1. Hi Jess! Please introduce yourself to those who might not know you. 
Hello! My name is Jess Bowen - I’m the drummer of The Summer Set, and have also played and collaborated with other artists such as 3OH!3, Cassadee Pope, Jax, Lights, Tessa Violet, Alice Glass, and more.  I have also been featured in the drumming documentary “Count Me In” that was released on Netflix, and you can now find it on Apple TV or Prime.
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2. How did your connection with Shira and Gritty In Pink come about? 
I met Shira on Warped Tour 2018, and we have stayed in touch ever since!  So of course when she told me about starting Gritty In Pink, I was so excited for her and to also be a part of it!
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3. You’ve been rocking with Gritty since the early days, playing the first Jam back in Jan 2020. What do you recall about that first show, looking back? Was there any indication that Gritty would keep growing into what it is today?
The first jam just felt like friends throwing a party for the women/non-binary musicians in our scene, and I loved being a part of that!  It was really community driven, and we all were there for the same purpose.  I think the indication that it would keep growing into what it is today is how genuine it felt - as women and non-binary musicians, there’s still a huge gap between us and men who work in this same industry.  People showed up because they cared about being a part of change within the music industry.  .
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4. When did you first realize music was your path? Was there a specific moment or influence that solidified being a musician as your dream?
I started playing drums in middle school, which is also when me and two members of my current band started playing together.  We were just a cover band at the time, and it wasn’t until high school that we started writing our own music.  It always felt like a hobby until my senior year, when we started getting recognition from record labels.  That was the biggest turning point when I realized my dream could turn into a reality.
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5. What’s been the biggest challenge navigating the music industry as a female drummer? 
A lot of it has been learning to trust that I belong here without feeling like I have to prove myself every second.  There’s still this unspoken thing where you walk into rooms and people don’t expect you to be the drummer.  I’ve had plenty of times when house crew, security guards, or any venue staff have treated me as if I was a “girlfriend” of a band member or someone who got into the venue early and didn’t belong there.  Over time I realized the best way to handle that is to just play, do the job well, and let that speak for itself..
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6. The Summer Set just wrapped the Meet Me at the Record Tour, what felt the most different about this run compared to past tours?
This one felt really intentional - from the theme of the whole tour to the stage production.  I was also personally very intentional about hiring a team of women/non-binary crew, as well as picking support bands with female/lgbtq+ representation. The crowds were also a mixture of people who’ve been around since the beginning and a lot of newer fans finding us for the first time, which made the shows feel extra special. 

7. As The Summer Set approaches its 20th anniversary next year, what kind of moment do you want to create for the fans who’ve been there since day one?
I just want it to feel like a celebration we all get to share.  The people who were there in the beginning helped shape this band as much as we did, so I’d love to create something that feels nostalgic but also shows how far we’ve all come together.  I truly believe we have the best fans in the world, and I just want them to know how much we love and appreciate every single one of them for continuing to show up for us - it’s crazy that almost 20 years later we still get to live our dreams because of them!

8.  With the emo revival in full swing, how does The Summer Set fit into this moment…when it first came back, did it feel nostalgic, or like a whole new chapter?
A little bit of both, honestly.  There’s definitely nostalgia in revisiting the songs from our previous eras, but it also feels like we’re a whole new band since we got back together and started putting music out again in 2021.  I love that we live a bit in both of those worlds.
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9. As a queer woman and the only girl in The Summer Set, how has your experience in the scene shifted from when you first started to now, and what still hasn’t changed?
The biggest shift is that I feel a lot more comfortable being fully myself.  When I first started, there wasn’t as much space in the scene for queer visibility or for women in general - a lot of the tours I did early on, I was either the only girl or one of a few girls on an entire tour.  Now it feels like there’s definitely more women in the scene, but I’m such an advocate for inspiring young women to play the drums because there still aren’t enough of us!
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10. Which artists helped shape you as an artist musically or aesthetically? 
Since I started playing drums in a Blink 182 cover band, I’d have to say Blink and Travis specifically was a huge influence on me musically.  Other bands/artists that were prominent for me were Third Eye Blind, Jimmy Eat World, The Format, Michelle Branch, and Paramore.
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11. As an industry vet that’s been touring for decades, what’s something about being a touring musician people still get wrong?
People think it’s a nonstop party or vacation, but it’s a lot of waiting, a lot of routine, and a lot of missing home.  While there are some days off in certain cities that you can explore and do the touristy experience, most of the time you are only seeing the venue and whatever is next to the venues.
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12. If you weren’t a musician, what do you think you’d be doing?
I grew up playing club soccer, and truly thought I would become a professional soccer player.  Before I quit to fully focus on music, I actually had a few scholarship offers to play in college. I probably would have tried that route!
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13. What’s one risk you took that completely changed the trajectory of your career?
Dropping out of college my freshman year to fully give music my all.  We were 18 year old kids touring the country in a van and trailer, sometimes playing to only the staff that worked at the bars/venues, but it was the best experience of my life.  We were young and living our dream, so it didn’t matter to us if we were sleeping on floors of random people’s houses or motels, we were just happy to be doing it at all.

14. If your life were a movie, what would it be called and who would play you at various ages? 
I think it would have to be called “Hit Like A Girl”, simply because of the one time a sound engineer told me he would sound check my drums for me but “don’t worry, I’ll hit them like a girl”.  And my only request for whoever plays me is to be a proud queer half-filipina drummer, to keep it accurate!

15. What’s a musical achievement from this past year that you’re proud of?
‍I was proud to have finally been able to play the When We Were Young Festival in Vegas, but not only that I was the most proud that we were booked on the main stage! That will go down as one of my favorite festival shows we’ve ever done.

16. What’s next? 
‍Always more touring!  For now, my band is booked on the 3 US shows of Warped Tour, as well as more one-offs in the future. I’ll also be playing drums for 3OH!3 on their upcoming tour with Simple Plan and Bowling For Soup!

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