"I think that music creates community, and allows the listener to feel connection on a spiritual level, you can’t see it, but you can feel it, and that’s an element of healing that is a timeless gem. In addition to this, I also hope that music positively inspires all who experience it."

Arwen Lewis: Music Under the Stars

Technically, Arwen Lewis inhabits our blue planet, but so much about her believes and belongs in the celestial realm. First and foremost, her earthily angelic voice (just listen and you’ll know that’s not a contradiction in terms). Then there’s her lineage: The granddaughter of Oscar-winning actress Loretta Young and the daughter of Peter Lewis, a founding member of ‘60s psychedelic cult heroes Moby Grape, she’s been part of the creative cosmos all her life. So it’s no surprise that Arwen’s new OMAD EP is called “Under the Stars” (2023) —or that a slice of sonic heaven is poised to enter your heart, mind and soul. While Arwen’s self-titled debut, released in 2015, featured her interpretations of her father’s songs, this time out she’s flying higher, as both producer and writer. Self-penned tunes include the layered, wistfully longing “Man on the Moon” and the beautiful heartbreak of “Winter,” showcased in two arrangements—once with gently growling guitar and again accompanied by piano and cello. Not that Arwen could resist digging into her dad’s archive, with a lilting, countrified cover of his “Black Moon.” Plus, she brings her earnest, unaffected gift to a pair of iconic tunes: a trumpet-driven version of Jackson Browne’s “Doctor My Eyes” and a frankly folky take on Joni Mitchell’s “I Think I Understand.”                           (Photo: Arwen Lewis)

The EP came together organically, at first just she and a friend—guitar impresario Jonathan McEuen—“scratching out ideas in my living room,” Arwen says. Jonathan mentored me,” Arwen candidly admits. “He also arranged everything perfectly—truly the musical director for this project.” A select few recruits from the deep end of the California talent pool came aboard next, including rock and roll “space traveler” Jason Achilles, Los Angeles film composer/all-around scene staple George Adrian, and trumpeter Jeff Elliott. Plus, yes, Peter Lewis is present as well, slinging a Strat on one track. The recording was finished at Surprise Studio with Graham Palmer as the engineer. “While I had complete creative control,” says Arwen, who also plays guitar on the record, “I was lucky enough to get together with amazing musicians who were in sync with the way I hoped to express these songs.”

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the Roots music and Rock Counterculture influenced your views of the world?

I’ve always had a passion for the counterculture of roots and rock and roll. It’s, in my opinion, a beautiful representation of freedom and pure, artistically sophisticated human expression, and a showcase of organic human potential. It’s, in my opinion, harmony at its finest and that’s important to all societies because music and art create a universal sense of community which breaks the barrier of loneliness, and I believe we all need that in the pursuit of happiness.

How do you describe your sound and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

I’d describe my sound or genre, as alternative with an influence from classic country, folk, rock and roll, and a hint of jazz. My creative drive comes from my pure desire to play music, write lyrics, story tell, and co-create with my fellow contemporaries.

"I’ve never really put much, or any energy into believing that I’m in a man’s world of music. I have just happened to work with more men than women, professionally, in my world of music, but I’ve never felt like gender has played a part in the way that I create or am treated." (Photo: Arwen Lewis)

What moment changed your life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far? 

I’d say the moment that changed my life the most, was my decision to pursue musicianship, songwriting, performing, and recording professionally. I began seriously studying the world of music, learning from my father when I graduated from college. Because I have a very unusual opportunity to study with a Rock and Roll/Songwriting legend, I’ve been able to develop my craft with a foundation that is somewhat esoteric, but strong in the sense of theory, pure creativity and is what I’d consider a family heirloom.  Highlights have been performing with my dad and the amazing musicians who’ve I’ve been lucky to create with. Also, releasing both my 2015 Omad Records LP “Arwen” produced by John Denicola … a collection of 12 Moby Grape songs.  And lately, getting a second recording on Omad Records, that I co-produced with Jonathan McEuen, my current EP release “Under The Stars.” Under The Stars features original songs written by me and a co-creation between me and my dad, and two covers. Creating, releasing, and promoting all of these professional recordings has been a dream come true.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

What I miss most nowadays from the music of the past, is the rawness, and originality. I do feel that, especially in the roots and rock counterculture, there is still plenty of it out there… I hope that more of these types of music can gain greater exposure, and maintain the tradition of original human expression through this fine art. My only “fear” is that the mainstream music world will become very generic, but I do believe that even in the mainstream world, there are plenty of gems to be found.

If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

Better artist compensation from streaming royalties!

"I’d describe my sound or genre, as alternative with an influence from classic country, folk, rock and roll, and a hint of jazz. My creative drive comes from my pure desire to play music, write lyrics, story tell, and co-create with my fellow contemporaries." (Photo: Arwen Lewis)

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

I think that music creates community, and allows the listener to feel connection on a spiritual level, you can’t see it, but you can feel it, and that’s an element of healing that is a timeless gem. In addition to this, I also hope that music positively inspires all who experience it.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

The most important lesson I have learned is to create solely for the pure love of creating music and being a part of a creative community, with no expectations of what kind of professional opportunity it could bring. I feel that because, in my experience, the art and music I create from that perspective feels pure and it brings me and my audience joy. All other professional success is just the icing on the cake. 

What does to be a female artist in a Man’s World as James Brown says? What is the status of women in music?

I’ve never really put much, or any energy into believing that I’m in a man’s world of music. I have just happened to work with more men than women, professionally, in my world of music, but I’ve never felt like gender has played a part in the way that I create or am treated. I’ve been lucky to have always been respected by and respect my contemporaries, and it’s always been all about the music when it comes to the music. That takes me back to my statement that I create purely for the love of the art. I believe that it’s beautiful for women and men to simply be who they are in their femininity and masculinity, and that those qualities are portrayed through music, which is an organic expression of human nature through the beautiful art of recording and performance.

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(Photo: Arwen Lewis)