Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi grew up in the small town of Bathgate, outside of Glasgow. He picked up the guitar at just nine years old and within three years he was sneaking into local pubs, honing his craft playing impromptu sets anywhere he could find an audience.
Fast-forward to the end of 2017 when he released his debut EP Bloom. Bloom blew fans and critics away with its four slow and emotional tracks that highlighted his raw vocals and skillful songwriting. This release won him the titles of Best Acoustic Act (Scottish Alternative Music Awards) and Breakthrough Artist of the Year (Scottish Music Awards) in 2017, as well as being mentioned as one of Vevo’s ones to watch for 2018.
His latest track ‘Tough’, which was released earlier this month, is a sombre acoustic ballad that begins with a bluesy bassline reminiscent of Kurt Cobain’s mellow guitar melody in ‘All Apologies’, hinting at the start of an upbeat guitar-based pop tune. However, as Capaldi’s heartfelt lyrics progress and atmospheric strings are introduced, the powerful contrast becomes clear.
In less than 6 months Capaldi had announced and sold out 3 headline tours back-to-back, many of the shows selling out in seconds. The likes of Sam Smith and Rag’n’Bone Man recognised his talent and mass appeal as both of the British singers invited him on tour earlier this year across Europe and the US. On the subject of Sam Smith’s tour, he summarised its impact by stating “My hometown of Bathgate’s population is roughly 20,000 and that’s close to the amount of people I’ll be playing to with Sam Smith each night in Europe. Pure madness!”
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Website – lewiscapaldi.com
Facebook – /lewiscapaldi
Twitter – @LewisCapaldi