Live Review: SG Lewis

At 24 years old, Sam Lewis is better known as a singer, songwriter and producer under the moniker SG Lewis. The past few years for the young artist has been hectic to say the least. Since his EP release Shivers in 2015, he has collaborated with artists such as RAY BLK, G-Eazy and Clairo, and has also found himself and his remixes featured by big names like Flume and London Grammar.

2018 has been no less frantic for the rising artist. Releasing his debut album in three parts, Dusk, Dark, and Dawn, Lewis brings these parts together to offer a story of night out. The first of the trilogy, Dusk, released in April of this year, focused on the “magnetic” genre that is disco music: an unstoppable force of a sound that never fails to bring people to the dancefloor.

Just a few months later saw the release of another six songs under the name, Dark. The experimental release tested fans used to the usual sound of SG Lewis, ranging from dark pop, deep house and even trap. Representing the deep hours of a night out, Lewis brings out a hazier, dreamier side of himself in tracks like ‘Again’ and ‘Release’.

With two parts of the three-part series already released, the crowd was eager to hear his finale of the album is close to completion. The impressive 18-strong track list across three releases features songs that encapsulate the build-up and release of energy on the dancefloor. Lewis sought to cherry-pick the moments he loved most about club culture and capture them in the sound of his music.

It is safe to say that the rising artist managed to achieve this: his live performance was simply refreshing. With a new take on club culture, Lewis wasted no time to get the crowd moving. His infectious beats saw the basement of the Student’s Union grooving under the sunset spotlights. The tale he sets out to tell in his debut album suits a gig well: start with crowd-pleasing disco anthems, move onto heavier hitting beats and finish with slower, conclusive cuts to round off the night.

SG Lewis has a unique stage presence: one full of cheek and youthfulness. He had an undeniable spark, bouncing off the energy from his band and his fans. With a smirk in the corner of his mouth, he admitted his allegiance to Manchester United, generating a wide range of cheers and boos from his audience.

“I may have accidentally split the crowd in half”, he jested.

It was so refreshing to see is how much he and his instrumentalists enjoyed their music. Lewis seemed to find himself lost in the sound as much as his audience. What is personally intriguing about SG Lewis is how successfully he has crafted a cohesive sound; songs blend seamlessly from one into the other. This should not be mistaken for artistic laziness however, since he has already demonstrated he can expertly delve into multiple genres in his sophomore release Dark.

SG Lewis’ final part of his three-part album, Dawn, is due to release before the end of the year and more details of his work can be found here.

7/10