Lew McKenzie is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer based in New York City. Since 2014, Lew has lent his talents and served as a session and backing musician for a variety of artists throughout the city.
Lew led a series of sold-out tribute performances with a 13 piece band at the renowned B.B. King Blues Club in the heart of New York City’s Times Square, before embarking on a solo career of my own.
In addition to McKenzie’s entrancing vocals throughout, Carmine Mattia contributes a consuming rap section around the mid-point, the heavy bassline and clanging keys providing an ideal backdrop. The synth-laden shimmer around 03:20 also exudes a tender satisfaction, followed by a burst of vibrant energy that recalls classic soul.
““Journey” was conceptualized some years ago. It was a song that I attempted to write and record many times before but was unable to complete for a bevvy of reasons,” McKenzie says. “When the idea first came to mind, I knew that I wanted to write a love song that was dedicated to my future wife. At the time I didn’t see myself ever getting married but I wanted the song to sound like something that would be sung at a wedding. I decided to give the song another chance after I connected with this upcoming boutique studio in Brooklyn called Little Cheddar Studios.”
“We initially tracked the rhythm section in early March but we were then unable to complete the recording due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic continued to rage on, I kept tweaking the lyrics but was never satisfied with the results. I wanted to properly portray the importance of legacy through each verse and it was vital that I believed every word that was written. Love is an amazing gamble of chance encounters between two hearts that aren’t supposed to be together. It’s a one-of-a-kind feeling once that unlikely meeting of two different worlds collides.
I ultimately finished the song towards the beginning of August and it was released on October 19th. The song is a soulful power ballad complete with vintage embellishments inspired by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Elton John, the Beatles and the Beach Boys. I’m not sure where this song may take me now that it exists in the world, but it is my hope that it makes my listeners yearn for their own happily ever after.”
https://soundcloud.com/lewmusick
