Review- Donnie Bowling: Work Yourself Out
The path is within us, traveling nurse and musician, Donnie Bowling would come to realize. His latest release, Work Yourself Out, is an unapologetically honest look into the human mind, following the journey from self-doubt to self-actualization. Sparked from a years-old lyric rediscovered, the 10-track record reflects a collection of these moments from Bowling's own life that remind us we’re our own worst enemies.
Bowling would affirm the feelings that are the hardest to express are the most important to share; it’s this that creates the stark honesty he carries in his lyrics. “It’s only then that we find the way to survive. A path to fix our problems is within us all,” Bowling told The Amp.
“Path” is the conversation that happens in your mind and all the feelings that inhabit it: the fear, doubt, worry, and other people’s opinions, but Bowling’s fighting the good fight to tune it all out. “They don't mind, if you’re working every weekend from now. It’s not their life, it's not their chance. ’Cause there aren't a lot of folks out there who would take that bet.” Bowling told The Amp that when writing this song, “I took a lot of criticism early on and let it eat me alive about the relatability of my lyrics. I let it affect my writing for years. But, this song was focused on me and what I was currently going through. After that, I started writing songs for myself.”
When you’re too busy and stuck in your head, you miss out on what's going on around you. “Galaxy” is an intergalactic exploration of either end of the spectrum: “It’s a safe space, living out with the other stars.” We find a common theme with a different take on going through the motions in “Trying to Survive.” “It’s just life, trying to survive… you’ve been rushin’ so long, you lost all the fun”
“Talking Ya Down” is a continuation of the conversation, it’s about taking the leap. “Everyone’s got a leap, and this is your chance. Don’t miss your chance.” This is a lesson Bowling would agree we can all learn from.
“I sat on this nearly finished record for three years now due to doubt,” Bowling told The Amp. “As an artist, writer, singer, whatever, it takes a huge mental toll on us to prepare to release works to be freely criticized by others.”
“I hope that these songs help navigate whatever rough waters listeners find themselves in. Writing it helped me.”
A Kentuckian through and through, although his sound may keep to the fringe of what you typically hear coming from the indie musicians of the Bluegrass state. However, this in no way plays down what Bowling’s soulful sound brings to the table, only contributing to the diversity of Kentucky’s commodity. This is emphasized in the feel-good duo “Brett & Donnie.” The chemistry between the two fills the room and serves as a testament to their combined talent. Bowling expressed “(Shine Through) was a proving ground for both of us and a way for us to show our fans and ourselves that we can blend two lead singers with vastly different inspirational backgrounds into one vessel to launch our messages. In comparison to Work Yourself Out, Bowling describes that together they’re “more energetic. You can’t help being with Brett Higgins to your right dancing and flashing hand hearts and doing who knows what. But the lyrics are more positive driven and outward reaching to others.” Their recent release, Shine Through, is a prime example of this and Bowling hopes these positive influences “acts as a beacon for those who need them.”
Work Yourself Out and Shine Through are available to stream on all platforms, today. Look for Brett & Donnie venturing east for the first leg of the Shine Through Tour this summer before making the trek out west this fall.
Find out more about Donnie at the links below: