An Interview with Lewis Watson

Bred in Oxforshire, Lewis Watson is a pretty established artist coming up in the music world and not just because of his music, but also because of his ultimate dedication to the art and soaring passion to write what's important to him. The singer-songwriter has boundless talent, possessing a soulful, emotive voice which helps to create a tuneful harmony between the lyrics and melodies. It's not hard to slip into the daze of themes surrounding his music, about both matters of importance and in the rare case, something more nonsensical. But even so, the power of Lewis' art is so great that even the most trivial case is examined and cared for so that it may be appreciated by listener's just as much as it's importance lies in the palm of Lewis' hand. Most importantly however, you can always expect his music to provide a cathartic release; as every verse is driven into each repeating chorus, the music caresses the mind with all its poetic vibrancy.

I had the pleasure of talking to Lewis a few nights back and was able to get a quick interview with him, which I hope you will enjoy reading just as much as I did. If his music isn't enough of a hook to draw you in, his bright personality and upbeat ethos is sure to have you seriously respecting him as a musician.

Hey Lewis, how have things been?

"yeah, very good thank you. different with this record because it was recorded in 3 weeks with one producer, in one studio and the band. the first album was recorded over 2 years with 6-7 producers, in a wide range of studios and with a whole catalogue of musicians which was great - don't get me wrong - but i much preferred this approach to creating music. i was in a bubble for almost a month and that really enhanced the process for me. so, yeah, i'm very good !"

So you've released your first album and are set for a second. How would you say your music's developing?

"i'd like to say that my music is evolving, lyrically as well as production-wise. i've always said that if you sit down and listen to all of my music (not that i recommend this to anybody....) in order, from the 1st ep through to the first album, that you'd hear a slow progression in the sounds and the lyrics. this is just because i'm still growing as a person and a musician and i'd like to think that you can hear my 'journey' through listening that way. this second record is a continuation of that journey. i've used the band more, i've used the electric guitar and synthetic instruments more and it's helped me to create an album that i can't wait for people to hear."

Are you hoping to adopt a slightly different style to attract a wider audience?

"another thing that i've always said is that i make music for me first. it's not that i don't care what people think of my music (everybody always cares about what people think !), i just think that i'd be selling myself short if i just created what i thought other people wanted to hear. i've been very lucky in the fact that people enjoy listening to my music and it makes me very, very happy to hear that it can calm somebody down after a stressful day or help somebody get to sleep but i never write the songs for that reason. i write them for me first because then, it doesn't matter if it's well received or not because i'll be happy. i wouldn't say that this album is a different style, really (there are a few happier ones in there but i didn't force them (!!) - they just came), it's just another step in the journey. a little evolution. if it attracts a wider audience then great, hiya !"

What do you hope fans will take from your new music?

"i don't know, really. (you never really know, really...) i just hope that people will enjoy it. like i said, i wrote these songs for me and i'm very happy with the way that they've turned out so, whatever happens, i'm fairly happy. however, it is weird having this music almost ready to release without knowing what people will think. i reckon only about 10 people have heard this album in full and that's a pretty scary thought. people could love it, people could hate it. it's that kind of stuff that keeps me up at night... so yeah - i just hope that people enjoy it but, like i said, i'm happy with it either way !"

You manifest a very affable and open personality. Is it something of this sincerity that you hope to express through your music?

"haha, thank you ! i'd really struggle to write a song about a fabricated situation, they're all based on an experience i've had or shared with a close friend/family member so in a way, yes. they're all 'sincere' and i hope that comes across when people listen back. i always enjoy the songs that i can connect to the most and it's these songs (most of the time) that have been written when the artist/band has poured their heart out into a few words and melodies, not invented a story and written about that. i just hope to replicate that."

You've worked alongside artists such as Gabrielle Aplin, Kimberley Anne and Hudson Taylor, to name a few. How important do you think it is to have connections in the industry?

"connections are amazing but these are all friendships, i love those guys and i believe in what they do. we've all shared the road together and we've all gone through the motions of being young artists in a fairly isolating industry. so in that way, we relate to each other. it's always nice to collaborate on a song, too. love that."

Earlier in the year you were one of the first few artists to step up and cover Zayn Malik's first solo track, I Won't Mind. Why was that?

"i just heard the song and really enjoyed it. the fact that it was a really raw demo just set me up to have a go. i'd been wanting to test myself in recording music and i thought that trying to record, mix and release a song in under an hour seemed like a nice challenge. so i set up my equipment and just made a rough demo of the song. it took me just over an hour (so i failed) but i was very happy with the outcome and it was nice to hear what people thought of it, i still haven't heard from zayn. quite a risk but it worked well. heck yeah, risks."

When it comes to songwriting, do you feel you have to build a story to make it evocative or can it be as ineffable as a notion, or simply down to a feeling?

"a song can be written about anything, for me it's writing about something that i struggle to talk about. i find that it helps me find the most poetic way to describe the situation/feeling/person, etc. but the subject can be anything, a melody i heard, a view i saw, a person i miss, a time when i was wronged, a time when i wronged somebody, etc. anything."

Finally, what pushes you to make music? Is it a matter of feeling inspired by other artists' work or more about finding your voice and expressing yourself through it?

"being inspired by other artists certainly helps me strive to make the best music that i can but that's not the sole reason. music is just something that i've enjoyed all of my life and to be able to create music is something that i've always wanted to do. i never expected to do it, i never expected anybody to listen to it and i definitely didn't expect anybody to enjoy it !!! but yeah, everybody has their dream and this is mine. i'm so lucky to be able to do this and i won't let that go for anything, getting here was hard and i'm still at the start so i'm excited to see where it takes me !"

You can find Lewis on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.
Lewis' debut album, 'The Morning' can be purchased from iTunes or if you fancy a physical copy, just head down to your local HMV.