Rising the ranks through atmospheric, deliberate, and engaging pop production, Drew Louis is quickly making his mark in pop music. In his early years as a rising star producer, Louis has already worked with established acts such as The Gospellers, YENA. Now, Louis turns his attention to the drag music scene. In his words, Drew explains “We now see drag queens elevated into the mainstream with their fashion, makeup & comedy— but drag music deserves better.” And having already worked with legendary drag artists, Trinity the Tuck & Bob the Drag Queen – and developing emerging artist, Karma Carr – Louis looks set to continue carving his name out in the scene.

Take a listen to Drew’s discography to date; you’ll find ebbing and flowing melodies, snappy instrumentals, and reverential basslines. Through pairing infectious hooks with airtight, enigmatic pop production, Drew is cementing himself as a legendary pop producer. We link up to talk through rising the ranks, inspirations, and his creative process.

Read the interview…

Hey Drew, how have you been?

These past 9 months have been an absolute whirlwind. From barely paying rent to having music on RuPaul’s Drag Race is quite the 180° [laughs].

You’ve been rising the ranks quickly; can you share how you got started in the scene?

I moved to L.A. in 2018 to study at the Los Angeles College of Music. From there I was connected with songwriter Mayu Wakisaka and got my first major label cut with Sony Japan’s The Gospellers, on their single “Loving Out Loud”. That then lead to having three songs with YENA, [of the K-Pop group, IZ*ONE], and finally circling back to pop music back here in Los Angeles, which is truly my passion.

What artists are you most inspired by?

I am truly in love with the art of pop. I am in awe of the pure polish and sheen, paired with the showmanship and imagery. It’s a true escape.

I’ve been loving the pop girls— Kim Petras, Ava Max, and some of the newer voices like Bludnymph, Kylie Cantrall, and Snow Wife.

Can you give us an insight into your creative process?

I almost always start with the beat, and then bring it in with the artist and our co-writers. From there we craft our pop magic— soaring melodies, punchy choruses, singable hooks, etc… But most importantly, we are telling the artist’s story as authentically as possible. If the artist, and subsequently the fans can’t relate to the song, what’s the point? Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” was one of the best moments in recent pop history. But not because of the quality or sing-ability of the song, it’s just true undeniable authenticity.

The dark pop and drag music scene have been growing greatly. How does your sound differ from your contemporaries?

Every corner of Drag has been elevated throughout the last decade— fashion, makeup, etc…. But I feel there are still some stones left unturned in music. When I was brought into the drag world, I made it my mission to never let a drag record feel basic- even the silliest of songs deserve attention to detail.

You say drag music can go to places that mainstream music can’t. Could you elaborate on that; what kind of places do you mean?

Drag is a one-of-a-kind art form. It’s one of the only mediums that is equally jaw dropping as it is… clown-like? [laughs]. I say that with the utmost respect for the craft, because with that recipe, drag music is able to say things that ordinary pop music can’t. You can’t really pull off saying “c***” in the average pop song [laughs].

You’ve been working closely with Trinity the Tuck’s new dark pop album; how did that relationship start and what’s it been like working together?

Though she vehemently claimed she was “not a singer”, that quickly changed the moment Trinity and I started working together. Last year, we worked together on her holiday album Trinity Ruins Christmas, which was such a great experience. Throughout that process she and I were connecting on our love of dark pop- and we knew it was something we needed to explore. Coming into this year, Trinity and I have been hard at work on this newest record, and I’m so incredibly excited for the world to hear her new album SINEMATIC, slated for June of this year. Wait- (to his publicist) am I allowed to say that? [laughs]. Okay, well regardless of when it’s coming out, I’m honoured to have executive produced a pop record. It’s definitely something to check off my bucket list.

Can you share a glimpse what you have in store, for the rest of 2024?

While I’m continuing my dedication to the world of Drag, I am so excited to be venturing into more of the mainstream pop game. I’m working with some stars from Nickelodeon and Disney, as well as some other incredible up and coming talent. It’s an honour to be on the ground floor of the next generation of pop. But mainly, I’m tired of hearing songs made for gay clubs that aren’t produced by gay people [laughs].