Talking to: Freddie Lewis
Quoted as a “textural, tangible, and touching experience” by The Line of Best Fit, queer music and performance artist Freddie Lewis is on the rise. In the summer of 2021, Freddie launched his career with his single Growing Pains which made a significant impact on the UK trans community. He’s also played at festivals such as Glastonbury, The Great Escape, and Iceland Airwaves.
Now, in 2024, he is hosting a queer cabaret in London, Brighton, Manchester, and Bristol which will include drag, burlesque, and live music.
We caught up with Freddie just before his UK tour and he talks about how he became so confident at 24, why he loves dancing, and what else is in store before the end of the year.
As per the lyrics to your recent single Sundays, did you figure out what to do on Sundays?
Weirdly, I wrote that song on a Sunday! The song is really special to me and is exactly what I want to say, musically.
My friend Charlie also produces a lot of my stuff and, for a few weeks, Sunday was the only day that both of us were free. So, I spent Sundays working on the song Sundays, as well as having dinner and a film with him and his girlfriend, who is one of my best friends.
From then on, I just kept filling my Sundays with seeing friends and making music.
So, Sundays are quite important to you.
They are now. Before, I think I took it for granted that I had people to lounge with, but I don’t think I’ll ever take that for granted again.
Would you say that Sundays are your favourite part of the week now?
I have two favourite days of the week: Sundays and Thursdays.
Sundays because of the above, and Thursdays because I used to work Monday to Thursday, have Friday off, and be back to work at the weekend, so Thursdays were there as my form of release.
I used to do a thing called Feral Thursdays where the intention was to spend time alone and see where the night took me.
I love that! Do you still do any Feral Thursdays?
It’s no longer limited to Thursdays as I have more time now. I still try to say “yes” and see what happens next.
Would you say you’re a confident person? Some of your lyrics are very empowering, but is it mainly to put yourself out there for fans who perhaps aren’t as confident?
I think I’m a very confident person, but, as with anyone, I’m working on it all of the time. For me, confidence is less about how you are and more about something you practice.
I think that knowing yourself is where confidence comes from. I can feel confident walking into a room because I know what I’m going to need from myself in that room. For example, if I’m out, I might need five minutes at the end to debrief or know that if a certain song comes on, I’m going to dance!
When I was in my teens, I had my fair share of struggles with anxiety, tension, and stress. Your environment is not always best suited to you which can bring up anxiety.
Where did you grow up and how does it compare to Bristol, which is very queer-friendly and community-focused?
I did most of my growing up in a little place between Poole and Bournemouth, and it was really different; queerness wasn’t something that I was aware of. There were gay people and lesbians in our community which were generally quite accepted, if not a little bit frowned upon, but there weren’t any trans, queer, or non-monogamous people which is much more openly discussed in Bristol.
It’s more free, you know?
I know that you mentioned Feral Thursdays, but is there anything you enjoy that might surprise people?
I think I’m seen as quite gentle and thoughtful, which is a big part of who I am, but I also like going out, I love festivals, big group stuff, and I live for dancing!
I think that dancing is a way to be brave. Like, you’ll be in a room and people are slowly bopping from side to side trying to be cool and the bravest thing you can do is move your body however you want to.
Do you have any music or artists on rotation currently?
When I’m busy like I am now I listen to comforting stuff that I like. Arlo Parks’ first album is a huge comfort album for me. Jack Garratt’s first album Phase is another one – there’s a song on there called Surprise Yourself that I use to motivate myself all the time.
I also like older Billie Holiday records and Frank Sinatra. My favourite records get rotated at the moment.
Your cabaret tour starts on September 25th. Is there anything that you’re looking forward to seeing or doing?
I’m really excited to show everyone what I’ve been working on and where I am artistically.
I love queer cabaret, I think it’s an exciting and important space for people to take risks. People often do things artistically in cabaret that don’t make it to the mainstream until five or ten years later, so I’m constantly inspired. Some of it isn’t always applicable to my work, but there’s usually something that I can learn from it.
The idea behind the tour is everything that I care about as an artist: I care about art and making good art, I care about witnessing good art, I really care about community, building it and helping one another.
I also wanted to do something outside of my comfort zone.
Are you going to have different acts for each date?
Yes! In each city we’ve got people who are from or near that city who I’ve either seen perform in person or online, and I picked them as people who I’d like to have in the city with me.
Do you think you’ll ever do anything like this again?
I don’t have a follow up planned for this straight away, however, if the opportunity presents itself to do it again, take it to other cities etc., then I would definitely think about that.
I have to see whether I’m any good at hosting though, I might be rubbish at it!
Do you have any gig highlights?
There was this gig I did in London earlier this year for a group called Trans Skaters organised by Milo Turnley for the Trans Creators Collective’s third anniversary. I met a fan afterwards who knew all the words to my songs and was very emotional, honest, and vulnerable with me. I make songs because I love making songs, I don’t make songs for other people because you can’t guess what someone else needs without them telling you, so for them to affect someone like that is deeply moving.
Outside of fan interactions, Iceland last year went really well; anything in a new city is always a gift as we get to see a new place.
You can tell how passionate you are when you speak about performing and why you do it. It’s so refreshing to hear, especially as you’re only 24 so there’s so much more time ahead of you!
Think about how good my songs will be when I’m 35, they’ll be so good then!
So, what’s next for you?
I have a B-side track for Sundays coming out on the 25th of September called Afternoons. It’s a half-poem half-song, a spoken word kind of thing.
In Sundays I’m saying: if I could only figure out how to do Sundays without this person, whereas in Afternoons I’m saying I miss you. The line goes: “It gets me in the afternoons, that’s when I think of you”. I also self-produced it, so it’s physically an expression of being on my own because I made it all myself.
There’ll also be one thing before the end of the year, not a release but something that will show people what I’ve got in the works for next year.
And I want to gig more! I want to play festivals.
Finally, if mini-Freddie could see himself now, what would he think?
I think he’d be gagged!
I’m doing what I love, I’m always developing at it and making my work better, reaching the right people and connecting with people. I wake up every day with purpose. I don’t know what more I could really ask for – I’ve got lovely friends, amazing family, and a wealth of different relationships that make me really happy. Everyone gets sad, but I learn from sadness.
That’s all he could have hoped for.
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