Songs From the Bunkhouse is an ongoing series featuring conversations with country artists whose music has been played on the hit series Yellowstone.
Like all the country artists featured on the beloved Paramount western series Yellowstone, Wade Bowen's music fits like a Stetson and a Carhartt coat fit John Dutton. Like that of fellow Texans Shane Smith and the Saints, Bowen's songs are right at home on the Dutton ranch and probably on constant rotation in Rip's work truck. It's a testament to music supervisor Andrea Von Foerster and series creator Taylor Sheridan's dedication to finding the perfect song for every scene. But for Bowen, the use of his song "Beat Me Down," from his 2012 album The Given, came as a complete surprise.
The Waco-native, who released his latest album Somewhere Between the Secret And the Truth earlier this year, said he wasn't even aware of how the song found its way to the show. But his music being featured in the season four finale was a huge personal win — not only as an artist, but also as one of Yellowstone's many, many weekly viewers.
"I love Yellowstone so I watch it all the time," Bowen tells Wide Open Country. "I was already a fan of the show and then to get the call that it was actually going to be in the show — it was the first song I'd ever had in any show or movie or anything. It was a dream come true. It was so much fun — especially a show I actually watch and am involved in...It was a pretty amazing experience all the way around."
As for which of the Yellowstone crew is his favorite, Bowen is torn between the Dutton patriarch and his fiercest defender, but says he never gets tired of watching television's biggest badass — Beth Dutton.
"I don't think I've ever seen a bigger badass than Beth. I think she's incredible. I love the way they write her story. I love the way they write her character — I think it's probably the most intriguing part of the entire story," Bowen says. "I do have to say that Kevin Costner's John Dutton — I'm a huge Kevin Costner fan. That's why I started watching the show...To have a song in the show with one of my favorite characters — I still can't believe it happened."
Yellowstone airs on Sundays at 7 p.m. CT/ 8 p.m. ET on Paramount. Looking for more Yellowstone music? Check out our roundup of all the country songs featured on the series and follow our Yellowstone Spotify playlist below.
