The singer-songwriter shared ‘The Sun Will Rise’ on 8th May after his debut album release was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Written and produced by Lewis along with friend and colleague Aidan Glover, the song has gained over 100,000 plays on Spotify. The piano based single showcases Lewis’ soulful vocals, offering a message to his fans that, as the title lyric says “as lost as the light seems, the sun will rise”.

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With no end in sight, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by this wave of adversity we are all facing, not to mention the hard times it’s set to leave in its wake. Myself and Aidan, with whom I’m isolating, were compelled to write a song that spoke of the anxiety we are both feeling about the uncertain future, but also offered a message of hope and reassurance that there will be an end to these dark days. The Sun Will Rise is out now x

A post shared by Rhys Lewis (@rhyslewismusic) on May 8, 2020 at 4:24am PDT

Lewis announced on social media that the song, along with a lyric video, would be available for followers, in a post reading “With no end in sight, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by this wave of adversity we are all facing, not to mention the hard times it’s set to leave in its wake.” He went on to explain, “Myself and Aidan, with whom I’m isolating, were compelled to write a song that spoke of the anxiety we are both feeling about the uncertain future, but also offered a message of hope and reassurance that there will be an end to these dark days.”

The lyric video premiered on the artist’s website between 8th and 11th May for only two hours each morning. It will likely be released on his YouTube channel over the next few weeks.

Currently isolating in the UK, Lewis has worked on multiple projects during the Covid-19 outbreak and continued spread. Despite his album being postponed until 10th July, he shared an EP consisting of live recordings of his original songs. He also put out a message to fans that they should support small record stores who will lose business during this time.

Besides this, the singer’s ‘Caravan Sessions’ are a hit with fans, reaching 7,000 views on two Instagram TV posts. Beginning with an acoustic cover of The Cure’s ‘Friday I’m In Love’ in April, he recently followed up with ‘So Far Away’, originally by Carole King, saying that “it’s a song I’ve been leaning on and playing a lot whilst in isolation”.

 

 

 

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So Far Away by the one and only, Carole King. It’s a song I’ve been leaning on and playing a lot whilst in isolation x A post shared by Rhys Lewis (@rhyslewismusic) on May 4, 2020 at 9:47am PDT

Rhys Lewis began playing the guitar at age 13, developing his blues style from a young age. He signed to Decca Records in 2016 and released his first single ‘Waking Up Without You’, followed by many more singles which gained millions of streams. In 2018, Lewis released his debut EP ‘Bad Timing’, and is now in the process of completing his debut studio album.

Lewis released the first instalment on 28th April with an acoustic guitar cover of ‘Friday I’m In Love’ by The Cure. Recorded by the singer himself, he can be seen setting up only one microphone and running only one take, creating a simple but effective video for his 46,000 followers. Fans were asked to send in song requests for future covers as there will be a new upload every week for the duration of the isolation period.

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I’m gonna post a Caravan Session once a week until the end of isolation when I’ll be leaving the caravan behind. Today’s session is ‘Friday I’m In Love’ by The Cure. Let me know if you have any song requests for the next couple of weeks.

A post shared by Rhys Lewis (@rhyslewismusic) on Apr 28, 2020 at 9:55am PDT

These sessions come just a week after Lewis’ debut album was due for release. Unfortunately, given the circumstances concerning Covid-19, the artist is unable to finish the album in time and has therefore pushed the date back to 10th July 2020. The album is titled ‘Things I Chose To Remember’ and, in an announcement, Lewis stated “After 3 and a half years of releasing music I’m finally putting out my debut album. This collection of songs means a lot to me, I’m nervous and excited in equal measure about sharing it with you all.”

Upon the release, five intimate shows had been planned to take place around the UK, with London’s gig selling out completely. These are in the process of being rescheduled for later this year, so stay updated on his official website. Furthermore, Rhys Lewis was announced as the support act for some of Lewis Capaldi’s US tour this summer. There has currently been no update on these shows, however it is likely that they will not go ahead due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite not being able to release his album just yet, Rhys Lewis has put out a new EP ‘Live At RAK Studios’, in which he performs live versions of previously released singles. The tracks included were ‘What Wild Things Were’, ‘When Was The Last Time?’, and ‘What If’, all of which will be on the upcoming album.

Another of the singer’s current projects is supporting small record stores which will lose business during this time. He posted on social media to discuss the ‘Love Record Stores’ campaign and remind fans to continue to buy from and support them.

Rhys Lewis began playing the guitar at age 13, developing his blues style from a young age. He signed to Decca Records in 2016 and released his first single ‘Waking Up Without You’, followed by many more singles which gained millions of streams. In 2018, Lewis released his debut EP ‘Bad Timing’, and is now in the process of completing his debut studio album.