Damian Lewis + guests
Damian Lewis + guests
7:30pm, Saturday 24th October, Esquires, Bedford
Damian Lewis released his acclaimed debut album Mission Creep in 2023, earning praise for its soulful vocals, rich instrumentation, and emotional honesty. Hailed by critics as “beautifully written and performed” (Line Of Best Fit) and “a warm, rich debut,” (Financial Times) the record marked him as a genuine new voice in British music and established Lewis as a songwriter with something urgent and real to say. Sweet Chaos is the album that follows from a place of hard-won clarity. Written two years on, it is bolder, broader, and at times more raw.
“The first album was quiet and tender,” Lewis says. “This new album is a bit angrier in places. You don’t know these things until you listen back: the extent to which your state of mind pervades the thing.” A BAFTA, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor, Lewis first honed his musical instincts busking across Europe in his youth – an experience that informs the raw authenticity of his work. He quickly proved his strength as a live performer, winning acclaim for his charismatic stage presence and selling out venues across the UK, alongside festival appearances including Latitude, Wilderness, Black Deer and the EFG London Jazz Festival
His music draws from the rich textures of Americana, blues, and folk, with a storyteller’s instinct guiding every lyric. Damian has played the classical guitar since he was 13-years-old. Quickly though, suspecting that he might be the “Second Elvis,” he graduated to the steel string acoustic so that he could sing Elvis in the mirror without fear of interruption. Busking in London and continental Europe through his early twenties, the rent money started coming in from acting and the guitar was parked up as a hobby until the time of CoVid lockdown and quarantine. The busking experience has stayed with Damian ever since and is reflected in his debut album ‘Mission Creep’. His band serve jazz roots with a bluesy sound and the album is described as a thoughtful collection of rootsy, rock and jazz-tinged songs that reveal a deep love of music and a deep need to communicate.
Tickets on general sale from 10am on Friday 29th May.