Truth Be Sung: lewloh Captures The Spectrum Of The Human Condition In His Music

The material of lewloh is as honest as it gets (Credit: Rachel Rodgers Photography)

Songwriting should come from the heart, and lewloh wears his on his sleeve. Shedding his former alias of LEW, Lewis Loh’s recent rebranding is yet another extension of his sincere approach when it comes to making music. As a singer-songwriter who’s been stirring the pond these last few years, lewloh crafts a palatable repertoire with emotions ranging from the placid to the vigorous, drifting amidst the disciplines of folk and pop-rock. On these, his dulcet vocal quality rings with easy-going charm while his self-penned melodies hit sweet spots with bulls-eye precision. Above all of that is an air of courage that doesn’t flinch in addressing harsh truths that hit close to home, amplifying the magnetism of his fanbase that continues to swell.

The cover art for hear his latest single, “Robots” (Credit: Art by Pete Tong)

His latest single, “Robots” is a potent indication of this. Recorded as a raw one-take with just an acoustic guitar, the vulnerable yet outspoken single is essentially a vehicle for commentary on societal expectations and the pressures that leak from it. lewloh touches on sore topics that many can relate to – parents comparing their children to peers, how roles of doctors and lawyers are blindly revered on pedestals, and the exhaustion that stems from being deemed worthy by others. Beneath its tender anatomy lies a haunting reminder that, somehow, we’re all either guilty of this, or end up being dragged into this looping vortex of external validation. In roughly three minutes, lewloh tells it like it is with sensitive eloquence.

It’s these moments of clarity that listeners find themselves relating to in his works – spanning several EPs and an outstanding debut full-length, Lullacry, in 2017 – turning them into reassuring confessionals that lewloh isn’t hesitant to share. Likewise in this interview, the dedicated musician unfolds more layers as we talk about his mentality in creating “Robots”, colouring pages, and how he even turns shattered relationships into instruments of hope. lewloh is simply human, and he’s not afraid to show it.

The singer-songwriter has shed his former alias of LEW (Credit: Rachel Rodgers Photography)

Hello Lewis, or shall I say lewloh. What was the main impetus for changing your artistic alias?

The main reason is because there were seven other LEWs and many more Lewis’, so I’m hoping that @lewloh would make it easier for my listeners to find my music. The second reason is because I think lewloh tells a better story about my ethnicity and background, something that I have more recently reconciled and am in love with!

Let’s dissect your new single, “Robots”. It addresses the strife from trying to fit within social expectations. Is this something you personally struggled with through the years?

For sure. I believe most children (from the East especially) have experienced some form of social pressure and expectation. Personally, I initially got the lawyer-doctor conversation, but managed to convince my parents to let me study ‘music business’. But as soon as I got into music school, I applied for the songwriting major. Sorry Dad!

There’s a growing community that finds solace in lewloh’s relatable songs (Credit: Rachel Rodgers Photography)

Do you wish to encourage others to bust out of their robotic selves with this song? Or do you think it’s an inevitability that most people will end up resorting to, perhaps out of insecurity or to protect themselves from the big bad world?

I want this song to be a reflective tool. Even if no tangible change happens, I at least want the listener to be aware of the strife they’ve been through, and to differentiate between expectations that were put onto them by the then adults of the world, and personal expectations for the true success of themselves.

The song is a beautiful, raw one-take. Was it always a conscious decision to record this in one take, and why so? Would you deem yourself a perfectionist?

I wanted this song to be as personal as possible, and so I thought it would be best achieved by doing a one-take track. I would consider myself a perfectionist, but also, imagine the irony if this particular song was over-edited and polished.

Just one of the colouring pages lewloh sent out for fans to participate and express themselves (Credit: Illustrated by Joie Tan)

The single was also released with colouring pages, a gesture that harks back to the days of childhood nonchalance free from the pressures of adulthood. Can you tell us more about this initiative?

I wanted to give my followers a way to engage with their thoughts, and to de-stress from everything monotonous and hard. Colour pencils give control to the person holding them, and challenges us to be creative and to be free.

“I’ve learnt that the process of moving on and letting go is not linear.” (Credit: Rachel Rodgers Photography)

So when did you decide you wanted to be a musician?

I’ve always loved to push boundaries, and to be different. When I was 15, I realised that there were no musicians in my family tree, and that only fuelled that desire to pursue this career.

What themes do you tend to explore in your songwriting? Do you find yourself sticking with what you know, or opening yourself up to new experiences to feed the songwriting beast?

Anything human – from relationships and love, to shame and all the way to farting. Also, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t intentionally thrown myself into risky situations, for art and songwriting.

Since moving to Singapore from Hong Kong, lewloh has become a deep-seated fixture of the local singer-songwriter scene (Credit: Rachel Rodgers Photography)

Even though you grew up in Hong Kong, did you keep tabs of what was swirling within the Singaporean music scene? And how crucial was Hong Kong in building you up as a musician?

Not at all, and I wish I had. My first experience with the Singaporean music scene, was when I attended my first show during NS, and I caught Linying and JAWN at the Esplanade. Hong Kong taught me hustle, tenacity and drive – three qualities that have kept me on track.

You recently embarked on a new series titled Letters To Let Go Of, where you come up with songs based on old love letters. While others might’ve buried relationship relics such as these, you’ve chosen to turn them into sources of artistic expression. Has it been a cathartic experience?

I’ve learnt that the process of moving on and letting go is not linear. When I was packing to move to Idaho from Boston (taking the semester online, and staying with my mum), I stumbled upon the love letters that I had kept from my last relationship. My mum told me to throw them away, and I quickly exclaimed, “I’m going to turn them into songs! Let me keep them, please”. I kinda dug myself a hole, but realised that it was good way to keep myself accountable, and to further unpack hidden leftover feelings.

In past interviews, you’ve also been open about your sexuality, which is a huge step that’s earned immense amounts of admiration. Do you wish to inspire others with your honesty and bravery?

I’m sure many feel this way. I want to encourage people to live unapologetically and honestly. So much time is wasted on facades and formalities. I wish my teen self saw more non-stereotypical and less token queer folk in media. We come in all shapes, sizes, beliefs and struggles; and we don’t have to be feminine or masculine to identify as queer.

“I want to encourage people to live unapologetically and honestly.” (Credit: Joel Chua)

You seem to be really engaged with your community of listeners and fans. How important is this engagement to you?

Music to me is about connection. When I engage with my community of listeners, it is my way of deepening and extending that connection. I once had a message from a 50-year-old listener who had been suffering from depression and anxiety for over 10 years, and said that my music helped him breathe and process his trauma.

Thanks for sharing, Lewis. Lastly, can you share anything about your upcoming full-length at this point?

It is the biggest project I’ve worked on. There will be more than 12 songs ;)

You can now listen to the repertoire of lewloh as well as his latest single, “Robots” on Spotify. Follow his Facebook and Instagram pages to stay updated.