Lewis Watson's Canadian Visit & Canadian Inspiration
After frantic emails about delayed flights, broken guitar necks, and the first seasonal chill that put Toronto to a standstill, I began to ask myself why I go through the stress of face to face interviews. As soon as I sat down with Lewis Watson, I remembered my answer.
The singer/songwriter who got his start by uploading videos on YouTube that he recorded from his bedroom in Oxford, makes the kind of music that I tend to pair with candles, blankets and long journeys on the train. Needless to say, he's one of my favourite artists out there. After five EPs and a full length album put out into the music scene over the past two years, Lewis Watson's genuine talent and passion for the stories he tells through his songs is evident. However, for an artist doing very well for himself in today's music circuit, Watson possess an incredible amount of humility. When asked what the highlight of his current tour was, he beamed with pride as he recalled his sold out night at Los Angeles’ Troubadour. “That was the kind of moment where I had to pinch myself and step back. It was only an hour and half show, but time slowed down a bit. Not only was it a highlight of the tour, but of my entire career as a musician.” It’s clear that the hour and a half show he played in L.A has stuck with him, but Watson has racked up other impressive accomplishments throughout his career. Back home, in the United Kingdom, he has a large following, and has gotten an exceptional amount of radio time on BBC’s Radio 1. He's managed to record a handful of EPs, and collaborations, receiving a tremendous amounts of support from other British artists on the scene.
While Watson embodies all the qualities a Brit may have, his main musical influence comes from Canada. At the mention of Alexisonfire/City and Colour frontman Dallas Green, Watson’s ears perked up. “Oh, you’re so right!,” he said. “I discovered a side project he was doing called City and Colour, and that was my first experience with acoustic music, really. It changed how I listened to music; it made me want to pick up a guitar.”
Years after picking up a guitar, we are presented with Watson’s debut full length album called The Morning. “I wanted to release an album quite early on, if I’m honest. I knew that I wasn’t ready to make an album that I’d be happy with forever, so we went with the EP approach. It really helped me mature as a musician. Fortunately, my label Warner Bros. were completely supportive of that, and I think I was very lucky to have had two years where I was still kind of finding the music that I wanted to make.” What Watson found was intimate guitar melodies, layered with his husky voice, that has allowed his stories concerning insignificance, love, nostalgia, and self-awareness, to feel extremely intimate amongst listeners. He brings dignity and emotion to his motifs and performances, making any success that ensues this body of work inevitable. "I tend to take each day as it comes", he shares, in relation to how he processes his successes, only adding to the tangible humility one can feel embedded in his persona just by having a conversation with him. As long as he is able to interact with others through his music, Watson is satisfied.
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STREAM + PURCHASE Lewis Watson's sophomore album, midnight.
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home page cover photo credit: Cecilie Harris
