
Fingerstyle Guitarist
Multi-instrumental Loop Artist
Singer/Songwriter
Owen Costello
Press Kit
Bio
Owen Costello is an outstanding acoustic guitarist, and singer/song-writer, performing intricate, mesmerizing finger picking, soulful solos, and a smooth vocal style delivering uplifting, healing lyrics, but the show doesn’t stop there. Owen is also multi-instrumental loop artist who, having spent years honing his style into something that is both eclectic, and unique, builds a vast sonic landscape from scratch with his Boss RC-505 loop station. In the same show, you are likely to experience both live looping, and dazzling acoustic guitar playing. If you’re looking for a high-vibe breath of fresh musical air, look no further. Owen’s your guy.
Hailing from Connecticut, but residing in Hawaii since shortly before COVID, Owen has been conjuring up a beautiful, funky, bluesy style all his own that leaves audiences hooked on watching the fingers fly as he blazes effortlessly through complex picking patterns, providing the illusion of multiple guitars/instruments played at once. Eyes and ears can’t help but stay glued to the stage when he then lays guitar, bass, beatbox percussion, trumpets, French horns, piano, and auxiliary percussion (the last four being MIDI instruments played with a small keyboard) into the loop station then not only sings and plays soul-piercing solos and added improvisational lines, but also chops up the music he just made using effects on the loop station giving his music an EDM element as well.
Owen’s guitar playing style can best be described as sonic masonry. He isn’t formally or full trained in any specific genre beyond some lessons to help with the songs he had to learn in Jazz Band in high school where he was the 2nd guitarist. Sports occupied much of his youth but the desire to create and share original music has been a dream since early childhood. Instead of go home and practice his songs for Jazz Band, Owen spent more time trying to learn the solos from legends like Angus Young, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He would mainly try to learn the songs he liked, but he was especially hooked by the guitar. He loved all kinds of music though too, spending hours listening to - and also trying to learn - songs by Jack Johnson, the Beatles, and Cake. As an adult, now living in Hawaii, he got a taste for Hawaiian slack key guitar and the music of Ledward Ka’apana which inspired several songs. Other big influences on Owen’s finger picking style are James Taylor, Peter Mulvey, and Chris Smither. The inspiration to learn how to do use a loop station as his band came from watching Keller Williams, and Mike Love, among others, be able to rock a whole show by themselves AND play with a live band. If a band is not available, he wanted to be able to book shows, and play for hours without burning out. Also, he’ll admit his ADD brain loves all the different ways to bring music to life :D
Only recently (1-2 years) has Owen started learning fingerstyle with the immense help of Tobias Rauscher's Fingerstyle Academy, an comprehensive online course that teaches people how to play this very difficult style of music. He has been fascinated by the playing of Mike Dawes, Trace Bundy, Andy McKee, Calum Graham, and of course, Tobias Rauscher. To make his own practice exercises to apply the new techniques learned from Rauscher, he takes his old songs and works in percussive hits, harmonics, tapping (if/when appropriate) and slaps to provide more texture from just the one guitar. He has used what he has learned to not only improve his fingerpicking technique, but also provides his own rhythm section like in the acoustic version of songs like “You Are Loved,” “In My Own Time,” and “the Pakalolo Song,” Even if looping and fingerstyle aren’t your thing, audiences from Honolulu to NYC would agree that Owen’s performance is one-of-a-kind and will leave a lasting impression.
“Life By My Design”
This song is all about living intentionally and striving to keep a cool head and heart in the process, no matter what life gives or takes away. Easier said than done, I know, but it's worth the effort. The chorus is a sort of decalration that I am the creator of my life (as is each person the creator of their own) and with that comes a great amount of power. The choruses both give a nod to what to do with a chaotic mind that seems to always want conflicting things, and what it wants changes from moment to moment. That being the human condition, it becomes neccessary to live with intention and do life by my design.
Live Looping Videos
“Routine of Self-Expression”
This song reminds anyone who hears it - myself included - to strive to go beyond habits that suppress our highest self and to cultivate those that raise our energy and bring love and happiness into life :) We are our habits, right? Well this song is a letter to myself where I hold myself accountable for letting my fear-based habits run the show, rather than love, passion, music, creativity etc. I noticed that I was in a routine of self-SUPPRESSION and needed to make a change towards habitually doing things that express who I am in a true, humble, and balanced way. In short, I adopted a routine of Self-Expression, having come from the opposite where I would hide from my own greatness for whatever reason... screw that
Acoustic Videos
“In My Own Time”
This song is about taking your time through life, in spite of forces both seen and unseen working to actively rush you into a situation (job, relationship, business deal, gigs, events, etc) faster than your own clock dictates. You can't force a fruit to ripen before it is ready. Don't try to force yourself to either but never stop moving forward. There's plenty to be grateful for along the way and with life getting more and more costly, now more than ever, use your Higher Mind and develop yourself to the fullest and to not be led astray by temtping but illusory offers. These are things I try to live by myself so have no intention of preaching. Rather just sharing my inner dialogue that helps me find happiness through creativity.
“Midnight Run”
This is my favorite style to play lately and it's been a fun challenge to incorporate percussive elements into existing songs. While practicing new techniques, songs emerge like this one! Enjoy "Midnight Run."
Previous Venues Played
On the Big Island of Hawai’i
Willie’s Hot Chicken
Waimea Coffee Co.
Holualoa Kitchen
Journey to Good Health Cafe
Herbivores Vegan Cafe
Kai Loki’s Restaurant & Bar
South Kona Pure Kona Market
Oceans Bar & Grill
New Thought Center
Around the Kava Bowl Night Market
HiCO, Kona
Uila Records
Korner Pocket Sports Bar & Grill
Aloha Vibes Bar & Grill
Oahu, Hawai’i
Off the Wall Craft Beer & Wine
On Mainland US:
Misquamicut Fall Festival, Rhode Island
Coexist Gamehouse, Manhattan, NYC
The Parlour, Providence, RI
Shayna B’s by the Sea, Westbrook, CT
Testimonials
—Kalima, Director of Pure Kona Green Market, Captain Cook, Hawaii“
“Owen is a great entertainer. Awesome vocals, guitar playing, and smooth leads that blend perfectly with his creativity in building beats and loops. He’s also a talented songwriter. I’m very impressed with the catalog of songs he’s written. I’ve had Owen perform at my farmers’ market numerous times, and it’s always a pleasure when he can be there. I’d recommend Owen to anyone looking for music for any occasion.”
—Twyla Joi, Producer for Music Mondays at The Den Lounge, Coexist GameHouse, Times Square, NYC
“He came with all of his equipment and set it up seamlessly. He performed several original songs and built the production up from scratch using a loop machine in real time. We, the audience, thoroughly enjoyed the process and were impressed with the way he tied all of the sounds together before singing and playing guitar over the entire loop! What a treat!”
—Twyla Joi, Producer for Music Mondays at The Den Lounge, Coexist GameHouse, Times Square, NYC
—Caswell Cooke, Executive Director of Misquamicut Business Association (Rhode Island)
“Owen did a great job entertaining the crowds at our 15th Annual Misquamicut Beach Fall Festival, and I would highly recommend him for any event or festival! He is a talented and engaging musician.”
Recorded Tracks and Social Media
Make it
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