Artist Of The Week #126 - Rhys Lewis
This week’s Artist of the Week is Oxfordshire born Rhys Lewis - who has just released his debut album ‘Things I Chose to Remember’ via Decca Records. Having recorded the album on analogue tape - it shows that Rhys isn’t afraid to put himself out there as an artist. This week he announced a huge UK tour for May 2021, including a show at London’s famous Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
Rhys took a moment to talk to us about the album in more depth.
Hey Rhys, how are you? So the debut album is out now, how does it feel to have it finally out there?
I’m really well thanks. Yeah it’s been a long time coming getting this debut record out. I pretty much recorded 2 debut albums in the process of making this one, so it’s quite a relief to release it. It’s funny how I can’t really listen to or enjoy any music I make until it’s out, because until it is I know I can change it or go back and tweak the mix. But once it’s out I just accept it for what it is and let go of all of the mistakes and things I hear in the songs that I would have maybe done differently. It’s nice to let go in that way and hear them as songs again and not as loads of layers and parts.
It is titled ‘Things I Chose To Remember’, does that title hold a certain meaning to you
Songwriting for me has always been a process of looking back and reflecting on things that have affected me emotionally. I’ve always written about things I want to commemorate, or better appreciate and understand. This album is very nostalgic, and I suppose quite autobiographical, so I wanted the title to express that in some way too. I find it interesting how making songs out of moments and emotions from my past keeps me connected to them in a stronger way than maybe I would be if I didn’t write about them. It would be like reading your own diary entries from years ago every day, some things should be remembered, maybe other things are better left in the past.
The album is being released by Decca Records, how did that partnership come about? And how are you finding it working with them?
I was really not expecting Decca to get in touch with me when they did. I’d just put a demo on SoundCloud and about a week later my manager at the time got an email out of the blue from them. I was looking to get published as a songwriter for other people but they said they really liked the music I was making. 6 months later, after getting to know them a bit, I signed a record deal with them and we were working together. It was all a bit surreal, I kept pinching myself because it really changed things for me. They have been amazing, helping me build a fan base from nothing and creatively guiding me through the last 5 years of growing and developing as an artist. They have been patient, supportive and always honest with me which I really respect. I’d be lying if I said it had all been easy. There have been times when we’ve disagreed, often about how commercial something should be or feel. Naturally, when you get into bed with a label, you have to accept that you’re not entirely creatively free any more. I think I’ve gotten used to the commercial pressures you can sometimes feel from the major label machine, and I think I’m able to stand my ground when it matters artistically but also take their advice when they give it. I was a little sceptical going into the deal because you hear horror stories of record deals going wrong, but so far, touch wood, it’s been a love story so I hope we don’t start fighting about album two and get divorced…
When you first started working on this album, it’s early demos were a collection of retro-soul demos - but you scrapped them and started again. What led to that decision?
I think I realised that the music I was making wasn’t authentic enough to me. I love soul music and the classic sound of old songwriters like Bill Withers and Carole King. But perhaps my appreciation for that kind of music led me to imitate a sound, rather than create my own. I’d had very little experience in a studio so when I first got to record my own music in that environment I think it was natural to try and copy something I loved and knew really well. The more time I spent recording, the more control I gained over the sound I was able to make. So I think the songs I’m writing now and the productions on this debut album feel more like an extension of my personality than a pastiche of someone else’s.
When you started again on that album, what direction or path did you want to take it down?
I didn’t want to limit myself to a genre or style, which sounds like an odd thing for an artist to do, especially when trying to sound more identifiable. But I guess at the time that approach was the best way for me to explore new sounds and subjects without feeling stuck in one musical lane. I think this album is quite eclectic and explorative musically, and therefore it’s an honest refection of where I was as an artist. I’m still figuring out which direction I want to go in, this body of work is a reflection of that but hopefully it still sounds like one artist’s work…but I can’t tell, I’m too close to it!
When the album was recorded, it was made using analogue tape - a process that hasn't been used since the early 1980s. What made you want to make it that way?
I started writing and recording with my keyboard player, Aidan Glover, down at his studio. It’s an all analogue set up so he introduced me to the process of recording to tape. I was immediately hooked. It’s a process defined by limitations, ones which force you to be more musical and intuitive. In a world that is so digital and fast paced, it was really nice to make music in a more organic and physical way. There is obviously a nostalgia to recording to tape, but I think it’s a shame we generally see the process as ‘old school’ or ‘retro’ because I think the creative avenues it sends you down are still really relevant and inspiring. Much like the trusty pencil and paper is to the artist, tape should still be seen as another relevant material to create and make music with.
Obviously that kind of recording process has limitations, so did you encounter any struggles when recording?
Well the limitations what makes the process so creative and musical. You can’t edit or fix a take so you have to just play it well, and by not being able to drop in or loop a section as easily you’re forced to do whole takes and really focus on the journey of each part you put down. What’s more, there’s a finite amount of space to record on to. Unlike a digital workspace, which is infinite, you only have 24 channels. Because of that you really consider what you’re filling up the space with and start asking yourself more questions. Does that synth part really add anything? Could the bass part be more interesting? There were some frustrating times because of these limitations - some days you just don’t get a good vocal take or the piano pedal keeps squeaking and you end up giving up. But generally I find it a much more enjoyable way of recording music. You spend less time looking at a screen and more time using your ears and instincts. There’s no saying whether any of that makes the outcome better or worse, but I feel more inspired working in this way. The only thing that you really have control of as a musician is how you make music, the rest is out of your hands, so you might as well make that part of it the most fulfilling to you as possible.
What are the key themes and influences on the albums?
I think the album is defined by regret and nostalgia. It’s an album that looks back at the past, often in a rose-tinted way. I wanted all the songs to feel conversational, because that’s often where most of the songs start from - a conversation with a friend of collaborator about something.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
I don’t really listen to my own music once i’ve written in, so I’m not sure I have a favourite lyric in the way I do for other artist’s words. There’s a lyric in ‘Hold On To Happiness’ that I think sums up the album which is ‘it’s cruel how the time can pass, the deepest rivers move so fast’. To me it expresses the feeling of nostalgia I get from time to time about moments in my life that passed me by. It’s often the most meaningful moments in life that rush away from you and before you know it they’re gone. I think it’s a skill in life to know when you’re in one of those moments and to savour it while it’s in your hands.
Now the album is out there, what next?
I’ve just moved back home for bit to spend some time with my parents whilst the world is still a bit upside down. So I’m looking forward to helping them out with the gardening and using my Dad’s workshop to do some carpentry. After working flat out on this album I think I’m embracing the opportunity to slow down a little and focus on other things for a bit. But I’ve already started writing the tricky second album so I’ll probably end up working on that…! Wish me luck.