Rhys Lewis is a singer songwriter with an old school twist, he combines rich soul with gravelly vocals leaving a lasting resonance of his musical influences: Al Green, Marvin Gaye and James Taylor. Having spent 12 months writing his debut single in studios across London, Nashville, Stockholm, LA and Berlin, Rhys added a depth and maturity to his songwriting and sound. Late last year he finally revealed the highly anticipated track ‘Waking Up Without You’, which immediately shot to the no.1 spot on Spotify’s viral chart. Amongst the rocky energy in the guitar riffs the track holds a heartfelt, powerful chorus that presents the raw realities of lost love, immediately proving Rhys’ maturity as a songwriter. What followed was 170,000 streams in two weeks and a sold our show at Servant Jazz Quarters in just 48 hours.
Rhys aims for his music to feel genuine, and compares himself to his inspirations including ‘The Temptations’, “They’re real, they’re authentic and I hope that with a modern twist, that’s what my songs feel like”. The 23 year old from Oxford has an incredible ability to intertwine the hollow and dark moment of love’s ending with a positive upbeat vibe making the track unnaturally addictive. Boe Weaver, producer of ‘Waking Up Without You’, states how Rhys has an art for “capturing a song with minimal elements”, which is certainly evident through his performances.
