Tim Hughes talks to local singer-songwriter Rhys Lewis about his homecoming headline show

RHYS Lewis would be the first to admit he has 'got lucky'

Until recently, the only gigs the 23 year-old singer-songwriter from Long Hanborough, had played were open-mic sessions in east Oxford pubs while working as a school 'dinner lady'.

Now, almost in the blink of an eye, he has been signed to Decca, releasing his debut single Waking Up Without You in December, and with an album scheduled for the summer. He is also headlining his own tour – which, tonight, sees him coming back to Oxford.

"It is really exciting," he says. "It has all been quite surprising. I didn't have a big fanbase online, but I got lucky with Decca who said they wanted to work with me.

"Getting signed wasn't a random story, though, it happened quite steadily. I have been plugging away for a long time."

Rhys, a former pupil of Bartholomew School in Eynsham, learned his trade in a local covers band alongside his brother, before stepping out alone for open-mic nights at The Cape of Good Hope and Cafe Tarifa in East Oxford. He earned beer money working in the kitchens of local pubs, such as Long Hanborough's Royal Oak.

"I also worked as a dinner lady at Cokethorpe School near Witney," he laughs. "It was not the most glamorous existence but it was good fun – and dinner ladies work mighty hard, so I picked up a good work ethic."

He adds: "Long Hanborough was a nice place to live and great for dog walking – but I was itching to do something creative so I left when I was 19. I realised I didn't want to work as a chef or a dinner lady any more.

"I was playing lots of covers and learning my craft as a songwriter but not that many people knew me in Oxford. It was when I moved to London that it all happened."

He has spent the past year travelling between studios in London, Nashville, Stockholm, Berlin and Los Angeles, strengthening his ability as a songwriter as he goes.

Tonight's show, at The Cellar, is his first local headline show

"It feels really nice to come back and play my hometown, as it was such an important place for me," he says. "It shaped my musical experience. It's such a creative city but is still small and not overwhelming. It's easy to get your teeth into, whereas London was scary."

Rhys describes his music as "lyrically-driven pop," saying: "I often really want to tell a story through my lyrics and the music serves that. It's a soulful sound which suits my voice – and I'm a sucker for a pop song."

He cites such influences as James Taylor, Carole King and Bill Withers.

"It's not soul, but soulful," he says.

While hailed for his voice, he admits vocals did not come easy. "I was a reluctant singer for a long time," he says. "But I didn't consider myself a guitarist either until I was 16 or 17 and playing in my brother's band, Mango Jam.

"It was really good though. There were lots of classic covers to learn and it was an education. I had to get my head around the Arctic Monkeys as well as Stevie Wonder. It was a real learning curve.

"It wasn't until my brother and his mates went off to uni and I was left without a band that I felt I needed to go my own way. It's not like I had wanted to be a singer since the age of 10!"

He goes on: "There are different pressures as a singer but the more you do it the less scary it becomes. You feel nervous by exposing yourself emotionally. I still get butterflies, even though I am confident in my ability."

Still, he is enjoying the recognition. "I'm very proud," he says, "And my mum and dad are over the moon. They've seen me as a kid playing bad clarinet, annoying the hell out of them.

"They know it's a big part of what I want to achieve and are probably relieved, after all the time and expense I've put into music, that it has come to something

"Though it is still early days."

Rhys Lewis plays The Cellar, Oxford tonight. Tickets from wegottickets.com