Singersongwriter SG Lewis: ‘Were In A Hyperpoppy Moment. The Industry Is Obsessed With Speed
SG Lewis remembers the first time he walked into a nightclub. He was in his first year of university and friends took him to Liverpool's East Village, where industrial techno Ben Klock played; Be a part of it."
Lewis's own music is a clear departure from the German techno that gave him a boost in the first place. He's part of a new wave of nostalgic nu-disco artists who have made synth-pop the hottest style (Dua Lipa, whom he's worked with, and Harry Styles also come to mind).
Samuel George Lewis is the middle child of three brothers. Raised in Reading, he first became interested in music as a teenager playing guitar in bands before experimenting with Dubstep online. Far from the cheerful DJ he is today, he was a somewhat shy and introverted teenager who spent his summers remixing songs in his bedroom. "I was only interested in music," he says.
It soon became his way of expressing himself. He told me that he would comfort his mother Sarah when she was sad by playing the aptly named Sarah Smile from Daryl Hall and John Oates. But it's the catchy stuff that really makes it sing.
Among the 28-year-old's many tattoos is an image of the Greek goddess of dance, Turpsichord, kicking off our conversation about the genre that brought him fame and success. While her main musical influences ranged from Bon Iver to James Blake to Timbaland, she found dance music the right conduit for this eclectic mix. She adores Max Martin, the multi-hyphenate Swede in Britney's... Baby One More Time (1999), Taylor Swift's Shake It Off (2014) and The Weeknd's Blinding Lights (2019). "Her ability to create pop music in such a precise and vibrant way inspires me," says Lewis.
© Provided by Evening Standard (newsletter)Posting his first songs online, he quickly gained a loyal following and secured a place at Liverpool's Chibuku club. There he learned to DJ the old-fashioned way, live, all on decks.
Dance music has become his raison d'être because of its unique ability to bring people together. "That's why I do what I do, and I would do it even if no one was listening," he says. "There's no better feeling than knowing you've made a good song that people want to dance to."
Clearly, she has the luxury. In addition to Dua Lipa, Lewis has recently worked with Elton John, who called Lewis the day after appearing on Apple Music Show Rocket Hour; The next thing he remembered was that they wrote a song together. Orbit was featured on John's album Lockdown Sessions (2021) and he occasionally FaceTimed to catch it.
It says about Lipa. "He's so professional with the microphone that you don't take more than three takes." He helped produce the song "Hallucinate" from Future Longing (2020), Lipa's critically acclaimed album, the album that made her famous. "It was a great record to play a small part on," Lewis said.
Their new album, AudioLust & HigherLove, is a show of strength, in the same colorful, upbeat style that made their remixes of New Rules and More Than A Woman so catchy.
Although his debut album, Times (2021), was released before the pandemic and was inspired by the dance floor, it was made during lockdown and forced Lewis to withdraw into himself.
Self-isolation meant "everyone was taking a break and thinking about relationships," says Lewis. As someone whose songwriter follows his own stream of consciousness ("I'm always typing stuff on my phone"), the new album's theme was clear before he even thought of producing it.
The result is almost two parts. AudioLust sparks passion and HigherLove explores love in its fullest form. This is a classic example of art imitating life. the energetic act has some quirks (Love, O Laura), but its complicated, novelty lyrics fade; The second act is more dynamic and rewarding, with Fever Dreamer at the center of the album and evoking a transition from passion to love, a deeper, softer sentiment captured by deep synths and warmer sounds enhanced by Charlotte Day Wilson's beautiful voice. . :
Lewis is excited about releasing the album in the "real world" where he gets to see people's reactions in person, on the ground. "It was annoying to keep track of how good or bad my songs were from the first album, go to Spotify or SoundCloud and see a number," he sighs.
The teenager locked in a room to make music is long gone. Now with an active stage presence, Lewis enjoys performing to ever-growing crowds. At first, it seemed that his career as a producer, and at times, as an artist, was doomed to fail. He released his first album, relying heavily on the strength of his crew and guest vocalists. But when Chemicals, the only song he sang solo on, became a hit, he realized listeners wanted to know more about him.
"It gave me the green light to explore that part of myself," Lewis says. He suffered from impostor syndrome and once admitted that "sometimes... I wonder why artists want to work with me." Her newfound confidence helped her overcome this fear. "I'm very interested in collaborating now," he says. "I can't wait to get back in the studio." He made time for that in February before going on tour in March.
A self-proclaimed "music geek", he has an incredible knowledge of music history and is constantly learning new techniques, resulting in a futuristic and otherworldly sound. "I think a lot of my music still makes nostalgic references to bygone eras, so I'd like to try the opposite," says Lewis. Their curiosity is refreshing in today's increasingly homogenized pop landscape.
"We definitely live in the age of hyperpop," he admits. “The industry is obsessed with speed. Everything is mixed up and you collect a lot of information in a very short time.
Although her TikTok style is highly uplifting, she tries to appear ungrateful. She owes much of her success to the social media platform, where her more-than-girly edit has been shared more than 318,000 times on videos.
Lewis warns against pessimism. If you think TikTok is hurting music, you're wrong. He adds: "I think it's more important to understand why a certain sound or style resonates with people than to be stubborn and call the wrong people."
After his European tour ends, Lewis will head back to California to spend some time with his girlfriend from Los Angeles. He's also thrilled to be back at Coachella for the third time, the site of his first US show. "He holds a special place in my heart," she smiles. "And it's also great to see the lineup and the crowd grow."
In June, as just announced, Lewis will host a series of parties at one of Brooklyn's hottest venues, Elsewhere Space. This crowd will only grow.
AudioLust and HigherLove (Astralwerks) are now available
Sign up for one of the Evening Standard newsletters now. From daily press conferences to information on homes and properties, lifestyle, outlets, offers and more. Click here to get the best stories delivered to your inbox.