When Lewis Watson started posting covers to YouTube, he didn’t expect to gather much attention. In fact, all he really wanted to do was teach himself how to play guitar. “I used it as a tool to kind of teach myself guitar, so at the time I was just playing songs I really enjoyed listening to,” the now 21-year-old singer/songwriter says. “I had no idea it would be listened to from anybody apart from me. I think I just got lucky.”
His luck didn’t seem to run out as he not only found himself with an opportunity to record his debut EP, It’s Got Four Sad Songs On It BTW, for free, but also had the opportunity to record it several times until he felt it was right. “I think that’s the only advice I can give to anybody. It’s got your name on it at the end of the day, and it’s going to be out there forever, so make sure you’re happy with it.”
Watson wasn’t the only one happy with the outcome––the release caught the attention of many record labels, including Warner Bros. Noting that he hadn’t been set on going straight for a major label, he also took into consideration his goals for the long term. “Warner is a very credible label, their male singer/songwriter roster has some of my favorite artists and they’ve all got careers. They haven’t had just one flash-in-the-pan year. They’ve built careers with artists and I think that’s the main thing that I was really into.”
"They’ve allowed me to build and grow over two years.”
What Watson finds most important about his deal is that the label isn’t pushing him toward a release he isn’t ready for. “They’ve allowed me to build and grow over two years before I even released a debut album, so that shows that they’re just such a great major label.”
Watson’s debut album, The Morning, is set for a June release date in the U.K., but U.S. listeners can pick up his latest EP, Some Songs With Some Friends, on iTunes now. – Victoria Patneaude
