Bowden was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He attended Sacred Heart College, where he had an intense interest in music, playing in the school jazz band and as a member of the Aotea Orchestra, touring Asia and Australia. In his youth, he learned to play clarinet and piano and to read and write music. Bowden is a graduate of the Auckland University of Technology, with a Bachelor of Communication Studies, majoring in Television which he achieved in 2000.
