandoah River
  Life is old there, older than the trees
  Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze
  Country roads, take me home
  To the place I belong
  West Virginia, mountain mama
  Take me home, country roads
  

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Conclusion: In this episode of The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler, Philip Bowen shares an inspiring and candid narrative of his journey from a small-town West Virginia upbringing to the stages of national talent shows. Through his struggles with the opioid epidemic, corporate life, and personal loss, Philip illustrates how unwavering passion and the healing power of music can redefine one's path and bring profound personal fulfillment.

Notable Takeaways:

• Perseverance: Philip’s relentless pursuit of his music career despite numerous setbacks demonstrates the importance of resilience.
• Community and Heritage: His Lebanese roots and West Virginia upbringing highlight the significance of cultural diversity and community support.
• Healing Through Art: Music serves as a therapeutic outlet for Philip, helping him navigate through personal tragedies and mental health challenges.
• Authenticity: Staying true to oneself and embracing unique talents are crucial for genuine success and fulfillment.

Final Quote:

• Philip Bowen [61:59]: "Chase the dream. It’s never, never too early. Just try your best to believe it."

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For More Information:

• Philip Bowen's Music: philipbowenmusic.com
• Follow The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler: RyanSickler.com and on all major social media platforms.

Transcript

[Philip Bowen]

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[Ryan Sickler]

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[Philip Bowen]

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[Ryan Sickler]

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[Philip Bowen]

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[Philip Bowen]

It just meant that I feel really.

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[Philip Bowen]

Ew.

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[Philip Bowen]

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[Philip Bowen]

What's happening?

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[Ryan Sickler]

To Zany's in Nashville Friday, March 28th and Saturday, March 29th Madison, Wisconsin I'm excited to announce I'm shooting my next special at your club Comedy on State. I was there not too long ago, had such a great time, such a great club that I'm excited to work with them and Bring you my next special. Two shows Saturday, April 12th. Get your tickets now at Ryan Sickler.com the Honeydew with Ryan Sickler. Welcome back to the Honey Do Y'all. We're over here doing it in the Night Pan Studios. I'm Ryan Sickler. Ryan Sickler.com Ryan Sickler, on all your social media, starting this episode like I start them all by saying thank you. Thank you for supporting this show and anything I do. If you want to come see me on tour, tickets are on my website@ryan sickler.com if you got to have more of this show, then I can't tell you enough. I've say it every week for years now. You got to have the Patreon. It's five bucks. I've never raised it. It's not getting any higher. It is. This show with y'all, the Honeydew with y'all is the wildest show on Patreon. It's five bucks. And I promise you, you're going to hear stories there you're not hearing anywhere else in podcasting. All right? If you or someone you know has a story, it has to be her, please submit it to honeydew podcast gmail.com and hopefully we get to do an episode together. That's it, man. That's the biz. You guys know what we do here? We're highlighting the lowlights. And I always say that these are the stories behind the storytellers. And I am very excited to have this guest here. First time on the do. Ladies and gentlemen, Philip Bowen. Welcome to the Honeydew. Philip Bowen.

[Philip Bowen]

Let's go. Thank you for having me, bro.

[Ryan Sickler]

Thank you for being here.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

Before we get into whatever you'd like to talk about today, right there. Plug all of it. Go ahead.

[Philip Bowen]

All right, listen, I'm musician, so please go listen to my music. Wherever you get music. Spotify, Apple, Amazon, however you do your thing, you can find me out there. Philip Bowen. My debut album is called Old Kanaa, and then my next album is on the way and we got singles coming out starting in March. So whenever you're seeing this, got new songs out there for you to listen to. And then you can find my tour dates and my merch on my website. It's just philip bowenmusic.com. bowen's the last name. No pun intended.

[Ryan Sickler]

I know. It's interesting. It just worked out so, you know, we met today in person. We've been communicating through Instagram, which is something I really don't like. When I see people hit me up like, this ain't even real. You know what I mean? Like some bot or whatever. But it's a pleasure to have you here. I've really looked into your music and stuff since, and I'm a big, big fan. Thank you. But let's go back to the beginning. So you're a West Virginia boy, Is that right?

[Philip Bowen]

Is it?

[Ryan Sickler]

Born and raised?

[Philip Bowen]

Born and raised. Born and bred, baby.

[Ryan Sickler]

Tell us. Because outside, you know, I'm from Maryland, as you know, and I've spent some time in West Virginia. Real West Virginia. Like Paul, Paul, West Virginia.

[Philip Bowen]

Deep cut.

[Ryan Sickler]

Deep cut, Deep cut. Okay, bro.

[Philip Bowen]

Paul.

[Ryan Sickler]

Paul. Yeah, two Pauls.

[Philip Bowen]

Seriously deep cut. Yeah, saying it twice. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, tell us.

[Ryan Sickler]

But you said something to me about how diverse West Virginia.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Because when you think about it, I'm, myself included, you just think it's a bunch of hillbilly whites.

[Philip Bowen]

That's right. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So let's talk about it.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. So, I mean, it's a lot of immigrants in West Virginia. My whole family, my mother's side, is all Lebanese immigrants.

[Ryan Sickler]

So what brought them to West Virginia?

[Philip Bowen]

So they came over. My great grandparents literally came over on the boat, you know, 1800, late 1800s, early 1900s, to Ellis Island. And then they either stayed there in Brooklyn or they went to find work. And so a lot of the Lebanese came to. They could work in the coal mines.

[Ryan Sickler]

Ah, that's.

[Philip Bowen]

You know, my grandfather opened a little general store and ran it with, like, my mom had. Has a few sisters, so they. They all just ran the family grocery store in this little cold town in West Virginia.

[Ryan Sickler]

Now, Lebanese for your family, West Virginia, but is also a big area where there's a Lebanese community. Yeah, there is.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. Charleston, West Virginia, and it's a lot of like the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Lebanese.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay.

[Philip Bowen]

So like, whatever you want to call that, like the Christian, Lebanese, that whole side of the country, like, a lot of those immigrants found their way to West Virginia and it's like Irish immigrants.

[Ryan Sickler]

I had no idea. Yeah, still white. White skin, but just white skin. Yeah.

[Philip Bowen]

That's it. That's it, bro. That's why our state food is the. The pepperoni roll. You're out of pepperoni roll.

[Ryan Sickler]

You mean this like a piece of pepperoni with some dough?

[Philip Bowen]

Just like the homemade dough.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's it.

[Philip Bowen]

That's it. That's the state food.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's.

[Philip Bowen]

That and hot dogs with slow on. That's all we got. That's our calling clock. That's our calling.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay, so your mom's Lebanese.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Dad's white. Just. He's what I think of West Virginia.

[Philip Bowen]

Good old boy.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. Country.

[Ryan Sickler]

All right.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So what's it like growing up? How many siblings do you have? And.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, I gotta, I got. I grew up in very small town, usa. You know, what's it called? Montgomery, West Virginia.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay.

[Philip Bowen]

In between Boomer and Smithers. Montgomery, very small town.

[Ryan Sickler]

I haven't heard of either.

[Philip Bowen]

You heard none of them. And so like 30 minutes from the capital city, which is Charleston.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay.

[Philip Bowen]

And I have an older, older sister, Laura, who's a couple years older than me, and a younger brother, Patrick, who's two and a half years younger than me. And so a family of five, my parents still together, you know, so that's, that's a blessing. You know, they had a good family unit growing up, but big fat Greek wedding style family on the Lebanese side, you know, like, I knew my, I grew up knowing my third and fourth cousins. Huge family.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's nice. I love that. Extended family on your mom's side.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, extended family.

[Ryan Sickler]

Got a bunch of cousins running around with you and stuff. Same age.

[Philip Bowen]

Same age. Lots of cousins the same age. And then because it's like Appalachia, small town especially, it's very much one of those towns where nobody locks their doors. Truly still to this day, very few people lock their doors.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is that right?

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. So your best friends are like. Just like. Sometimes my friends would come over the house when I was gone and I walk home. My mom would be like, making them food. They'd be waiting on me to get home. You know, that kind of vibe. So very cool place to grow up. Not a lot to do sometimes, but a cool place to grow up for sure. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And then what's dad's side of the family like?

[Philip Bowen]

That side is definitely not as close. Not as big. Had like lots of siblings, but on that side, you know, my dad has four siblings. Most are in the area, some weren't in the area. Lots of cousins, but not as close. But you know, like the area of the, of the country where I'm from to the opioid epidemic is real bad. Real bad. And it's not just in my family, it's every community.

[Ryan Sickler]

I mean, it's everywhere now.

[Philip Bowen]

Everywhere, bro. Everywhere. So, I mean, I grew up, you know, I had, I had like, you.

[Ryan Sickler]

Know, what would you say, is this a lower middle class neighborhood growing up or.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, there's not, not, not a lot of affluence in Montgomery or this, these county. I grew up in one of the poorest states in America. So there are some, like, wealthier cities and communities, but they're mostly like around Charleston or up in Morgantown. There are some pretty wealthy communities, but for the most part it's just working class people, you know, kind of looking out for each other, stuff like that. So. But you know, during this time, especially during the really bad opioid epidemic, you might have somebody get hurt playing football or something, and the doctors are prescribing them like thousands of opioid pills, you know, you know, kind of touting it as a miracle drug. As all this was going on, there's these like pain clinics and stuff like that. So it was just going out of control real fast. Like, you know, it get in one house and everybody in the house all of a sudden is like, hooked on it.

[Ryan Sickler]

So. And it just happened to any of your family or.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, I mean, I had some cousin. I mean, to this day, like, I have, you know, addiction has been a close friend, unfortunately, to our family for a long time. Like, I've had cousins that have gone through this. And then, you know, I write about this and sing about this all the time. Like, it's truly, you'd be very hard pressed to find a friend or a neighbor, like growing up in that area that didn't have like a one to one connection in their immediate family that had gone through it. You know, it's just, it's just a, it's a true, like, disease there, man. So it's. It makes it a challenge because, like, it'll change somebody almost overnight. Family. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

What. What did your parents do for work?

[Philip Bowen]

So my, My parents both had really interesting careers. My mom, like, you know, they both grew up very poor. Very poor. And my. They're both very intelligent, smart people. My dad ended up getting his like, computer science degree. He worked for Union Carbide and Dow Chemical as like a computer software, like, engineer guy for like a long time in West Virginia, no less. So he was working at Union Carbide until they got bought out by DuPont or Dow Chemical, that he worked for them, like doing some consultant stuff. And then my mother was a nurse anesthetist at the local hospital, and she worked at the same rural hospital for over 40 years, never changed to a different hospital. So she just provided care for people in our community for her whole career. They both recently retired, like within the last two years. So, yeah, my dad traveled all the time for work. He was always traveling for work, you know, because not a lot of computer software work going on, like in rural West Virginia. So he was always going to like Delaware or New York or overseas. Sometimes he would do that, but we just. They never wanted to leave home. So in terms of like living outside of West Virginia. So that's where we stayed.

[Ryan Sickler]

And. And so what. What are you in line of kids in the middle. The middle.

[Philip Bowen]

I'm in the best spot.

[Ryan Sickler]

You are?

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

I always like being the second. I mean, I'm by four minutes, but I'm still a second one.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the middle child. Yeah. So, you know, and like music is a big part of everything you do in Appalachia. That's why I think so much good music comes from there. But like, literally.

[Ryan Sickler]

Let's talk about that. So it was not just for you. That's a big part of the community there.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, I mean, I mean it was. We came from a musical family. Like, my mom wanted us all to like learn some kind of instrument growing up. Just as a. Okay. My sister was. Is a great piano player. My younger brother also plays the fiddle. Slash violin. I've been playing the fiddle since I was four years old, but.

[Ryan Sickler]

Really?

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Why the fiddle? What made you pick up a fiddle?

[Philip Bowen]

I was salt on. I saw this guy, there's this like very famous violinist named Itzhak Perlman and he was on Sesame street and I was like, I was obsessed with Sesame street when I was like 4 and 5 years old.

[Ryan Sickler]

Sesame street made you become a. How about that?

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. Shout out to Sesame Street.

[Ryan Sickler]

Shout out to.

[Philip Bowen]

Shout out to Sesame Street. Yeah. They wrote me in, man. And I was like, as. As only a four year old can be. I was so obsessed. I want to learn the violin. I want to learn the violin. So this small little community college in our town had a very small music department. And shout out to Dr. Meyer. I think he's still doing his thing somewhere, but he's an oboe player. He didn't know violin, but he knew music.

[Ryan Sickler]

So he's like, why you don't meet a lot of oboe, bro?

[Philip Bowen]

That's the only thing you play with.

[Ryan Sickler]

So we have like a.

[Philip Bowen]

We have like a rural West Virginia. Oboe player, band teacher, trying to teach me fiddle, violin and such a.

[Ryan Sickler]

Anytime I hear oboe, I think of like Peter Wolf. You know what I'm talking about? That's what they would make us study. And it was on record when they make us that it was all. He's hunting through the woods. It's all oboe.

[Philip Bowen]

That like weird that we're posture they gotta have. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Has such a. A very distinct sound.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, man. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So he was the guy that sort of like Seth between Sesame. Sesame street and him, he sort of tapped into it, huh?

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So it wasn't because your dad was playing a fiddle or mom or was around the house?

[Philip Bowen]

Nobody. Nobody played fiddle, but my dad loved that kind of old country music and stuff.

[Ryan Sickler]

Can I just ask, you. People are going to yell at me for interrupting.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, of course.

[Ryan Sickler]

This is my own ignorance. I'll take it. What is the actual difference between a violin, a viola, and a fiddle?

[Philip Bowen]

A great question. So violin and fiddle, no difference except for how you play it. Just how you play it. Violin example, you might be thinking of, like, classical.

[Ryan Sickler]

Sure.

[Philip Bowen]

You know, let me give you an example. Okay.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, yeah. Hell, yeah.

[Philip Bowen]

Hopefully this isn't, like, screaming hot in your mind, but, you know, so this.

[Ryan Sickler]

Instrument is either a violin or a fiddle, depending on how the person plays.

[Philip Bowen]

And the type of music you're playing.

[Ryan Sickler]

So maybe like.

[Philip Bowen]

Maybe, like, you know, what is this?

[Ryan Sickler]

Violin?

[Philip Bowen]

Violin might be, you know.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, yeah.

[Philip Bowen]

You know, you're thinking like you're going out to a fancy dinner. Theodore is, you know, like.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, yeah, that's. Yeah, exactly. Violin doesn't want to make me do.

[Philip Bowen]

That, like, you know, feel. You got some stank on that thing, you know, I mean, like. So you're feeling something. Yeah, with the fiddle and so.

[Ryan Sickler]

So you learn violin first.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. Yeah. But then because of where I was and because of what I've always enjoyed, like, fiddle just became a part of, like, you know, who I was. Like, there's. There's this festival in West Virginia every year called the Vandalia Gathering. It's just like a big bluegrass, Americana, folky kind of festival. And it's literally all these people just get in a big field around the Capitol, and there's a fiddle contest and a banjo contest, and when the contests aren't going on, people are just standing in circles playing tunes, and that's how you learn.

[Ryan Sickler]

It's like their drum circle.

[Philip Bowen]

It's very like. And then what?

[Ryan Sickler]

You're all, like, playing together, then you step in the middle for your little.

[Philip Bowen]

It's called call and respond kind of playing. So, you know, and then you step in. You shred a little bit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shot this way, old son. All right. And you. You know, you're trying to. You're doing your thing, and, like, you kind of. You learn how to listen musically, which is, like, really important.

[Ryan Sickler]

I mean, not only is it important musically, it's important in podcasting. It's important in life.

[Philip Bowen]

No doubt.

[Ryan Sickler]

So many Times I just don't listen.

[Philip Bowen]

Exactly.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, yeah.

[Philip Bowen]

So it's, it's a cool, it's a cool culture of music there. I mean, it doesn't matter if it's. Somebody died or if there's a birthday party. People are bringing their instruments and there's.

[Ryan Sickler]

Music maybe said and I forget what. Did mom and dad play anything that mom wanted you to be, but did she play anything?

[Philip Bowen]

This is not going to be the answer that you're expecting.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay.

[Philip Bowen]

My mom. No, she sang a little bit. She enjoys things, but she like, like Broadway. So not maybe what you're expecting from her. My dad played the trombone.

[Ryan Sickler]

My daughter's playing right now.

[Philip Bowen]

He like played trombone in band or something, you know. And listen, we literally still played it. Yeah, he's a, he's an amateur trombone enthusiast.

[Ryan Sickler]

Does he still that now that you're aware you're like, let me get my trombone out. Does he?

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, man. Sometimes, Sometimes I'll be like. He's like, what if you. Did you think this could fit in there? I was like, I don't know if this fits like in the. You know, but. And he's always trying to like arrange my stuff. If I, if I did listen to this mix we got at the studio. What if we. What if we did? You know, he's very into like that whole music thing and he and my dad like was like leading the singing choir director at our church growing up, this little country church and stuff like that. So very musically inclined. Just loves music. So. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So who's the first person that you see or experience or get a lesson from? Who is the person that shifts you from violin to fiddle?

[Philip Bowen]

Man, that's a great question. I remember the first time I saw one of these fiddle competitions.

[Ryan Sickler]

I know I just asked your question. I'm interrupting. I'm sorry. No, but you saw violin on Sesame Street.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And that turned you on a violin. What, What Sesame street did you. To fiddle.

[Philip Bowen]

It's the first time I, I saw. I went to that Vandalia gathering I was telling you about and I see this like five piece band get up and they're just singing this kind of like mountain music. And it was like. It was the standard kind of bluegrass band. It was like violin, banjo, mandolin, a stand up bass guy playing the guitar. And it's like the bluegrass and jazz are kind of like first cousins. It's like the. There's the structure of the song, but it's like improvised every time. It just feels alive and I'm just like, yeah, just like And. And, like, I would hear music from people like this, like, very folky Americana stuff. Like, I still. John Denver. I love John.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, bro.

[Philip Bowen]

Love John Denver.

[Ryan Sickler]

Isn't he from West Virginia, too? Or he just have a.

[Philip Bowen]

No, he's, you know, Country Roads, of course, but, you know, like, he has.

[Ryan Sickler]

Such a love for West Virginia.

[Philip Bowen]

Such a love.

[Ryan Sickler]

And then I want to say he's from Colorado, which maybe is. But then the Denver throws me off, and I'm like, I can't fucking look it up.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, it's that, I think, hearing, like, later on here, like, the storytelling in the songs, like, people from, like, John Prine and, you know, even, like, James Taylor, like, the way he tells stories, I fell in love with that kind of music. And so when I would hear the fiddle used in that type of music, like Allison Krause, like, people like that, I was like, this speaks to me. Like, this speaks to me. And that's what I wanted to do, which is why I ended up learning the guitar later on, is because I can't play that and sing. Like, the stuff I'm writing.

[Ryan Sickler]

This. This is also something we were talking about. So you can't play and sing at the same time?

[Philip Bowen]

No.

[Ryan Sickler]

Which is interesting that I was just telling my daughter that B.B. king could not play and sing at the same time, yet he's still a legend. A legend. A hall of famer, one of the most influential musicians of rock and roll. You know, like, it's wild that you don't have to be this perfect.

[Philip Bowen]

No person. I'm almost with the fiddle. The way I experience it is so, like, I'm so in it when I'm playing the fiddle, it's very hard for me to come out of it and, like, do something else. Whereas the guitar, it's like my rhythm instrument or whatever. And I'm singing is the main thing I'm trying to get across. So it's not as. It doesn't take up as much space in my brain necessarily like the fiddle does. You know, it's hard to explain, but. So I love playing the fiddle. It's a big part of my life. But, like, if I want to sing, I got to have the guitar most of the time, and then I can, you know, switch them back and forth.

[Ryan Sickler]

So when's that first moment you saw that? When's the first moment you finally let yourself fiddle?

[Philip Bowen]

Okay. The first year I entered the fiddle contest was at 5 years old. So, yeah, my parents have a video somewhere, and I get up there, I'm like, I'm gonna play now. Camptown Races and I have my boots on. Yeah. My big old cowboy hat and all this stuff. And this is like, you know, as you know, the drug with performing is this feeling of, like, I played the devil out of that little thing. I had like a 116 size violin fiddle. And, you know, you play and you finish, and people are like, yeah. And that's like that feeling I've never forgot from that first time I did that at five. That's the drug. Like, oh, man. That's it. And that's. That's like. Let's say you've been chasing it ever since. And that is the. I loved how that. I love being able. Like, when you're doing something like that, when you're performing and you can feel people, like, emoting or energizing back at you from performing, there's nothing like it in the whole universe. It's like when you're. When you're singing a song that you've written and you hear people singing lyrics back to you, bro. Like, the first time it ever happened for me when I was playing this little show in Nashville, I. I got so choked up. Like, I just couldn't believe that it was happening. And it's like, you know, like, oh, this is. This is it. Whatever I got to do to keep doing this, I will do it, you know? So that's just. There's nothing like that. So that's. I caught that bug when I was like, 5 years old, and it was hard to shake that.

[Ryan Sickler]

And then. When did you decide this is something I think I want to take seriously as a career and not just sit down Friday after work or Saturday and locally fuck around.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. I mean, I thought I wanted to do it in college, you know, Like, I had a bunch of friends I played in a band with in college. You know, I would go play. I went to college in Tampa Bay in Florida.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay.

[Philip Bowen]

And we would go play at these little beach bars and coffee shops. And there was this place called Captain's Pizza. And this guy would. As long as we would just keep playing, he would keep bringing us, like, pizza and drinks until we stopped playing. So we played for, like, three, four hours. You know, as long as we make 20 in tips, we split it between seven guys. You know, how we divide this seven? I don't know. You know, and then. But, you know, I was like. Like, the pressure. Graduation gets closer. I had some friends that ahead of me, moved to Nashville. We're selling everything we have. We're going to Nashville. And it was like, going terribly for them. So I had this big fear of becoming a starving artist. And so I stopped. I just stopped. I went to grad school. My parents were pretty ambitious people, and I was, like, scared to death of, like, not being successful. So I went and got my MBA in marketing, went to business school, worked in the corporate world. And I would just do this for fun. Like, I play at weddings here and there. I go play a little open mic here and there at a coffee shop, and I wouldn't tell people I would do it and I'd write at home. And then right before COVID I had got invited with a friend to go to Nashville to a music conference. And the whole way home, this drive from Nashville to Detroit. I'm miserable, bro. I'm absolutely miserable. Can't think of nothing else. And I just made this commitment and this card is still on my studio desk at home. I was like, all right, in 2020, every single day, I'm going to do something music related every day. And I'm going to see what happens. I'm going to run this thing into the ground. And that's kind of how I started chasing it down. And then it was a very transformative, like two years. I just was relentless. I would work all day. My corporate job, put the kids to bed, and then I would do these two, three hour live streams because everybody's stuck at home. I would do 12 to 15 hours of live shows from my house every week.

[Ryan Sickler]

And just like at home.

[Philip Bowen]

And I had. I didn't know what I was doing. Like, this is a beautiful streaming setup with all these cameras. I didn't know any of this. So I had.

[Ryan Sickler]

Just so you know, we started podcasting long before video and everything we were doing out of my apartment. Before we had kids sitting on the couch, you know, doing Feel that I'm like, even this honeydew. When in between the crab feast and the Honeydew going to YMH studios. I knew I was going, but they weren't. They didn't have it all built out yet. So I want to say it's. The first 12 episodes of the Honeydew actually were done in my old single dad place from the kitchen table audio only where I lived with my daughter at the time.

[Philip Bowen]

I feel that.

[Ryan Sickler]

I feel even this show, yeah, it's.

[Philip Bowen]

It's like. But it's an interesting. Either you're crazy or you just have a drive when you are the person like, like, you know, you're doing that for like five people. Or I was at least 10 people. Fifteen people. And I just played for two hours. And I would make, like, a few dollars in tips, and I'll have. I remember I had, like, in my basement, I had a couple of, like, old lamps duct taped to the beams in the basement to try to. I was like, how people's lights look so good. So I got a couple pillowcases and, like, did it around the. Which was, like, I burned through one of them. Got realized it's so hot, you know, all this stuff. And I had the old pair of iPhone headphones I would use as a mic and, like, dangle it down up here. Just trying to figure out how to make this stuff work. And I would record songs by doing video takes on my iPad because I didn't know how to record. And I would extract all the audio and put it on Spotify just to give people something to listen to. And so this was, like, a couple of years of this.

[Ryan Sickler]

Isn't it funny, too, that we all try to make these pretty things and we try to make it perfect? What's his name? Oliver Anthony, that did the song on Ro. And you can hear the crickets in the background. And I'm like, what the. Are we all cleaning up all these imperfections for when he's got all the nature behind him and stuff? I felt like it added a layer to.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Something that it's been missing, you know?

[Philip Bowen]

Like, people love to see that whole Taking that journey with you. Like, I'm. I. Like, I. Like I told you this when I got here today. I remember driving to these things I would be doing, listening to, like, the Crab Feast.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's crazy. For real?

[Philip Bowen]

Yes. And I'll be like. Or like my brother, and I'll be driving somewhere, and I'm like, why am I even. This stupid gig is, like, gonna pay me nothing. And I have these long drives. But, like, I don't like to listen to music when I go on trips, because all I do is music.

[Ryan Sickler]

Right. And I don't listen to podcast. I'm listening to music.

[Philip Bowen]

Exactly. Yeah. So I found the Crab Feast, and I would just. It would give me. I'm not just saying this because you're in the room, but it would give me so much. Like, okay. Like, I'm not. I can. Like, I can laugh a little bit. I can, like, de. Stress a little bit, whatever. And, you know. And anyways, it was just people. People in my life were like, you got this corporate job that you worked and got your master's degree. Like, I was making pretty good money in the Corporate world. Why, like, why do you realize what the odds are to do this? To make a dollar off, to make even a dollar off a song is so hard. And I was like, you don't understand. You don't get it.

[Ryan Sickler]

You know, I mean it isn't about.

[Philip Bowen]

That dollar ain't about that.

[Ryan Sickler]

I mean I need that.

[Philip Bowen]

I need it, I need it all tight. But you know, and now that I can do this for, support my family with music, there's nothing like it. But it's, it's been a grind, bro, to get there.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I think people tell me all the time, like I was a supervisor at UPS, shout out to UPS, Ballmer Hub, Primary 1 Joe Avenue. And that would have definitely been, I would have rose the ranks and been in this corporate, you know, shit. They might be a corporate 100 company or fortune. Excuse me, 100 company now they were 500 when I was there. So yeah, to leave what everyone else would look at is like this good paying job and you got the insurance, the safety, the security, all that. Yeah. But there's. That's not what's fueling you. Yes.

[Philip Bowen]

And that's kind of how I knew like for me at least, like I've had a really good stabilizing influence. My wife has like been the greatest, like everything I've done or like was going to go do or anything that big that's happened for me, I'm like, oh, I got mountain stage or I got this or I got that. She'd be like, of course she did. I knew you would, of course you did. Go do it, do blah blah, blah. I was like, and like truly like, I don't know how I found this woman because like before this person in my life, Jamie was my wife's name. I like, I.

[Ryan Sickler]

You ain't gonna believe it. I. Jamie, get your hands in.

[Geico Voiceover]

No way.

[Philip Bowen]

I thought you was home with the kids. Who's got the kids? That's my favorite thing to give you one.

[Ryan Sickler]

I wanted to give you that.

[Philip Bowen]

I still that every time people fall for it every time.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's a nod to the feast right there.

[Philip Bowen]

That's my favorite thing in the whole world.

[Ryan Sickler]

I wish I said, I wish we had video of the crab feast because I would cut a montage of people that would. They would. They always look you like Mr. So and so. Who was the guy you said originally I was going to do it there, but who was the guy used to. The doctor. Oh, the teacher at school.

[Philip Bowen]

Oh, Dr. Myers.

[Ryan Sickler]

I was gonna hit you with a Dr. Myers and people still would turn and look. They can't help them in here.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, it's, it's. That's. I almost wrecked a couple times. I laugh so hard at that bit, man. I'd be like, I'd be like, these people would not see it coming. And then you hit was for us.

[Ryan Sickler]

And we didn't even care if they liked it. We didn't even care if they liked it.

[Philip Bowen]

Before you even finished, I'm like, you're not gonna. This is unbelievable, man. This is crazy. It's crazy. And people be like, oh my God. You serious? Look, I can like visual. We had any kind of budget. You got my fourth grade science teacher in here.

[Ryan Sickler]

Item back there.

[Philip Bowen]

This is crazy, man. I can't believe this. Dude, pull some straight up here. What? Yeah, that's me, bro.

[Ryan Sickler]

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[Philip Bowen]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And at what age do you say it then? And you go for it. So I started right around the pandemic.

[Philip Bowen]

I started, yeah, 2020. I started at 35. I'm trying to like, restart.

[Ryan Sickler]

And in your world of music, is that late? Yeah, it is.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, it's super late. I feel old as hell every time I do anything.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay.

[Philip Bowen]

But now there's lots of people that are like my age like, doing things. But, you know, sometimes I'll go, like, there was times I would go have like a big open. Like, I opened for Wyatt Flores last year. He's a really big country artist. But he's 26. So like, I'm like 38.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, but you also started at five. And if you probably would have stayed the course, you'd be 26 doing this.

[Philip Bowen]

And I tried to put that, I.

[Ryan Sickler]

Tried to put that away fiddling for a long time. You just ain't been in the music world.

[Philip Bowen]

And I had a lot of songs, like, in my back pocket that I had never finished and stuff, stuff like that. So it was just like, at first I would really stress about that, but there's no mistakes in the timing of it. I really believe that, like, I'm not able to write the stuff out right now because I've got some more life experience. I've had some loss, I've had some. I can think back on some of the insane, like, relationships that thankfully I was able to like, navigate away from and things like that. And so you can use all that ammo and create. And I'm like, You know what? Every. Literally every day, I get to do music for a living is a great day. Because there was so long. I thought that dream was completely dead for me. I've got letters in my studio of people sending me rejection, things about my songs like, no, no, no, it's too hard. You're too old. What is this? I don't like this. Blah, blah. And people will line up around the block to tell you what you can't do. And so for me, like, just being here, doing this or getting to work out and do work in music and do the things I get to do is, like, the. The best thing ever. So I just try to take it a day at a time, you know, and try not. And try not to get buried in, like, what if? What if? Because I was killing myself with that for a while.

[Ryan Sickler]

And that's at 35.

[Philip Bowen]

35.

[Ryan Sickler]

And then when do things start to get a little, like, where you're like, okay, I'm gonna go year three.

[Philip Bowen]

Like, year three was very transformative. Like, where, you know, I got.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is that pretty quick, too? Three years in, it was. It was starting late, but getting a window.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. But I was kind of charged up to. From, like, previous life experience. So, like, in the same year, oddly enough, I had a little taste of success. I had won a couple of, like, little contest things and stuff like that. I won this, like, TikTok's greatest talent thing. I won, like, 10 GS. And it was exactly what I needed to finish recording my first album. But then I got so burned out, I was going to quit everything. And then at the end of 2022, and then in 2023, in the same year, I got all this crazy. All these doors were just opening. I got like, you know, I was on Mountain Stage on npr. I was on agt. I made it through to, like, the finals or the semifinals. I was on Americana Fest. I got to play at wvu. Like, my favorite. My favorite team and my home state. You know, all these cool things and all these, like, great gigs started happening. I had to play on stage with Darius Rucker that year.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wow. Okay.

[Philip Bowen]

At Big Slick. So shout out to Eric Stone street for having me be a part of that. So all these crazy things that I would have never dreamed possible were all happening in that year. So, like, the last three years especially have been just, like, truly life changing for me in order to be able to just do, like, this is my job. Like, this is so crazy.

[Ryan Sickler]

So what was the first thing you got where you're like, oh, Shit. Okay, this is. This is a little bit bigger than fiddling down at the fucking vfw.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. Two things. Either Mountain stage or the first time I got called to do the Bluebird Cafe, which is this famous place in Nashville. Yeah. But it's, it's like an invite only thing. Like, as a songwriter, it's a huge credibility thing. You have to be invited to go. And then like, you know, if your songs pass, you know, so to speak, the first time you play there, like if when you're done, they tell you, like, hey, thanks for playing the Bluebird. We can't wait to see you again. That's a great industry wise. That's a great thing in your life if they kind of tell you, like, thanks for coming, good luck with your career, you know, not great. So I got invited to do that. It went really well. I felt great. And then Mountain stage, that kind of changed my life because I was in such a huge audience, you know, in the music and. What is that? So NPR Music does two things. They do like tiny desk and mountain stage. And so it's. It's recorded live in West Virginia. It's live on every NPR station in the country. And then they just replay it over and over. And one of my songs ended up being NPR song of the week. And they just. It was like this, this song about okanaw and they just played the heck out of the song.

[Ryan Sickler]

Can you play a little bit of it?

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, there's like this little fiddle intro like I got on the guitar, you know? You know, and there's like this little fiddle lick and then I'll.

[Ryan Sickler]

I'll grab. I've been watching Yellowstone. You got a lot of that going on. Yeah, Right now.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, dude. And it's like. Yeah, so. So this, this song I. I put out with a really good friend of mine who's been good to me, this artist from West Virginia named Charles Wesley Godwin. And he was kind of blown up around the same time. And it's about this river that runs in my backyard, you know, and it goes like this. It goes like this. There's a place in the valley down that old Midland Trail Black gold in the mountains and hickory on the hills and at the devil's tea table if you can climb to the top you can see the emerald waters of the old canals well, there's the new and there's the golly but they're a little too rough the greenbrier and the holly but they ain't deep enough well, there's A place in the valley that runs wide and free she's the mighty old Kanawha and she is home to me so that's like, you know, thank you. And that's the very song that I got this, like, really insane rejection letter on from some record company in Nashville that was like, ah, pass. Not good.

[Ryan Sickler]

But Bluebird liked it.

[Philip Bowen]

Bluebird liked it. It was on mountain stage. It's my biggest song I've ever put out, and I played that for the guy I recorded it with.

[Ryan Sickler]

And this is another thing I try to get through to people, too, that especially if you're going into the arts, if there's someone judging, then it's just one person.

[Philip Bowen]

One person. One person.

[Ryan Sickler]

And. And that day, they might be having a shitty day. Who knows? It's just one. But no matter what, it's one person's opinion. It's just a gatekeeper. Move on. Go find another person that loves that.

[Philip Bowen]

That's a. That's really good advice because, like, I. And I, like, for, like, a few years, I was really, like, I didn't want to sing in front of people because I had written this song for, like, a college girlfriend and. And she was like, oh, like, that was really pretty. But you have a. You have kind of a weird voice. Just like, I was 18 at the time. I was like, what? And she's like, no, it was really, what? Yeah, I was like, no, it's fine. I was like, I got back to my car. I was like, oh, my God. You know, And I was like, what? Like, I have a weird voice. And then, like, it, like, at 18, that stuck with me. And I was like, oh, man. Like, I don't know if I want to. But she was the worst. Anyway.

[Ryan Sickler]

But.

[Philip Bowen]

Anyways. But so for a while, like, that kind of stuff, like, can get in your head and kind of mess with you and blah, blah, but you got to just kind of like, you know, you're one on one, so you got to, like, embrace whatever makes you unique. You got to hold on to that yourself.

[Ryan Sickler]

Everybody else has already taken.

[Philip Bowen]

Come on.

[Ryan Sickler]

They say, come on.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ryan Sickler]

So, excuse me, how does AGT then come about?

[Philip Bowen]

AGT had reached out.

[Ryan Sickler]

What were you. What year were you on? 22.

[Philip Bowen]

I was on season 18, which was like, 20. 20. 23 was the year I did it. So the producers had reached out to me the year before to do it, and I did not want to do it. I was just really nervous about it. Like, I was like, am I going to be, like, into, like, a talent lock or something where if I play my style, I see if you're, like.

[Ryan Sickler]

Stuck in a contract with them, which.

[Philip Bowen]

Is really prevalent at the time. And then they reached out to me the next year and stuff had grown for me a lot, like, online and everything. And I was, listen, we think this would be really good for you. And, you know, basically, unless you, like, win the whole thing, there's no talent lock to even be worried about. So you can make that decision when the time comes. We think this would be great for you.

[Ryan Sickler]

Well, it's good for you to protect yourself that way, because I'm. I used to watch American Idol back in the day, and I feel like they would take the top 10 of them and put them on a tour, top five and stuff. Not just the winner. There were. There were a few people that were locked.

[Philip Bowen]

Exactly it. And I understood. It was. I was like, ah, unless you can, like. So that. I think they had backed off of a lot of that. And so when I went out to Pasadena to do it, like, so, you know, I got to skip a few of the steps. Like, I got to. I'd have to go wait at the convention center all day in one of those big lines and stuff like that. I went straight to auditioning in front of the judges. So they flew me out to Pasadena, and I actually took the guitar and the fiddle. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but when I got there in. You know, and it's kind of. Kind of like mess when you get there. Like, you walk in. Okay, you're Ryan. All right, you go over here. All right, Philip. All right, you're a talent audition. You're gonna. I forget what the word was. You're gonna go in this room. So they were like, all right. No, they say you're a novelty act. You go in this room. So the people that are like the dancing banana, they're like the novelty acts. They're going in a whole separate. They get. They have different catering. They're all this. You know, it's like. It feels weird. You know, you're like, are you a talent audition? You're coming over here?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Philip Bowen]

And, you know, whatever. So. But in my room, there's everybody and their mother is singing. And I don't see any other fiddles in the room. None. And I'm like, all right, well, I'm not going to sing. I'm not like a belter. But I don't. This is. This is. I'm going to go all in on the fiddle. And if I play an Original on there. I'm not going to get paid for my original. Like, the. I'm not going to get paid for that. Play that on tv. So. Because I would decide. It's so late, I was like, I got to pick a song that can clear legally in enough time. So I was talking to my music producer, and I was like, what if we do System of a Down? He's like, what? Yeah, like, what if we do a System of a Down?

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, you know, can you play what you played?

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, kind of. It's kind of hard without the track, but, like, you know, like. So I walk out there with this, like, really old.

[Ryan Sickler]

I'm. Put the track on Spotify right now.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, you could do it. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

What song?

[Philip Bowen]

It's. Oh, you know, what's this? You know, it's like a. You wanted to. Oh, my gosh. My mind is, like, like, on this song right now. Chop suey.

[Ryan Sickler]

I was just about to say chop suey. Okay, you ready?

[Philip Bowen]

So. Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready.

[Ryan Sickler]

Here we go.

[Philip Bowen]

You can blast it. So this is playing, right? I'm. I'm like, I'll just start shredding, you know, all this stuff, right?

[Ryan Sickler]

Do it.

[Philip Bowen]

You know, I'm just, like, shredding with this song. And because I was like, I gotta do something that's, like, very unexpected. So they're coming out. Expect me to play, like, some bluegrassy, twangy, hokey doki cowboy hat stuff.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Philip Bowen]

So I come out there with my, like, flat bill, you know, whatever. I'm wearing tennis shoes, not boots. And they're like, what are you gonna play? I'm like, I'm playing Shop Suey. And they're like, what? And I just. And this, like, that Pasadena Civic Auditorium is massive.

[Ryan Sickler]

It is.

[Philip Bowen]

And it's full. Full. I start shredding, bro. And before I'm 30, you know, like, when you're performing, you can feel when you have the audience on your side. I'm 30 seconds in. Every single person is just on their feet. They're vibing. So I knew in the audition, I was like, I got. I got it. I'm through. Like, so then, like, you know, there's a little bit.

[Ryan Sickler]

Who are the judges for you? Simon.

[Philip Bowen]

Simon. Howie. Sophia and Heidi Klum.

[Ryan Sickler]

Heidi Clark Bloom.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. So it's a pretty. It's pretty cool. But, you know, as soon as you walk off the stage, like, the lawyers there, and they're like, all right, listen, you can't post about this. You can't talk about this. We'll call you by this time, if you're going to make. If you're. If we're going to air your audition, even though you got all yeses, that doesn't mean we're going to air it. And then we're also going to call you if you're coming back for the live semifinals. I was like, well, I thought I was through. We'll see. The executives have to pass you. Oh, so all this you, like, what? Like, executives? But then, like, the rest of that week, these people from NBC who I'd never heard of were coming to find me. Like, oh, you just keep doing what you're doing. That's what we want to see. Just more of that. More of you talk, more do. Just give us more of you. So I knew I was coming back, you know, so then I went out. The lives is where it gets, like, really serious. Like, they put a lot of production money into you. I have, like, a full band behind me.

[Ryan Sickler]

And where do you go for that?

[Philip Bowen]

Same. It was still in Pasadena, but you're just there for much longer. I was there for, like, several weeks and then, you know, preparing for, like. Because it's like, it's truly live TV when you actually perform. So I just give a wish list of what I wanted. I was like, I want a full band. I really want pyro. Like, I'm gonna do this on tv. I want, like, some fireworks or something.

[Ryan Sickler]

They give it to you?

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. Like, if you. If you go watch my. Like, like my live semifinals edition, like, at the end, I, like, hit this. It was so hard for me to nail this timing and the choreography. Like, I finished. I raised my fiddle up in the air and right. My throat goes up in the air. There's like, kaboom. That's all. Like, I just wanted the fireworks and everything, you know, just to have fun with it, you know, and it was. It was cool.

[Ryan Sickler]

Do the same song.

[Philip Bowen]

No, I did. I did Drop Kick Murphy's. I did Shipping up to Boston.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay. Yeah, play a little.

[Philip Bowen]

That one, you know, and that's like. That's like a layup. Because it's like, so, like, you know, and I started, like, you know, and then with. I had like a. The band was like. Like an accordion, a full drum, electric guitar player and a bass player, and we just rocked, bro. It was so fun. And you get, like, two minutes to do whatever you want to do, you know, and then Terry Crews comes out and, like, crushes your hand. So he's like. He's like, ripping his shirt every time he moves he's like. And they got this. They got this thing backstage that'll show you how many people are, like, watching live. So right before I walk out, he's like, hey, Bowen, look at that. I was like, what is that? He's like, that's how many people are watching. Like, no pressure. And it was like eight and a half million people live. And when I walked out onto the stage, my family's in the audience, all this stuff. I've got like, 60s, like, a little body packs on me. I go stand in my spot, and there's like a two minute countdown to when the live.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's what I want to ask you. How long you get, too?

[Philip Bowen]

I have about two and a half minutes, and they're gonna show a little, like, 30 second video hit of me. Then I'm live. And I get up there and I stand in place and all my packs fall off, batteries scatter. So I'm like, in front of several thousand people.

[Ryan Sickler]

How? What happened?

[Philip Bowen]

I don't know. I don't know. And this wardrobe person who I'm very close to by this time, you know, yeah, these. These old girls come running out on stage. It's okay. And the tech people are picking up the batteries, putting the pass on. They just roll down my pants, like, because I'm like, they gotta fix everything.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Philip Bowen]

So I'm standing spread eagle like this in the passing civic. Arms out.

[Ryan Sickler]

Are you in the dark a little bit, at least while they're doing your video.

[Philip Bowen]

But they'll test out the spotlights and, like, I've got the judges several times at this point. Like, they're all like. And I'm facing them. So, like, you know, Howie's, like, cracking up. Sophia's, like, winking at me and smiling, and I'm just like. They're like, we have plenty of time. Don't worry. They're rolling up my pants back again. Put my belt on. Don't move. So I'm just frozen. All right, good. Three, two, one. They run off stage. And I was just like. My hands were shaking. I was like, oh, my gosh. Because it's like the timing is so exact. So doing that stuff live is very. I was. I had been out there so long, I was really ready to just be like, I'm excited to do this and get my little minute, but I'm. I didn't have a desire to go out there and, like, live in Las Vegas for a couple months. If you win, you get a Vegas residency. That's not my bag. I wanted to go like, do my shows and stuff.

[Ryan Sickler]

So how far did you get?

[Philip Bowen]

I made it to the top five in the semifinal.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wow. You did?

[Philip Bowen]

I got beat by a dog, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

Stop with the dog.

[Philip Bowen]

There's some magic and flips and blocks and water tricks or something, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

That dog. How's the that's own category? Should be in there.

[Philip Bowen]

I think it's wonderful like a. As a dog and a, you know, I mean this in the best of ways, but like a blonde girl playing piano and a dog. I was like, I'm like, I mean.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wait, do blind girl play with the dog?

[Philip Bowen]

No.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh. And she lost too.

[Philip Bowen]

She lost too, bro. To the dog. I was like, I was like. I remember looking like Terry back days. Like, man, this is messed up. Like they put, you know that you come up with your group, they put you in the spotlights and if you want to vote for Philip, you know, whatever pound whatever. If you want to vote for Ms. Sunshine over here and then Rufus the dog. And I'm like, man, like, you can't.

[Ryan Sickler]

Put a dog in there. Everybody's boating.

[Philip Bowen]

I'm getting no sympathy though, at all. So shout out to the dog, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

So let's go back a little bit and tell me some times where you really were like this. I'm getting out of this shit here.

[Philip Bowen]

Like, this is music.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, this is not for me.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. I thought I had some stuff cooking a little bit. And I was like, I'm gonna get out in front of people and start singing again. And it was almost five years ago to the day. It came up on my Facebook memories the other day and I had, I went to like, I had like a gig at like a local coffee shop in Detroit area. And I went and like, I played my heart out, man, for like three hours, bro. And you know, the people are talking the whole time. Literally nobody cared. And I made, for three hours of work, I made $7 in tips. $7. And the staff felt.

[Ryan Sickler]

And how old are you at this time?

[Philip Bowen]

30. I just turned 37 even here in the third.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Philip Bowen]

Like, I'm like some of these people's like great uncle's age in the coffee shop. Yeah, you know, I'm playing and I'm playing this like folky, you know, $7. And this 20 something barista, she felt so bad for me. She was like, we thought it was really good. And they gave me a bag of old scones to take home to my family.

[Ryan Sickler]

Here's some day old scones.

[Philip Bowen]

Here's some day old scones, man. And I went home and My wife was like, how'd it go, babe? And I was like, honestly, like, it sucked. Like, it was really. That's very soul crushing, you know? And like the next weekend, I had a gun. I had to play like a private event. And it was for a, a community college's presidential inauguration for a community college. And they had a sandwich buffet make it had a sandwich artist there making sandwiches for people. And they got my sandwich wrong, man. Anything but tuna, man. And they brought me like a big old foot long tuna sandwich. I hate tomatoes and olives with tomatoes and olives on it. And I was, you know, I was playing behind one of these big old, you know, speaker Deus things. It was just awful. People, the full overhead lights on, got paid a little bit to me, like 500 bucks got paid. But you know, those. And then I think the difference between, like I said talking to you now and like not is probably like the next day when you get up and like, okay, I'll do it one more time. One more time. But being at 37, taking home $7 from a gig is like, it's brutal.

[Ryan Sickler]

It is brutal. And do you have kids at that time? How many at the time?

[Philip Bowen]

I got three. I got three.

[Ryan Sickler]

Did you have all three then?

[Philip Bowen]

No, two.

[Ryan Sickler]

Two.

[Philip Bowen]

My son didn't have to witness that thing.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's the other thing though is like, you know, you're mentally. It's a little bit of mental illness to be like, I just made seven bucks and I'm gonna have another kid. Yeah, you gotta go.

[Philip Bowen]

And I, I didn't take my kids to anything I did for the longest time because I was like, the first thing, the first thing I ever took them to go see me do was when I got mountain stage because it was like big theater, it was full. And I was like, look, this is what I do, you know, Because I was like, it's soul crushing, man. You go out there and like, I would love to say that I was always like, I would just be like, I'm gonna go play some music for people and go work. I'll be home later. I wouldn't say nothing about anything I was doing. And I stopped telling, like a lot of friends. I was doing things too. Like I post them on social media. But like, doing those kind of gigs is not exactly like, you know, awe inspiring to your friends and family. Your Aunt Martha's on your Facebook being like, don't you have responsibility? You know what I mean? It's hard, bro. So very soul crushing, you know, and then I, and I especially People that knew I was having this other corporate thing. And I would see people from my popped up on my old LinkedIn and stuff like that, being like, do you need a job in project management? You know, it's hard.

[Ryan Sickler]

So I wanted to ask you, what would you be doing?

[Philip Bowen]

This actually helped me a lot. So my whole, my MBA and my whole experience was in like digital, like digital marketing. So actually when I was starting it out from like the digital, that's why I was able to grow my social and stuff as I basically treated myself like I would have treated a client like, if I wanted to grow this from the ground up from day one and make this like a money maker, not just like paying the. Not just scraping by, like, how would I try to grow this, like, business from a digital perspective? So I tried to treat my, like, online presence like that when I was trying to really grow it, but I would have been doing digital project management for clients and, you know, all that.

[Ryan Sickler]

Stuff I say all the time. I had all these production jobs while I was still doing comedy. Everybody's like, you got a day job? Like, I got a job, motherfucker. I don't know why you keep needing to put the adjective day in there. You know, I do stand up at night and I have a job during the day.

[Philip Bowen]

Exactly.

[Ryan Sickler]

And it was in production. And I realized now I'm so glad because I've been able to build these studios myself.

[Philip Bowen]

Exactly.

[Ryan Sickler]

And figure out how we want to do the lights and what looks right and sounds right. And yeah, I remember Jamie Foxx saying, I saw him give. I said this a lot. He gave his Oscars. Oscar speech after Ray. And he said that when he would come home a lot, his grandmother would make him play piano before he was able to go out and play or do anything. And he fucking was pissed. Like, I want to be out there playing with them. And she's like, you will. You'll be out there play the piano. And he said, now it all made sense. Like, I'm playing the piano in Ray. Yeah, I wouldn't. So that's what I wanted to ask you. Like, you also seem to be all of us these days with the digital age, but does this happen for you without the digital age and you putting a footprint online? I don't think it was. You said they came found you after a while.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, I don't think it would have because. Because especially when I, like, was really trying to get it going, I got really discouraged at first because the world shut down. It's like, where am I Going to go play at. There's nowhere to go play. And just to basically keep the promise to myself, I was like, well, I'm going to just do it online and see if anybody will listen. And so, like, I think being able to grow something there allowed me to skip a few of these, like, steps. Like, like in the country music world, where people are going down on Broadway and playing at these bars, playing cover songs for four or five hours at a time, I got to skip some of that, like, grunt work because I had, like a following. So when I was starting to release my own stuff, I had an audience ready to receive what I was putting out and I had an audience all over. So there's been some challenges to that, but without the digital thing, I don't think it would have been possible. Like, it made me. It made me have some good leveraging at the table too. When I started getting some, you know, offers for certain things. And I'll be like, no, I want to keep my own. I want to own my music. I want to keep it. I'm not interested. So because I had some. I had some juice on my own, I was able to, like, say no to certain things, which I would have had to be like, no, I'll take whatever you got. I'll take it.

[Ryan Sickler]

I'll take a seven dollar gig.

[Philip Bowen]

Exactly. Yeah, exactly. So it really helped me a lot. Like, it's. It's good and it's bad, but it's. It helped me a lot to get, like, some people noticing what I was doing and all that kind of stuff.

[Ryan Sickler]

What advice would you give to your kids or anybody out there that's wanting to do this?

[Philip Bowen]

I think one of my favorite things about doing this for a living is that I would give them the advice. Like, it's not always probable that you're going to be able to do what you love for a living, but it is absolutely possible. And I think that the whole thing with that, the biggest thing I've learned through all that is, and we alluded this to this earlier a little bit, but it's so everybody borrows from everybody else. That's fine, but you have to just keep what makes you you. And you know, my grandpa was a big, like, gardener, very, like Appalachian man, and he was very fond of this saying that, like, the day that you plant the seed is not the day that you eat the fruit. And I think of him saying that all the time. So the days that I get to eat the fruit is a very good day. And I would just tell them that, like, just keep planting seeds. Keep planting your seeds. Stay yourself, stay yourself, stay yourself. Don't for anything change that part of you, and then you'll be okay.

[Ryan Sickler]

What with your hindsight now, what would you say was the most. Well, I want to say singular most important thing, but what was it that really made you say, I gotta do this? What was it that made Philip Bowen say, you know what, if I don't go for this, I'm never gonna be happy?

[Philip Bowen]

I think there was a day where I know exactly when this was. I had. I was working like this, like, job, and they were getting kind of like invested in by this, like, venture capitalist group, which is like this interesting breed of. No, no offense to anybody, but, like, these coming in, basically what happens in these situations is they come in, they try to build up the company as fast as they can and then sell it off, right? So they. We're going to work this thing to the bone, get as much as we can out of it, build up the value, and then throw it out. So I remember being in my bed, we have a newborn or my son, and I remember my phone being on the nightstand, like, buzzing with emails and texts for an answer on, like, stuff, like work stuff. Two in the morning, 2:30 in the morning. I get up, I get up early. I'm getting pinged at like 7 in the morning. For people that don't care a hill of beans about me, whether I live or I die, it's just about this, somebody else's dream, you know? And I remember just truly kind of crashing out and being like, man, like this. I am going to die on the vine if I keep. I cannot go the rest of my life doing this work. It's. It means something to provide for my family, but it's meaningless to me. So, like, there would be many days where I would just shut my laptop and just play music in the room. That's how I would deal with life. I have all my instruments in my office. And so I was like, either, either I'm going to, like, die at 45, you know, or I'm going to like, pursue my dream and whatever happens, happens. And so when I went and I just, I have to do this or I'm going to die. And that's. That's truly how I feel. I was like, I cannot do anything else. But I think that you. I really believe you have to feel like doing that because month, like 36 is way different than like month two or three. It's so fun at first. Okay, we gotta get A website. Let's get an Instagram handle. Let's. You know, when you're like. You know what? It's like, okay, you're still doing this, bro. You still doing this. Oh, you're still doing that. Oh, my God. You know, that's hard.

[Ryan Sickler]

So people I ask, are you still doing comedy?

[Philip Bowen]

Like, have I seen you anything? Have I seen you doing this? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, it's hard. So you almost have to feel like you have to do it or else. Which is half. Which is how I still feel. I love doing it, but. But it's not always easy. It's still work.

[Ryan Sickler]

But, you know, do you think that if you don't find music that you end up being one of these people in West Virginia that does have a pill problem and gets stuck? I do.

[Philip Bowen]

I mean, I think that. I don't think it's an exaggeration for me to say, like, not to be a downer here, but, like, I think music has saved my life in multiple ways. You know, we had a really, really awful, like, very difficult loss in our family. Like, in between kids two and three, like, very late in the game, you know, Seven, eight months, bro. Like, very awful.

[Ryan Sickler]

What happened.

[Philip Bowen]

Like, my. You're losing a child. You know, you lost a child. Well, like, you know, like, as.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, your wife.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah. But, like, very. But I mean, not that it makes it anyways 100% here, what you said.

[Ryan Sickler]

I'm just being clear. Whatever that was, like, so is that a stillborn?

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Because they have to deliver.

[Philip Bowen]

That is a delivery happening, you know, and everybody knows at this point. Oh, thank you. And truly almost killed me, honestly, like, I've. I'm a very glass 3/4 full person. I'm pretty positive person. And I don't think I'd ever really had words for being that. Like, that feeling of being that blue. And I, you know, like, I just. I had nothing. I just took everything out of me. I remember driving to the hospital and being like, not again, not again, not again. I just was so, you know, we have one happen in between kids one and two, but it was much earlier, and I just was like, it's just devastating. It's awful. And so to go through that and then feel like you're also questioning everything about, like, can I actually, like, what am I doing? This is not, you know, people telling you, go get a real job. You know, like, blah, blah, blah. So I think if I wouldn't have had this as a means to, like, express. I'm not good at talking about negative things in a conversation. But I. The way that I'm the best at doing that and working it out is by writing about it. So if I can like get it out of my system or you know, work through those feelings like, and write a song or work through it, then I can survive. And you know, music kind of helps me do that. So not to be like, it's really a downer story, but it's true, man. Like I. I really, I really don't believe I would be the same person at all if I had.

[Ryan Sickler]

I believe you, dude. You know, this has been great, man. Thank you for doing this, man.

[Philip Bowen]

Absolutely.

[Ryan Sickler]

How about I ask you advice you'd give to 16 year old Philip Bowen and you play us out of here with. Maybe you want to do some country road.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, let's do country roads, bro. Yeah. I would say advice to my 16 year old self. Oh, man. My advice to my 16 year old self would be to just. I think about that for one second. I would say like no matter what, no matter what. Like no matter what you're hearing on the outside noise side of things, like chase the dream. Chase the dream. You know, it's never, never too early. Like the practical stuff will always be there. And like you just, just try your best to believe it. Like you are enough. Try to believe in yourself. Because I think, I think that the self doubt, like really put a stop on that for like the longest time for me. Like not thinking that there was a place for me to do whatever I was doing. And so I think the advice I would have given to myself was like, just go for it.

[Ryan Sickler]

Great job.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

Good for you, dude.

[Philip Bowen]

Yeah, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

I'm happy for you, man.

[Philip Bowen]

We're getting there.

[Ryan Sickler]

Let's hear some country road, man. Why don't you play us out here? I won't. I won't make you a play for two hours.

[Philip Bowen]

The song of songs, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

Let's do it.

[Philip Bowen]

Got seven bucks Anywhere I'll get.

[Ryan Sickler]

I got seven for you, dude.

[Philip Bowen]

Almost heaven West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountain Shenandoah River Life is old there Older than the trees Younger than the mountains Blowing like a breeze country road yeah, man Take me home to the place I belong West Virginia Mountain mama Take.

[Ryan Sickler]

Me home country road yeah. As always, Ryan Sickler on all your social media. RyanCicler.com will talk to y'all next week.

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[Philip Bowen]

It just meant that I feel really.

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[Philip Bowen]

Expertise gives me the coverage I need. Like 24.7 claims I'm on cloud nine.

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[Philip Bowen]

What's happening?

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[Philip Bowen]

Ew.

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Now this IS taxes Intuit TurboTax get.

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