Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carson Lewis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Carson thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

So far, my debut solo album “El Niño” has been the most meaningful project I have ever worked on because it marked a turning point in my career and shifted the trajectory of my musical outlook. Prior to August 2023, I had always played in bands my whole life. I never anticipated becoming a solo artist, but I always felt as if I was the driving force in my old band and towards the end felt as if it wasn’t a true collaborative project anymore. I had a surgery on my knee and was out of work for a couple months and during this time is when I became inspired to write a solo album. It was a spur of the moment thing. The whole album was written and recorded in 2 days. Pretty much the entirety of the album is all one takes. Nothing was over thought. Therefore there are a lot of really short songs that were basically written as I was recording them. It’s a fun listen I think. “El Niño” is available on all streaming platforms.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in San Jose, California and began learning guitar when I was around 13 years old. I started out playing in a ska punk/reggae band called Riff Raff Giraffe in highschool. Once that dissolved, I started my own reggae rock band Nessie the Great in 2016. For years we performed all around the Bay Area. In 2022, I was convinced by a friend of mine to move to Dallas, Texas. I felt as if I needed a fresh start and a clean slate. After dropping my debut solo record “El Niño” in November of 2023, I began hitting the shows harder than I ever have before. Performing 1 to 2 times per week at bars and restaurants. I would also post up on busy streets and busk for tips. I’m really happy and excited with the current creative direction that I am going in. I still keep that Cali-reggae influence that has always been inside me but now I am implementing much more blues and country influence into the sound. People always tell me that my music sounds like it is totally in its own lane and I’m very proud of that. My second album “Tank Country” is almost completed and will have full instrumentation as opposed to my first album which was all acoustic. I also now have a backing band and we have been performing shows all around DFW.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The mission for me is just to bring these songs to the world. I feel that my purpose in life to entertain and provide joy to others. . My favorite part of being an artist is performing live for a crowd. There’s nothing more satisfying that getting on a stage and singing original songs. Performing at least once a week is a must for me. If I’m not getting out there and performing I begin to feel not quite like myself. One person at a time, the mission is to keep spreading this Texi-Cali musical vibe.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think non creatives will often not be able to understand why us creatives live the way that we do. At least in my case, I’m definitely a bit of an outcast from the majority of the population. Sometimes to my own detriment haha. I find it very hard for me to just relax and not be thinking about working on my musical journey in some regard. My mind is constantly turning, thinking of what my next step is to further my career. In a way, I am a workaholic when it comes to my music. There’s always something to do, whether it’s emails for booking, working on marketing ideas, songwriting, recording, practice, merch, or social media presence. It can be hard for me to not constantly be obsessing over the music grind. But I can’t help it, it’s just the way that I operate. Sometimes I stress myself out over it but ultimately it could never outweigh the satisfaction that I get from being an artist. There’s also an incredible feeling of releasing an album. It’s so permanent and it’s just like your giving a piece of yourself to the world that will always be there. Releasing music to the public in my opinion is one of the coolest things anyone could do in this life. It’s a time stamp that you can always look back on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/carsycarse?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZGszPSrf2f1JPv2Qj8X2yQYpUpE1YMc3XnlVhOfpnIcm-qEVFDEw0c3is_aem_L7cBNsquWNkNFoFTsuEv2g
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carsycarse?igsh=Y21xdzljOGJjdXYz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carson.lewis.96?mibextid=kFxxJD
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@carsycarse?si=37369snJEMYBlt_d
• Other: Spotify:
  

  Apple Music:
  https://music.apple.com/us/artist/carson-lewis/1708989951

Image Credits

Taylor Collins
Juan Carlos Sandoval