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Alan Lewis released his EP, ‘Wild’, with a launch party at Flower of May Holiday Park on 11th October.
The event was one of the biggest of its kind the Yorkshire Coast has seen with over 250 people in attendance, professional sound and light including a laser show and was hosted by Yorkshire Coast Radio’s Paddy Billington.
Alan has donated the proceeds from the night to the Legs For Angel Appeal, helping 7 year old Angel who attends Alan’s school and needs new prosthetic legs every year as she grows. He was delighted to contribute £1012 to the appeal. In addition the full royalties of £1.65 from the sale of each copy of the EP is being donated to BBC Children In Need, for which Alan is a registered fundraiser.
The team representing Alan are justifiably proud of his achivements. We have been told that all the tracks were written by Alan himself, including all the instrument parts which include lead guitar, three violins, cello, bass guitar, vocals (backing and lead) – there are computer generated effects. A video was released onto YouTube for the lead track ‘Wild’ which has had over 1500 views to date, and the EP went live at midnight on Saturday 11th and charted at no. 30 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart.
EP Review
‘Closer’ begins with some Dylanesque lyrics, referencing ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’. Alan’s voice modulates well and accompanies the melodic acoustic guitar, expressing an emotional range incorporating bittersweet, angst-ridden, melancholic and resigned.
‘Fine’ steps up the pace, a joyful tempo with drumbeats added to the guitar backing. As an ode to the fine qualities of an unknown female it is the potential crowd-pleasing, upbeat romantic tune for a singalong, sitting somewhere between James Blunt’s ‘You’re Beautiful’ and Scouting for Girls’ ‘She’s So Lovely’.
‘On My Way’ jumps straight into some acapella lyrics with a hint of female backing vocal, before commencing more guitar-and-drum-based pop. It’s another catchy track, with nice changes of tone. Between the backing style and the slight whispery quality sometimes apparent in the vocals, one is put in mind of artists like James Morrison, Tom Odell and The Script.
‘Torn’ opens with some simple piano-work paired again with that delicate vocal, reaching some raw, mournful depths, and is a heartfelt song of loss and regret.
‘Wild’, which has a great accompanying video, is the title track and a quintessential, youthful ‘rallying cry’ to fun and freedom, blending a little folk and indie-pop vibes for a fun and memorable track.
Overall it’s a satisfying listen, offering a little taste of different writing styles and influences. With the EP charting high in the iTunes singer-songwriter chart at launch, Alan Lewis is already making waves; having met, interviewed and witnessed a shy but focused young Alan when he supported The Wanted at Scarborough Open Air Theatre in summer 2013, the confident artist coming through now in the EP and video is a worthy maturation, clear testament to hard work, dedication and talent.
Alan Lewis website: http://www.alanlewismusic.co.uk
Have you listened to the EP? Tell us what you think by commenting below!
