Live at the Gasometer

Dean Lewis: Melancholically on to new shores of sound

Thoughtful, melancholy and with both feet firmly on the ground: Australian chart-topper Dean Lewis.

(Bild: Barracuda Music)

With his gentle songs and honest lyrics, Australian Dean Lewis has sung his way into the hearts of millions of fans in recent years. On March 6, he will present his latest album "The Epilogue" at the packed Gasometre in Vienna - he revealed to the "Krone" in advance what Oasis means to him, what he thinks of TikTok and why being a musician alone is no longer enough.

If all roads lead to Rome, then so do the late ones. Dean Lewis can sing several songs about this. The singer/songwriter is currently touring Europe with his band and celebrating musical masses in front of thousands of fans every evening. In this country, he was last seen at the Frequency Festival - not usually the most grateful setting to show off melancholy and soulful songs. Especially not when you take to the stage on a sunny afternoon. For the likeable artist, however, such a starting point is not an obstacle, but a challenge. "We now have a whole box of tricks for playing a great show in such a setting," he laughs in the Krone interview, "a lot of my songs are sad, that's true. But with the band and in a live setting, we turn them into up-tempo numbers. I also really enjoy fighting for attention with lively party bands."

Late career start
He is spared this competition in Vienna. On March 6, he will be playing for the second time at the Gasometer, tickets for which have been sold out for months. When the organizers offered a last remaining contingent at the beginning of January, the rush was enormous. The calm and level-headed curly-haired man has earned his irrepressible popularity through twists and turns. When he made his breakthrough in his native Australia with the single "Waves" and signed a record deal with the major label Universal, he was already 28 - an age at which other artists have already had three bands or two serious rehabs behind them. The song in question finds its way onto television and into the hearts of fans. "Suits", "Grey's Anatomy", "Riverdale" - you can listen to it everywhere. It goes seven times platinum in Australia and the debut album "A Place We Knew", released in 2019, goes straight to number one in its home country.

During the pandemic, Lewis achieved a nationwide breakthrough during the enforced inactivity. "Waves" and various other songs are increasingly played and shared on TikTok, the musician suddenly gets a global following and takes off across all continents. At first, he struggled with the hype surrounding himself and his music. "I'm happiest when I'm sitting at home in Sydney and spend between six and eight weeks just working on songs. But the days of just being a musician as an artist are definitely over." He is aware of the current reality: "You have to post something on social media every day, use the different platforms in different ways and constantly present yourself. I'm not complaining, because without TikTok I wouldn't have this success, but it's a fact that you can't make it these days without also being a content creator."

Shockingly in love with Oasis
What you don't hear in Lewis' enraptured music is that his biggest and most important idols are two full-on proles from Manchester. In 2005, he watches a live DVD of Oasis and is in love with shock in the best possible way. Liam and Noel Gallagher are his new benchmark for coolness, the different videos become his visual bible. Right from the start, he tries to write songs like Noel. The Australian doesn't care that Noel would probably turn up his nose and hurl some verbal vulgarity at Lewis. Compared to the 1990s and 2000s, the way he writes songs has changed a lot. "The songs are becoming simpler because the attention spans of the recipients are getting shorter. Many songs now only rely on a quick hook to generate Spotify plays, but there is a lack of storytelling. There are trends and the majority of artists follow these trends. However, this also leads to the result that many artists fizzle out immediately after a viral hit."

You no longer have to worry about this with Lewis. Last fall, he released "The Epilogue", his third album, which represents a kind of conclusion for him. "All my albums have taken two years of my life each. If you liked my first two albums, you'll probably like the new one too, but I feel like I've completed this sound world of my life with it. For me, 'The Epilogue' is like the final chapter that lets me close in peace with this direction. I think I need to do something different and go in new directions. If you listen closely to the album, you'll find three songs on it that give you an idea of where the journey might take you." Lewis is someone who is always looking ahead. "I'm constantly living in the future. It's difficult sometimes because fans inevitably live in the past of their favorite artists, but I'm always two steps ahead. I've listened to the songs on the album about 500 times now. I'm ready to move on to new choruses and verses - and I've already been working with a producer in Los Angeles to do that."

Healthy basis for the fans
At 37 years old, with almost ten years of career in the music business and some life experience under his belt, he is very relaxed about the future. "Today, it's possible for anyone to mount an international production with few resources and a small budget. This means that songwriting itself is becoming more important. Twenty years ago, you might have managed to cause a stir with a song that was an 8/10. But if you want to be successful today, the singles have to be a 10/10. There's so much competition that only the very best will be successful in the long term." He has a healthy connection with his fans. "I don't take the piss out of them or exploit them. That's an absolute no-go. But I also know how fleeting success on social media platforms can be. At the end of the day, what counts is how good your songs are and how you present them live in front of an audience. Only if you are honest with yourself will people follow you in the long term."

Live in Vienna
On March 6, Dean Lewis will play his only Austrian concert in Vienna's Gasometer with the up-and-coming Canadian TikTok star Sofia Camara as supporting act. The gig has been completely sold out for weeks.