TEAH LEWIS

James Leaney caught up with local singer-songwriter Teah Lewis, who’ll be bringing her engaging brand of folk-infused pop to the Fringe Stage on Devonshire Green.

Could you tell us a bit about your music and what sounds have influenced it? I moved to Sheffield in 2013 and started doing open mics pretty much straight away. I hadn't really performed at all before that. So, as soon as I moved, I slowly started to write more music. I’d say it’s kind of folk-infused pop; a lot of artists like Gabriella Aplin do it well, and Before Breakfast we've got in Sheffield, who are brilliant at it as well.

How did you find last year’s Tramlines? Honestly, massive. I’d never played a venue fit for a few hundred people, let alone 6000! So, yeah, it was just incredible.

THIS SET IS GOING TO BE REALLY GOOD, SUMMERY FUN. WE VE GOT A FIVE PIECE BAND BRINGING IN LIVE BACKING VOCALS, LOADS OF ELECTRONIC TEXTURES, BRASS, KEYS, AND ALSO SOME NEW SONGS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE HEARD BEFORE.

As someone who's played both the fringe and the main festival, how important do you feel the Tramlines weekend is for the local music scene? Every venue gets a chance to platform and promote artists that they love, which is fantastic and makes it really important that there is a fringe element as well. It means everyone has a stake in the weekend.

Where can we find you over the festival weekend? So, I will first be playing Tramlines itself on Friday afternoon at Hillsborough Park, at two o'clock on the library stage. I'll also be on the Fringe Stage on Devonshire Green, at one o’clock alongside so many Sheffield greats. That’s going to be special as well.

What can we expect from your set? This set is going to be really good, summery fun. We've got a five-piece band bringing in live backing vocals, loads of electronic textures, brass, keys, and also some new songs that you might not have heard before. That's going to be really exciting. Oh, and there might be a cheeky little cover as well…

You've got your first EP coming out this summer. How would you describe this latest project? It’s a real exploration of my styles as an artist. All of the songs on the EP are centring around the push and pull of relationships, and processing love and relationships of whatever kind. And there’s my new single out in July, called 'Building a Home', which I’m really excited to put out into the world.

Catch Teah Lewis on the Devonshire Green Fringe Stage at 1pm, Sunday 4th July. @teah_lewis