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‘IwasaweddingsingerwhenDeccadiscoveredme’

Rising star Rhys Lewis, as well as being easy on the eye, pens soulful, deeply personal songs, which have a great ability to intertwine light and shade. The singer is buzzing after returning from a successful European tour, and is in the studio writing the follow-up to Bad Timing, the EP he released in February. Oxford-born Rhys, 25, has lived in London for seven years – though he admits it can be ‘exhausting’. He’s currently working on his debut album.

If you could describe your music, what would you say?

That’s a difficult one, but if I had to, I’d say it’s... lyricaldriven pop soul!

What were you doing before the British record label Decca called?

I had half an album written, with three songs on there that they’d

heard online and loved, and they wanted to help me finish it. I had very little experience of being in a studio or anything. I was doing a load of different day jobs, such as singing in a wedding band and being a waiter. I also wrote TV advert jingles – like the one that’s on Lidl right now! It’s so bizarre. Your lyrics are very intimate, aren’t they?

I hope so. I try to make my songs as personal as possible. People should be able to relate to them. I also use music as a kind of release. I tend to bottle things up and, therefore, it will usually all come out in a song!

Has anyone ever asked you whether one of your songs is about them?

I wrote the single Scared

Of Forever about my last relationship. It was horrible. I still have regrets about that whole thing. If I’d have spoken to the girl about how things were going, it would have been a lot easier. But, yeah, sometimes writing it down and making it a ‘thing’ is a great outlet. It’s like a therapy session.

Who is your biggest influence music wise?

In terms of songwriting – I’d say it’s Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys. His lyrics are incredible and so intelligent. Not to say my music sounds like that, but he certainly made me want to write songs. Bill Withers and James Taylor are also absolute classic songwriters.

Where has music taken you?

It’s been mental. My world has changed – in not such a long a period of a time! But I’m not famous or anything, so I still have

See rhyslewisofficial.com for more about his music.