With a deft touch, Tyler Lewis has embraced the soul and R&B essence, infusing it with a modern flair that has garnered her a dedicated following through the sharing of captivating vocal snippets on social media. Collaborating closely with MNEK, a Grammy Award-winning artist and producer, Tyler, the soulful singer, has not only explored but also honed her distinctive voice and song writing skills. In recent years, she has entranced audiences with her magnetic vocals, earning recognition from industry luminaries such as Becky Hill, Tyla, and Mahalia. Tyler has also graced the stage alongside Kiana Ledé and participated in Mahalia Presents nights. Now, the artist shares her debut single, ‘downtime’.
Rich in complexity and depth, ‘downtime’ openly delves into the introspective revelations of navigate the contemporary world of overwhelming stimuli. Laced with an acoustic R&B composition alongside captivating harmonies and melodies, the song is a confident debut for the young artist, setting the stage for a significant 2024.
Sharing her thoughts on releasing music and releasing a music video, Tyler says “‘I’m thrilled to finally share my music with the world. The fact that there’s even a music video feels surreal to me! Ten-year-old Tyler would be screaming right now. I vividly recall shooting the video, especially during a scene where the cameraman captured a Birds Eye view. He stood above me with this massive camera, and for a moment, it felt like a scene from ‘Final Destination.'”
Watch the video…
Read the interview…
Hey Tyler! We’ve just entered 2024, what were your highlights from 2023?
2023 was the year of character development for sure! I opened up for Bellah, Kiana Lede and Mahalia, who are all influential R&B girlies! I also started writing for other artists, which has been really incredible and has definitely opened my eyes to a whole new side of music. I really fell in love with writing last year which, was a huge leap from how I felt entering 2023.
What artists do you take inspiration from and how has the impacted your career so far?
I feel like finding my ‘sound’ was so important at the start because all the people I look up to have such a distinct sound. I am heavily influenced by some of the classics like Prince and Luther Vandross, but I also look up to artists like Silk Sonic who have found their ‘thing’ and just mastered it completely. Another important thing I love about Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston is that the music was at the forefront always. It wasn’t about being gimmicky or anything. They just sang, and people listened. I want to be like that.
How does your London background impact the music you create?
London is a culturally rich place anyway, and the music scene is just saturated with a million different genres. Being exposed to so much music growing up has definitely helped shape my music into what it is now. There’s so much going on in London all the time, so finding inspiration is never hard. If I’ve got writers block, all I have to do is hop on a train, stroll round for ten minutes before I see something that sparks an idea!
Congratulations on dropping your new track, ‘downtime’. Could you share your creative process for the track and generally?
‘downtime’ was written in the fourth-ever session! I was with MNEK, Iain James and Ryan Ashley, and we were discussing topics to explore, and they were asking what I like doing in my free time. I distinctly remember saying, ‘I never leave the house. I love being at home relaxing by myself,’ and that’s how the concept of downtime was created.
In general, my songs usually start with me asking the producer to do whatever. I like letting the producer do their thing for a bit while I sit and chat to the other writer in the room. Then when we have latched onto chords we like, we will all take turns trying out melodies, and when we have decided on those, then we write.
I never force a song. Sometimes it doesn’t naturally happen, but then other times the songs practically write themselves. Downtime was one of those songs that just wrote itself, and from the moment it was recorded I thought, ‘This is my sound.’
The accompanying video is also a great accompaniment. What messages and narratives are you aiming to convey with the visuals?
I want everyone to watch the video and think, ‘Ugh, I’ve felt like that!’ I have been that person at a party, feeling anxious, awkward, and just wanting to be home. Everyone has felt like this at one point or another, and it’s so normal! Even in the second verse, I say, ‘God I’m such a loner sometimes, I’ve learned to be my own valentine.’ I never dated people growing up and was so embarrassed, and looking back, that’s crazy, and there are a million other people feeling the same way. I just want people to listen to downtime and just relate.
You work closely with MNEK, what’s it like to work with him?
MNEK is an incredible writer and producer, and he is just really fun to work with and be around. No session with him is ever a dull one! Having him alongside me through this whole process of ‘finding myself as an artist’ has been such a privilege.
Any New Year’s resolutions for the coming year?
I don’t want to say ’New year, New me’ because I’ve been the same for 22 years now, but I do want to leave my comfort zone a whole lot more. Releasing music and being an artist for the first time is helping me do that anyway, but even things like this are new to me. I just wanna look back at 2024 Tyler and think, YOU DID THAT!
And what does the rest of 2024 look like for you? Can you give us a glimpse into any upcoming projects or collaborations?
I can confirm that an EP is on the way. More music videos. And choreography too. I have no collabs planned as of yet, but I want to speak a few into existence like D Mile, Silk Sonic, and Babyface. Those are on my bucket list as of right now! Also, some more songwriting for other artists!
Listen to the track here.