Vanessa McGowan is a bassist, creative coach, writer, and small business owner originally from New Zealand. She lives in the North Woods of Wisconsin and works in Nashville, Tennessee, balancing life on the road with building bold, creative ventures at home.

With a career spanning over two decades, Vanessa has worn nearly every hat in the music industry. She has worked as a touring and session bassist, booking agent, tour manager, vocal arranger, and co-leader of the award-winning Americana duo Tattletale Saints. Since 2014, she has toured internationally as a bassist and backing vocalist for artists including Grammy winners Sugarland, Jennifer Nettles, and Brandy Clark, and currently serves as bandleader for multi-Grammy-winner Molly Tuttle. Her performance career has taken her from tiny folk clubs to massive rock arenas across the globe. She proudly endorses Fender Guitars, Aguilar Amps, Fishman electronics, and D’Addario strings.

Outside of music, Vanessa co-owns Blue Pine Door County, a colorful and adventurous apparel brand that is redefining souvenir culture. She also manages marketing and merchandising for a busy seasonal retail business in a Wisconsin State Park. Her work in both music and business reflects a deep commitment to building a creative life that is fulfilling, sustainable, and unapologetically real.

Through her writing and coaching, Vanessa helps independent artists, especially women, let go of outdated industry expectations and build careers rooted in self-worth, clarity, and creativity. Her Substack, Unfiltered, shares honest stories from behind the scenes of life as a touring musician and multi-hyphenate creative. It is a real look at the courage, failure, mindset shifts, and small wins that fuel a lifelong career in the arts.