Singer-songwriter Crystal Bowersox is known for many things: her soulful and distinctive voice; her ability to transcend genres across folk-pop, classic rock, soul, blues and country; and her capacity for spreading a positive message of love and light through her songwriting. Her next adventure is Alive, which was recorded at the Kitchen Sink Studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The live album is set to release June 16.
Drawing on her various influences to make the kind of music that resonates with her spirit, Alive is both tender and tough, rough yet polished, encompassing many genres without falling neatly into one category. When describing the album, Bowersox says it is the trust music she has released to date, thanks in part to the team of musicians comprising the “chosen family” she tours with, their talents spread throughout the album. Guitarist David DePrest shares songwriting credits on the down-but-certainly-not-out “A Broken Wing,” as well as “Let Me Walk Away.” Bowersox’s live set addresses each of her influences, whether it be through “The Ride,” with its fury of blues-driven energy, “Marlboro Man” and its cinematic look inside an ill-fated love with a wannabe cowboy, the sweet, mandolin-tinged “Mine All Mine,” or the soulful “He Calls Me Angel” and its roadmap to unconditional love. The set closes with Bowersox’s lively take on Kris Kristofferson’s classic “Me & Bobby McGee,” a Bowersox fan favorite.
Bowersox hopes that Alive gives listeners something to take with them on their own journey, so that they, too, can feel truly alive. Not only is the title a play on words, representing the rawness of the tracks, but it pertains to the place where Crystal currently is in her life: a place of joy, fulfillment, and stability for her and her eight-year-old son.
A northwest Ohio native currently calling Nashville home, Bowersox has built her life around music. Dead set on a career in music, she moved to Chicago as a teenager, where she performed on subway platforms and worked odd jobs. She then auditioned for the ninth season of American Idol becoming a finalist. She has since released two LP’s, two EPs, and several singles. She has also used her talents to benefit several causes close to her heart and has become an advocate and inspiration for people living with Type 1 Diabetes.
With “a voice like dirt and diamonds,” as one songwriting partner put it, Bowersox is inspired by what’s to come: she says it is what’s in front of her, not what’s behind her, that will define her personal and professional evolution. Alive is certainly a step in the right direction, offering Bowersox’s story of resilience and perseverance in every note.
Bowersox will be headed out on tour with her only local performance to be at the Franklin Theatre on May 13. Purchase your tickets online at the Franklin Theatre website. Take a listen to “A Broken Wing” from her new album Alive.
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