Rising star Rhys Lewis faces his biggest fear in a nail-biting video entitled ‘To Be Alive’. The video follows Rhys’ long-standing phobia of heights and a 15,000 feet drop from an aeroplane. Documented by filmmaker, friend and assigned encourager Harvey Wilson, the ‘To Be Alive’ video sees Rhys literally jump out of his comfort zone to continue his mission: find out what it means to be alive in 2022.
Rhys explains the decision to sky dive for his brand-new video by saying, “Around the time I wrote this song, I realised I’d been letting my anxieties have too much of a say in where I was heading in life. Every time I had an urge to do something new and scary, my fears talked me out of it. I felt like I was just coasting, stuck on autopilot, afraid to commit to a leap of faith. Then at some point, I don’t know when, the fear of change was outweighed by the need for it, and I decided to jump.”
The ‘To Be Alive’ video throws Rhys into the unknown. From his self-motivating pep talk to an exhausted (but triumphant) final cheer, Rhys takes hold of his narrative by conquering the ultimate fear of heights. The climax of the song rides high as Rhys launches himself out of the side of the plane. Immediately, Rhys found himself absorbed by an unbelievable adrenaline rush that overcame any doubt he’d experienced earlier in the day. When his feet were firmly back on the ground, Rhys expressed his joy at completing something he never thought was even possible, “honestly, I can’t stop smiling!”
‘To Be Alive’ is taken from Rhys Lewis’ upcoming album entitled ‘Corner of the Sky’ – released via Decca Records January 20th. Having already caught the attention of the public with numerous songs of heartbreak on the biggest shows on television, his new record completely changed his outlook on life. Intentionally stepping away from the world he’d created for himself, he found comfort in listening to his need to escape. With a phenomenal three quarters of a billion lifetime streams to date, the BBC introducing favourite wanted to redefine himself as an ever-growing musician and creative. Whilst writing ‘Corner of the Sky’, Rhys connection with a whole generation that felt similarly off-piste. Pre-order ‘Corner of the Sky’ here (will insert).
For the moment, Rhys looks forward to kicking off 2023 by performing the album across the country at his first run of in store dates from Southampton to London. Book your tickets here. A month later, Rhys will embark on his biggest headline tour yet, stopping at London’s Lafayette as well as much-loved venues in Dublin, Berlin, Copenhagen, and more. Full tour dates below.
‘Corner of the Sky’ Tracklist:
- Intro (on physical only)
- Alone
- Love In The Modern Age
- Midnight
- Symmetrical
- Simple
- The Middle
- To Be Alive
- Yesterday’s Rain
- Happy Fucking Birthday
- Centre of the Universe
- 21st Century Life
- Corner Of The Sky
Rhys Lewis’ Headline 2023 tour dates below
23rd Jan: Vinilo, Southhampton – UK (in store)
24th Jan: Rough Trade, Nottingham – UK (in store)
26th Jan: Rough Trade, East London – UK (in store)
1st Feb: Whelan’s, Dublin – Ireland
3rd Feb: King Tut’s, Glasgow – UK
4th Feb: Gorilla, Manchester – UK
6th Feb: Thekla, Bristol – UK
7th Feb: 02 Academy, Oxford – UK
8th Feb: Lafayette, London – UK
10th Feb: Melkweg, Amsterdam – Netherlands
11th Feb: Artheater, Cologne – Germany
13th Feb: Maschinehaus, Berlin – Germany
15th Feb: Hotel Cecil, Copenhagen – Denmark
16th Feb: Parkteatret, Oslo – Norway