Words by Selin Ruby Kaya
With every new Australian act comes new experiences, and it’s clear that this trio from the West of Naarm have stories to tell.
Bowlos, consisting of members Bill Burns, Ryo Hatfield, and Ben Sparks, formed in 2019 from a crossover of football teams and long-standing childhood friendships.
“We’re all from the West – westies born and raised – I met Ryo playing football when we were both ten and terrible at football,” Burns said.
“Yeah I think it was D team!” Hatfield laughed.
“And then later on in life I met Ben at high school, and we became really good friends doing a school musical because I think we realised we were the only band kids in a group of musical theatre kids,” Burns said.
“Our first name was ‘The Wrong Joint’ as our friendship cemented when we waited outside of the wrong tennis centre to see Blur, the Rod Laver complex is just so… complex!” Sparks added.
Diving head first into the Australian shoegaze genre, Bowlo’s have drawn upon inspiration from Australia’s natural elements, as well as possessing an itch for sharing their local stories.
“I really think a lot of the songs I grew up listening to were so heavily driven by big driving guitars and with really introspective lyrics that captured a sense of place and identity, and I think that’s what we were really passionate about,” Burns said.
“We want to capture the stories of where we live… we want to talk about the Nullarbor Straight and the vastness of this beautiful land that we find ourselves on.”
Their debut single, ‘Sunday Morning’ details a collective sense of rejuvenation after Australia’s bushfire tragedies in late 2019. This is felt through crunchy guitar chords and ruminative lyricism, with additional melodic riffs allowing Australiana sounds to emerge and erupt into an impressive debut track.
Burn’s vocals have an early Peter Garrett feel to them, every line delivered with a sense of verve and maturity, which pairs wonderfully with a touch of true-blue Hoodoo Gurus guitar driven moments.
Speaking on the song itself, Sparks found the process only strengthened their friendship further.
“We wrote it together-ish, after taking a little bit of a break… and that’s when we had the big bush fires, and that kind of brought us together,” Sparks said.
“Bill was reflecting on some of his love life at the time, and the rest of us were in other forms of doom almost.”
“On one side it’s about the bush fires, and it was also right at the end of the #MeToo movement, and all of the stuff that went down there, and it’s kind of juxtaposing that,” Burns said.
“The rain is necessary, and I think rejuvenation is a massive part of our identity and the Australian bush and everything, and just to say, ‘Yeah, the rain has come, but it’s what we need to put a sense of new life back into our world.’”
The trio hope their music provides a sense of belonging and connection for their listeners.
“Just to actually have said something that people can connect with,” Hatfield said.
“It’s just really nice to know that other people feel the way you do.”
“I hope people can come along to our gigs and feel safe, feel welcomed, feel like themselves, and have a dance,” Burns said.
“It’s cool that we can talk about some heavy stuff or complex things, you know, because life’s heavy, life’s complex, but if you can talk about it in a fun way – listening to live music is a bit of a relief, no matter what you’re listening to,” Sparks said.
Something remarkable about this newly-founded indie rock outfit is their profound respect for their friendship and each other, which sometimes takes a back seat in the music world of tour buses and green rooms.
In advice to other newcomers, Burns found the notion of mateship to be the most crucial part of starting fresh as a band.
“I know that certainly the most valuable connections in my life are with these two gentlemen right here,” he said.
“Make sure you put friendship first, and band second. You don’t have to be a good artist, you just have to be a good version of yourself.”
Wise beyond their years, and with endless tales to tell, it’s just a matter of time before Bowlo’s unconditional sense of togetherness is felt throughout the music scene in Naarm and across Australia.
The beautiful best friends-turned-rock-trio Bowlos are celebrating the release of ‘Sunday Morning’ at The Retreat Hotel on Wednesday 21 July (tickets here). You can also follow them on various social media platforms for all the latest:
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