Artist description Kevin Bowe and the Okemah Prophets have come out of Minneapolis with a mission; their debut CD "Restoration" breathes new life into American roots music. Their soulful, irreverent and literate take on roots, alt/country and even good old Midwestern garage rock is led by the songwriting of Kevin Bowe, who has made his mark writing gold and platinum cuts for Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Shannon Curfman, among others. Kevin is the first writer in over 20 years to be signed by legends Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller. Take it or leave it; this is the real thing.

Music Style alt-country, American roots, garage rock

Musical Influences Steve Earle, The Byrds, The Replacements

Artist History The Okemah (Oh-kee-mah) Prophets are a new band out of Minneapolis, lead bysinger/songwriter Kevin Bowe. After taking two years off to pursue writingand solo performing, Kevin decided to put a group together to record demos andshowcase at SXSW in Austin, Texas. The music came together so well that theyare now doing shows all over Minneapolis (including sets with BR549 and Peter Case), planning a Nashville showcase and laying the groundwork for a CD. Mixing influences like Steve Earle, The Replacements, The Byrds and Little Village, the Okemah Prophets have their hearts in what some call alt.country/No Depression style music. But the level of musicianship, songwriting and variety of roots influences make their sound hard to pin down. Andy is well-known for his tenure with Molly and the Haymakers (Warner Bros.), and John Wright performs with Celtic favorite Stuart Martz. Bongo is a local legend for his contributions to The Hypstrz and Curtiss A during Minneapolis punk rock heyday. Marv Gohman (ex-Rembrandts) is the Okemah Prophets secret weapon, providing the jangling mandolin and plaintive fiddle lines. After fronting his former band The Revelators, Kevin Bowe became widely recognized in songwriting and publishing circles as the first writer in over twenty years to be signed by legends Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The songs he's written for Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd have gone platinum and gold; his music has been used recently in both film and television. BMI has recently chosen Kevin to perform at their showcase stages in Memphis, Tenn., and Austin, Texas.

Group Members Kevin Bowe, Andy Dee, John Wright, "Bongo" Johnny Haga, Marv Gohman

Instruments Guitar, Bass, Drums, Fiddle, Mandolin, Steel, Tic Tac

Albums Restoration

Press Reviews Pulse of the Twin Cities, Nov. 1999: Local musician Kevin Bowe has the Midwestern rock sound down. His latest album, Restoration (which also features his band, the Okemah Prophets), is all that is good about the kind of country/folk-tinged rock this region is known for. In the spirit of The Jayhawks and even The Replacements (somewhat), Bowe strums through Restorations's 14 tracks with grace and skill. Highlights of the album include the melancholy opener "Sault Ste. Marie," the sweet sing-along "The Heart of Everything," and the desolate "Lonesome Angel," a song co-written by Leo Kottke. In addition to the Okemah Prophets' (John Haga, Marv Gohman and John Wright) musical agility, guest musicians such as Jonny Lang, Shannon Curfman and Brian Hanna add their touches to Restoration as well. Aside from its fluidity and mellow likeability, the best thing about this album is Bowe's smooth, accessible musical style. From his guitar and banjo work to his endearingly raspy vocals, Bowe conveys every sentiment with believable sincerity; He doesn't beg for an emotional response, but the honest quality of his music makes you empathize anyway.

Location Minneapolis, MN - USA

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