CONCORD, N.C. – This summer, Hendrick Motorsports has launched a brand-new Spotify account, and to mark the occasion, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers and some special guests are sharing their very own playlists.
So far, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick have provided insight into what they’re listening to.
This week, Alex Bowman has stepped up to the jukebox.
“I have a pretty interesting music taste,” Bowman said. “It varies quite a bit, so I tried to add everything into my playlist. There’s some pretty cool stuff in there. It’s just all stuff that I like and like to jam to.”
Elliott’s playlist was heavy on country music. Byron shared a handful of current radio chart-toppers. Hendrick showcased songs from a wide variety of genres and decades.
Bowman’s playlist, meanwhile, stands out by featuring songs that range from pop-punk to alternative to what some might even describe as emo.
“I was always into the rock music scene, I’d say from the time I was in middle school on,” the driver said. “I was in fifth grade when, I can’t remember which Blink-182 album came out, but I remember getting that album and falling in love with it. From there, I just listened to that style of music.”
Blink-182 might have been the catalyst for Bowman, but a love of music runs deep in the driver’s family.
“Both my brothers are really musically talented,” he said. “One of my brothers built guitars and the other has been in and out of some different bands and been pretty good.”
And his father introduced him to rock music at an early age.
“My dad is a big Sammy Hagar and Van Halen fan, so my first concert was a Van Halen tour when they toured with David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar together,” he said. “That was pretty cool. That definitely had an influence on me.”
As he grew up in Tucson, Arizona, Bowman said his music taste focused on pop-punk throughout middle school and high school.
While he still listens to that type of music, the 25-year-old has “transitioned to the post-hardcore metal scene,” which includes bands like Dance Gavin Dance and Pierce the Veil, over the last few years.
“There were a couple years where I strayed from it then went back to it,” he explained. “I’ve bounced around quite a bit.”
Bowman has made the rounds in the music scene, meeting members of bands Anberlin and August Burns Red and becoming friendly on social media with the group I Prevail.
But one opportunity stands out above the rest.
“I got starstruck when I met the guys from Blink-182,” he recalled. “I wore a Blink-182 helmet two years ago and they saw it on social media and somehow we managed to get VIP passes to see them. I brought a bunch of friends and it was a really cool deal.”
Interestingly, the concert Bowman pinpointed as the best he has ever attended was put on by a band that might not fit into the genres represented on his playlist.
“I think their music is really good but it’s not what I listen to all the time, but I saw Death Cab for Cutie live in 2016,” he said. “They were just really, really good live. It was a super cool show.”
Ultimately, Bowman doesn’t discriminate when it comes to all kinds of tunes – he just likes to listen to music.
And he hopes fans will enjoy his Spotify playlist, though he has some advice about where to listen.
“Probably in the car. Probably in the middle of nowhere,” he laughed. “Probably not at a party, because you might scare some of your friends.”
Check out Bowman’s playlist here.
Stay tuned next week when NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon will share what he’s listening to – and you might be surprised.