“There’s a lot of strength and a lot of vulnerability in the human condition,” Annie Bosko says while discussing her debut album. “It’s it’s okay to wake up one day and feel on top of the world, like you can kick ass and the next day, to feel like you’ve just had your ass kicked by life.”
That chronicling of emotional highs and lows serves as the emotional compass for her new album, California Cowgirl, out today (Oct. 2) on QHMG/Stone Country Records. The 19-track project, which follows her January-released self-titled EP, interlocks toughness, confidence, heartbreak and ambition, while interweaving moments from her own story of a West Coast farmer’s daughter who chased her dreams to Nashville.
Bosko calls the title track, “California Cowgirl,” “the album’s centerpiece, and the bar that everything on the album needed to live up to.” The phrase, first spoken to her by Country Music Hall of Famer Dwight Yoakam, not only gave the project its name but helped crystallize her artistic identity.
“I did the Greater Bakersfield podcast with him, and at one point he went, ‘Annie Bosko, California Cowgirl,’” she recalls. “And I just thought, ‘Yep, that’s who I am. That’s the brand.’ And that just sealed the deal.”
Produced by Trent Willmon (Cody Johnson) and David Mescon (Dasha, Megan Moroney, the album’s latticework of fiddle, steel guitar and acoustic guitar nods to the influence of ‘90s and 2000s female country icons such as Shania Twain and Martina McBride.
Bosko calls that decade one of country music’s most iconic. “I just feel like that era of country was so undeniably good. All the songs were so strong. It was such a great era for females. I certainly feel that we need more of that right now—more female artists.”
That sense of nostalgia for an older generation of country music runs throughout the album. On California Cowgirl, Bosko covers both Kris Kristofferson and Garth Brooks. She covers Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through The Night.” Meanwhile, her take on Brooks’ “New Way to Fly” (which Brooks recorded on his 1990 album No Fences) came at the suggestion of her manager Randy Bernard, who also co-manages Brooks (Bosko is managed by Bernard in a joint venture with BSB Management). “He said, ‘This song would be really great coming from a female perspective,’” she recalls.
Elsewhere, “Maliblue,” written with Bridgette Tatum (“She’s Country”), distills heartbreak through clever wordplay. “We were in Malibu and walking on the beach and she had that great title for a song,” Bosko says. “It’s this fun play on words about a girl leaving a guy. I know I’ve been there, where I’ve been brokenhearted in some beautiful place. I just envisioned some girl crying tears into the ocean.”
Even some of the originals on the album stem from ‘90s country greats. “Watch Me,” which captures a sense of strength and resilience in the face of doubters, is inspired by Toby Keith’s 1999 hit “How Do You Like Me Now?!”
“I’ve always loved the phrase ‘Watch Me’ and I love the message in Toby’s song,” she says. “We’ve all been told we’re crazy, that we’re never going to make it, or been doubted when it comes to pursuing our dreams. I love and respect Toby’s songwriting and I thought, ‘Where’s the girl song for this? I don’t know of one.’ I’ve dealt with so much skepticism. Even when I walk through airports, some people are surprised that it’s my guitar going through security. But the song is tongue-in-cheek; it doesn’t have to be a middle finger — it’s more of a, ‘Hold my drink because I’m going to do it’ kind of thing.”
Bosko is clear-eyed about the skepticism she’s encountered, even from family, as a woman pursuing a music career. “If I sat and thought about the statistics, the odds, I never would’ve chosen to do this,” she shares. “You’d have to be a crazy person. But I think my sheer love and passion for the music inspired me to do this. My parents were very realistic, like, ‘Hey we want to make sure you get your college degree, just in case.’ As parents you don’t want to see your kids struggle, so I don’t blame them for that. But I knew this is what I wanted to do.”
A co-writer on the bulk of the songs on the album, Bosko’s creative vision is matched by her work ethic. She’s been chasing the dream of music since she was a teenager. One of her signature songs on the album, “God Winks,” nods at the open doors and opportunities that have signaled she’s on the right path and have pushed her forward. One of those earliest moments came when she was 14, when she landed a spot singing on the 2000 soundtrack for Disney’s The Little Mermaid II: The Return to the Sea.
“They had Chely Wright do a vocal on the end theme song, and then they needed a younger voice, too,” Bosko recalls. “I’ll never forget driving to Burbank [California] and seeing the [studio] gates open. That was my little green light moment at a young age to make me believe I could really pursue it as a career.”
Those “God winks” have come more recently, too, as evinced by the album’s collaborators. Bosko pairs with Darius Rucker on “Old Friends” and enlists Yoakam for “Heart Burn,” a sensual duet that highlights her versatility.
“I think he’s probably the one I’m most shocked by, because he’s such an artist and purist at what he does,” she says of Yoakam. “He’s not going to just do anything to be nice. He has to really believe in something and it has to represent him and his artistry. The fact that that he has been so supportive, shown up to shows and let me sit in during his set, those are the things that you just never forget as an artist.”
For Bosko, the duets are artistic opportunities, but they are also pragmatic business choices. “I think for any artist, whether that’s Ella Langley or Lainey Wilson, so many female artists have gotten their breaks and exposure through collaborations,” she says. “I feel like it’s kind of the best way for a new artist to get out there, so you can’t be afraid to ask. If you think it’s a good quality song and you know you are talented and hardworking and deserving, go for it.”
While country remains her foundation, Bosko doesn’t see herself limited to one lane. Her playlists veer from Marty Robbins to David Guetta, and she’s curious to explore different creative outlets.
“In the future, I could see myself recording stuff that leans even more old-school, traditional country, but then, also collaborating with DJs,” she says, even as her ambitions extend to acting, musical theater, and fashion. “I love clothes. A lot of times I’ve ended up either designing my own outfit myself with a seamstress or creating clothing styles that I want, but can’t find.”
But the first step is cementing her place in the country music firmament as a singer-songwriter with an engaging, relatable story to share with fans. “This album feels all-encompassing and autobiographical,” she says. “This album is who I am.”
