Wesley Attew
... is an English born, Vancouver based singer-songwriter. He writes evocative Modern Folk-Pop that speaks directly to the soul. His songs illustrate the unparalleled sensation of exploring this world and the people in it. The music he makes isn't just for a moment, but for every step of the journey.
Attew spent his late teens and early twenties traveling and working around the UK, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. He only began playing and writing music in his early 20's, and formed his solo project after immigrating to Canada in 2015. Wesley's vocals have a warm, powerful timbre that is intoxicating and thrilling, they are the ideal backdrop to his opulent and poetic songwriting.
Wesley Attew is ...?
... an English born, Vancouver based singer-songwriter. He writes evocative Modern Folk-Pop that speaks directly to the soul. His songs illustrate the unparalleled sensation of exploring this world and the people in it. The music he makes isn't just for a moment, but for every step of the journey. Attew spent his late teens and early twenties traveling and working around the UK, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. He only began playing and writing music in his early 20's, and formed his solo project after immigrating to Canada in 2015.
Wesley's vocals have a warm, powerful timbre that is intoxicating and thrilling, they are the ideal backdrop to his opulent and poetic songwriting. On February 19th, 2021 Attew self-released his much anticipated Debut EP (“Where Do We Go From Here”), with funding assistance from FACTOR's Artist Development Grant. The record earned glowing reviews from Canadian/International Press, radio play on the iconic BBC Introducing Radio show in the UK, and has now reached over 280,000 streams on Spotify. Attew received Creative BC's Career Development grant at the end of 2020 to help fund his follow up project.
Over the past year, Wesley’s fierce drive and dedication to be an independent artist has captured the attention of his listeners. He is crafting a loyal fanbase and following across all platforms. His music deserves a thunderous global following and he is well on his way. "Courage" is Attew's first single to follow up his debut EP, released with Two Keys Records on November 10th. The single has reached a massive 150k streams on Spotify and the accompanying music video is at 200k views on Youtube in a few months. Wesley's latest single "End Of The Line" was released on September 9th, 2022.
When did you recognize your songwriting potential?
I don't know if I ever recognized it haha. I still feel like i'm just fumbling my way through music and trying things out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. For me, I started out writing poetry, as many artists do. I had zero knowledge of how to play an instrument.
I guess when I made the decision to start learning guitar, I quickly figured out that songwriting was going to be the most appealing part of making music for me. The way I view songwriting evolves constantly, and i'm always learning. I constantly want to figure out new ways to express the things rattling around inside my brain.
"End of the line" sounds amazing, what's the story behind it?
That is very kind of you to say, thank you! End Of The Line is me expressing the frustration of how often a blind eye is turned to the issues we face as humans. It's about pushing back against the close mindedness of a small town upbringing, whilst trying to have compassion for how differently we all view our world.
As the song reaches the bridge and the closing lines, I feel like it's heavy atmosphere finds some hope. As we all search for our place in this world. Trying to understand each other is everything.
From the idea of a song to the final release ... how often do you change the direction of sounds, lyrics or chords?
I think it varies depending on the song. Sometimes I will change things drastically from the songs inception to the final release, other times not much will change. If anything it's the sounds that will change the most as I don't write with a band before going into the studio. As a result, a lot of the sonics or parts for drums, bass etc are figured out in the studio. The lyrics don't often change too much from the original idea. With End Of The Line, the melody and lyrics seemed to arrive almost fully formed in my head.
As soon as I got my hands on a guitar, the acoustic chord progression seemed to pour out and it barely changed. I think I bounced ideas back and forth for pre-chorus structure with my producer (Jeff Zipp @Light Machine Records). From there, it just kind of evolved into an anthemic, indie-rock song. With chorus filled electric guitar riffs, and a grand string arrangement.
How would you describe Vancouver's Music Scene?
I feel like Vancouver is a very community driven music scene and still quite a young city in terms of its history in music, especially compared to other cities i've lived in. It's not a very big music scene, but it does have alot of different pockets. I feel as though once you find your people you are in it, but i'm always wanting the different pockets to have more crossover.
I personally find it very strong for folk and indie music, the nature of the west coast just lends itself so well to those sounds. I mean, I could also be biased as i'm involved in that scene. I've honestly feel really lucky to have met an insane amount of talented artists since moving here in 2017. Very grateful to be a part of the city's scene right now.
What are your Top 3 Songs at the moment?
1. Somebody's Child – Broken Record
2. The 1975 – I'm In Love With You
3. Rhys Lewis – Simple
4. Axel Flovent – Driving Hours
Honestly, at any given moment I feel like I have a new top song. Before I started writing / performing I was always a massive music nerd and i'm constantly seeking out new artists.
Any chance to see you somewhere live on stage?
I actually work with a live music showcase in Vancouver called “Root Dwellers”. I'm usually working on the marketing / general management side of that showcase, but I'll be playing a show with them on the 25 th of November. Not announced yet, but i'll be opening for a big local artist that I love!
What's next for you?
I have another single ready to go that i'm hoping to release before Christmas. Very different sonically, it has more of a soul-pop vibe.
I just wanted to have fun and make something different with that song. After that, hopefully back into the studio to record my second EP in early 2023!
