Calum Bowie on Finding Clarity in The World Outside

Creative Direction Emily Barker
Photography Jack Alexander
Fashion Ellie Rimmer
Grooming Lauraine Bailey at Leftside Creative using Weleda, REFY & GHD

Words: Miles Holder

Still riding high from a sold-out UK and European tour, Scottish singer-songwriter Calum Bowie returns with The World Outside, a heartfelt new single that doubles down on his trademark introspection and lyrical sincerity. His first new music since Through The Window, the project that earned him a top 5 slot on the Scottish charts and the Breakthrough Artist award at the Scottish Music Awards.

We caught up with Calum to discuss the loneliness that inspired the track, how his studio confidence has evolved, and why staying grounded in real emotions is more important than ever.

FAULT Magazine: ‘The World Outside’ feels deeply personal. The song circles themes of longing, connection and healing- what moment or experience sparked it?

Calum Bowie: It’s a mix of things. It’s that feeling of being away not just from your physical home, but also from the people you love. I’m originally from Banchory near Aberdeen, but I’ve lived in Edinburgh for six years now, so both places feel like home. When I travel, especially for long stints like being up and down to London, I start to miss the people around me. Friends, and family connections that keep you grounded. That’s where The World Outside came from: this desire to be back among the people who know you best. That “stay a while” lyric is about wanting to hold onto that feeling and not leave again.

FAULT Magazine: Is it ever difficult being that emotionally open in your writing-especially when some people might reduce it to “the life you chose”?

Calum Bowie: Totally. I try to find a balance. Yes, I’m lucky to do this full-time now, but these emotions aren’t exclusive to musicians. Missing people isn’t niche-it’s something we all feel. Whether you’re away on a tour or a long work trip, or even doing long-distance, those feelings are real. I never want my songs to feel like “woe is me,” but rather to reflect something everyone can connect to. I think that’s what makes the music meaningful.

FAULT Magazine: The World Outside is your first release since Through The Window. How would you say your creative process has evolved since recording that debut EP?

Calum Bowie: I think I’ve just become more confident. I’ve been in the studio a lot over the past two years, and that experience makes a big difference. I know more clearly what I want now- what I like, and what I don’t like. It’s less about radically changing the vision and more about refining it. I’ve learned to be open and experimental in the studio, because the beauty of modern recording is you can try something weird, like a harp droning on one note the whole way, and if it doesn’t work, you just don’t use it. But you’ve got to try.

FAULT Magazine: When you’re in the studio, do you think about who will be listening to the final song-or is it more of an insular process?

Calum Bowie: I think it has to be insular at least at first. Maybe it’s a bit self-indulgent, but I have to love the song myself. If I don’t want to put it on and enjoy it, then what’s the point? Trends come and go, but if you stay true to what you believe in musically, that’ll carry you through. It’s not about chasing what’s popular. It’s about creating something you believe in and trusting that others will connect with that, too.

FAULT Magazine: What do you hope listeners take away from The World Outside?

Calum Bowie: I hope they feel the emotions I’m feeling. The production’s upbeat, but the lyrics are intimate. I’ve laid myself out in those verses, then built things back up in the chorus. I want people to feel those ebbs and flows and to hear the story I’m telling, not just literally hear the song, but emotionally engage with it. If it helps someone understand their feelings or feel a bit less alone, that would mean everything to me.

FAULT Magazine: You’ve had a massive year-sold-out show, a charting EP, and being named Breakthrough Artist at the Scottish Music Awards. Do you feel pressure now to follow that up?

Calum Bowie: I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel it sometimes, but I try not to let it dictate the creative side. You can’t write a song worrying about how it’ll chart-you have to write what’s honest. That’s what worked with Through The Window, and I think people connected with that because it was real. So that’s what I want to continue doing: make honest music, and let everything else follow from there.

FAULT Magazine: If you could speak to that version of yourself who was recording songs from your bedroom, what would you say about the journey you’ve been on and the music you’re making now?

Calum Bowie: I probably wouldn’t believe it-which sounds a bit cliché. I’d be like, “No way that actually worked!” I’ve been playing guitar since I was eight, and I’ve been writing terrible music since I was 12.But it was all groundwork to get to where I am now.  

FAULT Magazine: What’s one question about your creativity or your creative journey that no one’s ever really asked you, but is a part of your artistry that’s a really big part of who you are as an artist?

Calum Bowie: I used to go to the Isle of Lewis a lot as a kid. So not just Gaelic music but Scottish traditional music. I think it’s hard not to have that in you, especially when you grow up in Scotland.

For me, I always want it to tie back to: could you play this on a guitar in a quiet pub in Stornoway or in Aberdeen? In one song I talk about the A92, which is the road from Aberdeen to Edinburgh that I drive all the time.

What is your FAULT?

Calum Bowie: I’m a total overthinker. And it is draining, and it is tiring. I call it being “on.” I find it hard to switch off. I know everyone says that, but I really do find it hard to go, “Right, I’m not in work mode. I’m not in push-push-push mode.” But I also kind of find it a superpower.

Because if I go to bed with a problem, or with a song that I’m trying to figure out, I’ll normally wake up and go, “Oh, why not that?” And maybe it takes a bit of tweaking, but I find that overthinking sucks-but it also means I’m always problem-solving in my brain.