Rhys Lewis (musician)

Lewis cites Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys as his songwriting inspiration, commenting that "[Turner] was the first songwriter of my generation to make the lyrics of a song jump out at me."^[9] Other influences include Led Zeppelin and Bill Withers, in particular, the latter's song "Lean On Me".^[10][11]

Lewis' debut album, Things I Chose to Remember, is distinctive in that it was made on analogue tape. Lewis stated his reasons for this as “[analogue tape] forces you to think clearly and in detail about every single part that goes down, and how you can make each part do the most it can”.^[8] Numerous critics have commented on the soul and blues influences in his music.^[12][13][14]

Lewis writes songs about a variety of aspects of his life. In Things I Chose to Remember, topics include the portrayal of men in the media, mental health and his own relationships.^[15] Many of his songs are about heartbreak, including "When Was The Last Time", "Be Your Man" and "Hurting". He says he finds his song "No Right To Love You" difficult to perform because it also deals with a personal heartbreak. "I suppose the song is a bit of a trigger for lots of memories and emotions of the breakup … every so often it really hits me again, and the emotion of the song comes flooding back."^[16]