CLARE BOWEN

Clare Bowen

Having risen to fame as country singer Scarlett in US drama Nashville, Bowen now spreads her wings and takes flight from the show, releasing her self-titled debut album. The self-confessed Dolly Parton fan hasn’t flown far – the 11 tracks, which the 34-yearold co-wrote, are imbued with country, from the ethereal “Lullabye” to the more urgent catchiness of “Tide Rolls In”. The singer-actress, who hails from the Illawarra region of NSW, references Stanwell Park “where the ocean meets the sky” in “Doors & Corridors”, a song about how her childhood battle with cancer made her the woman she is today. Despite this foray into self-reflection, the album, all up, is a toe-tapping, heart-twanger. (Out Sep. 21. Catch Bowen’s music live as she tours Australia from Sept. 27.)