GARETH LEWIS · MUSICIAN · SONGWRITER · GUITARIST

ABOUT
 

MUSICIAN · SONGWRITER · GUITARIST

Music has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started playing guitar and writing songs when I was young, and I've pretty much been doing some version of that ever since.

Over the years I've written and released several albums and EPs, played gigs across the UK and further afield, and been lucky enough to have my music played on BBC Radio Wales, Planet Rock and radio stations around the world. I've been a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition, and a song I co-wrote somehow ended up in a Porsche campaign with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, which still feels slightly surreal.

But some of the things I'm proudest of aren't necessarily the biggest things.

For me, music has always been about songs, people and connection. Some of my favourite experiences have come from writing with other people, playing alongside great musicians, or simply being part of something where everybody on stage is pulling in the same direction. One of the things I'm proudest is being able to share music with my son, and watching and helping him develop into such a talented musician and songwriter in his own right.

These days my musical life has a few different sides to it. I still write and record my own music, but I also work as a guitarist and vocalist on touring theatre shows and other live projects. I've also found a real love for delivering songwriting and music production workshops, helping other people take an idea and turn it into something they're proud of.

My new album, It's Different Round Here Now, is probably the most personal record I've made. A lot of it came from looking back at where I came from, relationships, mistakes, getting older and trying to understand myself a little better. But strangely, finishing it has felt less like looking backwards and more like drawing a line under something and moving forward.

After all these years, what I enjoy about music hasn't really changed. I love writing a good song. I love playing guitar. I love making music with people I care about. And I'm still interested in seeing where it all takes me next.