Local college student and singer-songwriter Jonathan Lewis also known as “J-Lew” has released his debut album, Unavailable, on streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music. The album, inspired by 90s and aughts R&B, documents Lewis’ journey through high school and into college at The University of Akron.
“This is the first project I’ve ever been genuinely proud of,” Lewis said. “I want people to realize that we all struggle through similar experiences growing up and I hope everyone comes away with the same lessons I learned, including – you can’t fix others, but you can fix yourself.”
A graduate of Firestone High School, Lewis is majoring in Media Studies and minoring in Public Relations at the University of Akron.
The lessons he’s learned in relationships up until this point are well documented in the five-tracks on the release, but Lewis is the first to say he still has some lessons yet to learn. “I’m tired of kissing frogs,” Lewis said.
When asked about his five-year plan, he pauses. “I don’t know – I don’t know if I’ll have a family and I’m not quite sure what my next steps career-wise will be,” Lewis said.
One of the things he does know for sure is that he plans to continue writing and performing his music. He is working on music videos for these tracks and new singles to eventually create a longer record.
While the vibe of Unavailable leans toward the commercial end, the album was produced in a local engineer’s home with help from friends. For Lewis, becoming an artist has been all about making connections and paying it forward.
“The album also features a few musicians, one of which I went to high school with,” Lewis said. “His name is Brandon Bell, and his voice is incredible.”
Lewis describes the album as a mix of moody and carefree summer tunes, taking inspiration from Justin Bieber, Drake and ‘old school’ R&B. His favorite tracks on the album are Alone and Fix You.
“Fix You is my favorite because I dug the deepest into what I was going through when I wrote it,” Lewis said. “My whole life I expected people to do what I thought was right, but I learned that people are going to do what they want to do regardless of how you feel. The song was about that,” he said.
“The best way I can put it is this – you can’t fix people, but you can fix yourself. Fix You is about me realizing that and instead of trying to fix others, just focusing on me.”
About J-Lew
Jonathan Lewis, an Akron-area musician and singer-songwriter, graduated from Firestone High School and takes inspiration for his music from the growing pains of early adulthood. Currently a student at The University of Akron, Lewis previously released several singles. Unavailable is his first EP/album release. An unsigned artist, J-Lew plans to continue to release music with a commercial appeal and indie feel. Visit his website for more information.
