A prodigious talent that has had his path set out on in front of him for many years, it seems that all that Lewis Capaldi had once dared to dream of now lies before him. Known for his distinctive and thoroughly impressive drawl and cathartic songs on lost love, emotional turmoil and the human condition itself, the 20 year old singer/songwriter has been inundated with high praise and daunting comparisons since his arrival on the scene. Firmly making his presence felt on this year’s jaw-dropping ‘Bruises’, the track served as a catalyst for a whirlwind chain of events that have irreconcilably changed his life for the better and has placed him atop countless lists of future stars. Ahead of his ‘Test Transmission’ show tonight alongside Louis Berry at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut and his set at TRNSMT this Sunday, we spoke to the budding star about all that’s occurred over the last 12 months.
When discussing how much his world has been altered by the newfound acclaim, it’s easy to see that Lewis is still process just how much it’s all changed since the arrival of ‘Bruises’ but it is reticent about getting too comfortable.
“Aye it’s been fuckin’ mental. I’ve been sort of quietly chipping away and doing my own thing since I was 12 so for it all to kick off as it has done has been nuts. I’m enjoying every minute. Obviously this song has done what it’s done and it’s been amazing but the worst thing I could do would be to get complacent and stuff like that. Now it’s just eyes ahead for the next single and all about trying to make it as successful if not more successful if that’s at all possible.”
In addition to finding himself at the tip of the tongues of many homegrown tastemakers and in the pages of UK based publications, his soulful and at times heart wrenching debut single has also made a splash further afield. Ranging from other parts of Europe to over the other side of the Atlantic, Lewis has been left astounded by how far the track has propelled him.
“We’ve actually been over to the states since the release and it’s purely off the back of this song. I’ve been over there working, writing and recording with some amazing people. It’s not just been America either as I’ve been over back and forth to Germany and just back from supporting Rag ‘N’ Bone Man over there which was nuts man. It had an outdoor atmosphere in front of 6,000 people so that was unbelievable. The stuff I’ve got planned for this year involves kind of going all over the shop. We’re going back to America in the next few weeks to go to Nashville to record so aye, it’s been nuts and more than I could’ve asked for. I’d never been to America before this song had came out and to be able to go to LA and New York off the back of it is so amazing. “
TRNSMT is nearly upon us and it’s safe to say that Lewis is viewing this as more than your run-of-the-mill show. In fact, the Glasgow-based artist feels that this has something that he’s preparing for since he first made his way to Balado all those years ago as a fan.
“I’m buzzin’ man. I’ve been going to T in the Park since I was 15 so this just seems to me like playing that sort of festival and I know how important it really is. I was kind of watching this festival come together and I think I must’ve been the last act added to it on that stage. So just watching it build and thinking ‘it’d be nice to play that one’, ‘I’d like to get added to that one’ and then eventually we did so I was over the moon. This is my first real festival experience in Scotland and chance to get in front of that many people that haven’t seen us before so I’m really happy to be on it. The line-up for that day is unbelievable as well. I’m in Berlin the day before so I won’t get to do the whole thing but to be able to play and get to see that many bands is massive. I’m really looking forward to seeing Tom Drennan and Declan Mckenna. I’m also hoping to see Vukovi and Jr Green as they’re on the same and are Scottish as well so that’s always nice. Then you’ve got Biffy, The 1975, The Amazons and The View. That whole line-up is perfect for me so I’m definitely buzzin’.
Following on from what is sure to be one of the most poignant sets of his life on Sunday at the King Tut’s Stage, Lewis has set his sights on a sell-out at the East End’s grandiose venue of Saint Luke’s. Although he insists that the news of the show has been well received thus far, he believes that his slot at the weekend is the perfect opportunity to convert those that may have eluded him up to this point.
“Obviously we had the Tut’s show at the start of this year and it was just unbelievable to be able to play that before ‘Bruises’ came out and then we had a show at the Mash House after it had been out for a couple of weeks and everyone was singing every word. Now we’ve got this show as part of our UK tour on the 15th September and it’s selling well so I’m really looking forward to it and it’ll really just solidify what’s been a great year. I think we will definitely have at least two more songs out by then so people will know more but that’s what TRNSMT is really good as it’ll hopefully get people who haven’t seen us before through the door. I’ve seen a couple of bands (at St Luke’s) and it’s an amazing venue. “
As previously touched upon, Lewis has been writing and collating new material since he was taking his first tentative steps into high school and it’s been an integral part of his life ever since. Given the fact that he must have a canon of hundreds of songs by his current age, it’s to be expected that some ideas may have persisted in his mind but he is steadfast in the belief that new material is the key.
“Constantly writing new stuff is definitely where I’m at as the stuff from between ages 12-15 has basically been labelled… shite (laughs). It’s not salvageable but there’s a few ideas from 16 onwards that I could do something with but at this point it’s just about writing more and more. March last year was when I really started knuckling down and really getting into it so it’s been class and slowly building up. I’ve been trying to get better at it rather than just being at the same label. I wrote ‘Bruises’ on my 20th Birthday last year so that’s the kind of stuff I’m looking to put out.”
After what’s been an obscenely productive year, Lewis is happy to gaze into the future and outlined his general approach to the year ahead:
“Aye it’s just about seeing how everything goes. Since Bruises came out… I don’t have a fucking clue what happened there and it just took on a new life and soul of its own so I’m riding a wave as it were. Definitely some new songs and a lot more gigging this year but constant writing and then I think just singles until we build up a genuine core group of people who are into the music which we’ve good progress on it. So yeah, just keep building and building it until it feels time to release a proper body of work.”
Lewis plays tonight’s ‘Test Transmission’ show at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut before the release of his new single ‘Lost On You’ at Midnight. The last remaining tickets for TRNSMT can be found via their official site now.
