Hotel Lux

Musician — Portsmouth

01Profile

A Hotel Lux Photo

03Interview

Name
Lewis

Where are you from?
Portsmouth.

Describe your style in three words:
Not that good.

How should your music be listened to?
Turn it up.

A British music icon that has inspired you?
Wilko Johnson. The man’s an absolute legend. As a pretty non-musical person I’ve never really been fascinated by musicianship, it’s always been lyricism for me but the way Wilko plays guitar is just something else. Seems like proper genuine bloke as well.

Which new British bands are you listening to at the moment?
Goat Girl, Baxter Dury, Sleaford Mods.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
I think recently the best gig I’ve seen was the Dead Pretties at Truck. I’d seen ‘em a few times before that, but that show was another level.

If you could make a record with anyone from history, who would it be?
Damon Albarn. I think that’d work, yeah.

A British icon that inspires you?
Alan Clarke, Dennis Skinner, Brian Clough.


Hotel Lux released their latest EP 'Barstool Preaching' in April 2020 via Nice Swan Records. You can purchase a physical copy here or stream it via Spotify or SoundCloud

04Playlist Notes

The first song you played on repeat?
From when I first started properly getting into music it’d probably be 'Baggy Trousers' by Madness. My dad is bang into the two-tone stuff so I heard it all from an early age and I think that tune is just really fun as a youngster. Probably the only song bar our own I know all the lyrics too.

A song you wish you’d written?
Maybe a bit obvious but it’s gotta be 'Peaches' by The Stranglers.

The last piece of music you bought?
'The Ooz' by King Krule.

A song from your favourite album?
'Turn the Page' by The Streets. To be fair, it could be any track from that album. Flawless.

Best love song of all time?
'Trying To Live My Life Without You' by Otis Clay. Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwarz did a great pub rock cover of it as well in their aptly named band, Brinsley Schwarz.

A song you like that people wouldn’t expect?
'Put a Donk On It' by Blackout Crew.

A song that defines the teenage you?
'Rattlesnake Highway' by Palma Violets.

Most meaningful lyrics to inspire change?
'Strange Fruit' by Billie Holiday, those opening lines:

"Southern trees bear strange fruit/Blood on the leaves and blood at the root".

Truly, truly haunting. I’m not sure whether she wrote the lyrics, I think there’s some sort of myth of some poet handing them to her on stage, but it’s her voice that really does it.

03Interview

Name
Lewis

Where are you from?
Portsmouth.

Describe your style in three words:
Not that good.

How should your music be listened to?
Turn it up.

A British music icon that has inspired you?
Wilko Johnson. The man’s an absolute legend. As a pretty non-musical person I’ve never really been fascinated by musicianship, it’s always been lyricism for me but the way Wilko plays guitar is just something else. Seems like proper genuine bloke as well.

Which new British bands are you listening to at the moment?
Goat Girl, Baxter Dury, Sleaford Mods.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
I think recently the best gig I’ve seen was the Dead Pretties at Truck. I’d seen ‘em a few times before that, but that show was another level.

If you could make a record with anyone from history, who would it be?
Damon Albarn. I think that’d work, yeah.

A British icon that inspires you?
Alan Clarke, Dennis Skinner, Brian Clough.


Hotel Lux released their latest EP 'Barstool Preaching' in April 2020 via Nice Swan Records. You can purchase a physical copy here or stream it via Spotify or SoundCloud

04Playlist Notes

The first song you played on repeat?
From when I first started properly getting into music it’d probably be 'Baggy Trousers' by Madness. My dad is bang into the two-tone stuff so I heard it all from an early age and I think that tune is just really fun as a youngster. Probably the only song bar our own I know all the lyrics too.

A song you wish you’d written?
Maybe a bit obvious but it’s gotta be 'Peaches' by The Stranglers.

The last piece of music you bought?
'The Ooz' by King Krule.

A song from your favourite album?
'Turn the Page' by The Streets. To be fair, it could be any track from that album. Flawless.

Best love song of all time?
'Trying To Live My Life Without You' by Otis Clay. Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwarz did a great pub rock cover of it as well in their aptly named band, Brinsley Schwarz.

A song you like that people wouldn’t expect?
'Put a Donk On It' by Blackout Crew.

A song that defines the teenage you?
'Rattlesnake Highway' by Palma Violets.

Most meaningful lyrics to inspire change?
'Strange Fruit' by Billie Holiday, those opening lines:

"Southern trees bear strange fruit/Blood on the leaves and blood at the root".

Truly, truly haunting. I’m not sure whether she wrote the lyrics, I think there’s some sort of myth of some poet handing them to her on stage, but it’s her voice that really does it.

 

05Videos

Hotel Lux | Eddie's Gaff (2020)

Hotel Lux | English Disease (2019)

Hotel Lux | Envoi (2017)

Hotel Lux | The Last Hangman (2017)