Daniel Lew Talks Ed Sheeran Bringing Him Backstage, Writing Songs With Partial Deafness, Latest Album ‘Destiny’, & More

It’s not everyday Ed Sheeran hears you busking on the street and invites you backstage to one of his shows. But this was one fateful day for Vancouver singer-songwriter Daniel Lew.

This one-of-a-kind experience only confirmed that Lew was indeed on the right path with his music-making, and the life-changing situation is one he surely holds dear. Like his contemporaries, the songsmith hopes to uplift those willing to listen to his introspective pop and indie folk sound. 

After developing tinnitus a decade ago, Lew went deaf in his left ear. This experience inspired him to start making music, and to devote his life to it. Along with the goal of amplifying Asian-Canadian artists in particular, the artist has put on hundreds performances, and has been featured on CBC Radio One, at the Jade Music Festival, and Daily Hive Vancouver. He is currently an emerging artist in Creative BC’s Career Development Program. 

Along with three studio albums, Lew released his fourth album, Destiny, on June 25th of this year. He has since been supporting the album on a Canadian tour. 

We had the opportunity to speak with Lew about his latest album, his Sheeran experience, rest of the year plans, and much more.

What are three things people should know about Daniel Lew? 

My first concert ever was a co-headlining show with Blink-182 and No Doubt. I was obsessed with Blink. I knew how to play the majority of their catalog, dressed like them, got my ears pierced, and grew out some emo bangs. Seeing them live was a dream come true. 

One of my favorite flavor pairings is a freshly baked croissant and a black coffee, ideally a dark roast. I really enjoy taking my sweet time to enjoy the chemistry. Bite, sip, pause, bite, sip. Repeat. 

I attended university for nearly eight years, but not for music. I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, and a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy. I am super grateful for my education, as it has made me a lot more health conscious, and given me additional tools to share with the world. 

How has your summer been since the release of your latest album, Destiny? 

It’s been great! The first half of summer was spent finishing off the Destiny Tour, which brought me from Vancouver to Montreal, playing 24 shows along the way, and writing lots of new tunes. Being on the road was tough on my relationship though, so this summer has also been about re-prioritizing quality time with my partner. 

The second half of summer has been focused on performing as much as possible locally. I am part of the Granville Island busking program, which has been a phenomenal experience, as I have been performing 2-4 sets per day, 5-6 days per week, and taking on as many additional gigs as I can. I have been revamping my live show, and writing lots of new material, including collaborations with some other local artists like Ginalina, Kapa Arkieh, Tennyson King, and Jacq Teh. 

What was your creative process like from idea, to studio, to completion for the album? Any common themes or motifs throughout? 

This project was a different experience because it was the first time I made an album while also working as a full-time musician. I found that I was a lot more fatigued from performing everyday, so I had to be a lot more strategic and efficient with my creative time. Several ideas blossomed from improvisations while busking performances. I would often be letting loose, experimenting with new vocal and guitar melody lines, and I would see that some would really resonate with the audience. I would take mental note of those moments, do quick phone recording, and then revisit those ideas later. Not all of the tracks were composed this way, but there were a few. 

In general, my favorite way to write would be to limit myself to a guitar, notebook, and pen, whilst sitting by the ocean. Once I have a song that is fun to play, and that I am excited to memorize for my repertoire, then I know it’s typically worth sitting down in my home studio to begin producing it. The majority of the album was recorded at home. I was adamant on playing drums on several of my tracks, so I would pack up my recording gear, and bring it to a jam space I was renting, setting up, recording, and tearing down again within a five hour window. 

Once I am producing the songs, typically I’ll have several songs at various stages of completion. I have never been the best at focusing just on one song at a time. So I just bounce from session to session, working on whatever inspires me the most in the minute, until I’m finished. 

Did you have any specific sonic and lyrical inspirations and influences for this record? 

There was a smorgasbord of lyrical themes that were simply a reflection of my life in 2023, as well as questions and concepts that I had been pondering. This included: manifestation, hedonism, romance, familial tension, corporate success, anti-asian racism, whistleblowing, letting go of toxic people, and universality. 

Sonically, it is quite varied. Part of my vision was to showcase the work of a team of producers who were primarily Asian-Canadian. So the sonics are certainly a culmination of all of our preferences and experiences. This included: Vinay Vyas, Lucas McKinnon, Grace Chiang, Clarence Au, Ken Chan, Benjamin Paul de Caiman, and Caroline Ding. 

Was there a song or two on the album that was the most difficult to write or record for one reason or another? 

“Trade It All Away” was a tricky one. I had the chords and melody for a while, but I wasn’t able to find the words that felt right. That’s when I remembered an experience from a few years prior that would inform the lyrics.

In 2021, I found myself pondering random things, and I became curious about who founded Visa credit cards. I googled it, and was led to a man named Dee Hock. A bit more digging led me to his email. I thought I would try reaching out to him as I was curious about his little notoriety and had some questions about his life. To my surprise, he responded the next day, and shared some of his story and wisdom with me. I knew I would write a song about this someday. The experience slipped my mind for a year or so, and then I saw a news headline that he had passed away. It triggered the inspiration in me, and I was able to weave his story into a song. 

How does your partial deafness affect or shape your songwriting and musical prowess? 

This changed my life, and my relationship with music. In 2013, I was very consumed by academia, and chasing “white-picket fence” goals. I had become distracted from my passion. Then one night I had a terrible dream, and I woke up deaf in my left ear, and then developed tinnitus and vertigo. It was a very scary experience, but has become the silver lining in my life journey. I am so grateful that it happened, because it made me appreciate music and sound in a way that I hadn’t before. Every morning, I do my best to set an intention that I am going to play music as if it is the last time I get to do it. In the context of performance, I have learned to remind myself of this intention, almost as a mantra. Sometimes, I’ll even remind myself between songs. Beyond music, I’m realizing more and more that this gave me more appreciation for the finite experience of life. 

What does success mean to you as a musician and songwriter? 

You know, I think about this quite often. It’s interesting how we have the power to choose how we define it. Part of my own definition of success was to be proficient enough so that I can make my living from the songs I’ve written… I suppose that I was chasing the idea that if my songs and performance are strong enough, then it should provide enough value to the world such that I can be compensated. So, I put my career as physiotherapist on hold at the end of 2021 to have a go at that. I took any gig I could get my hands on to make the ends meet. Out of necessity, I learned to love busking because I could create more opportunities than I was getting booked for. 

I am human though, and admit that I can get caught up in the pursuit of industry success at times. However, deep in my core, I know that if I can express myself through my songs, and have a positive impact on my listeners, and grow along the way then I am a success no matter what.

What are one or two pinnacle moments for you as an artist? 

Making my first album, Jiving Nomad, back in 2019. My cousin is a multi-versed artist named Kid Koala. He helped me realize that I have all the tools to make music, and release it independently. He helped me understand the power of deadlines, and encouraged me that my best work is always ahead of me, so I just need to keep moving forward. Instilling these values into my psyche, led to me getting the job done. Prior to this, my hard drives were full of half completed songs and projects. This forever has helped give me momentum to keep committing to full-length projects. 

Crossing paths with Ed Sheeran felt like a dream. He saw me busking while he was in town for his Mathematics tour. He sent his security guard to invite me to the show, and meet him backstage beforehand. It was humbling to know that he took the time to hangout with me, and kept it real.

We chatted about the difficulty of busking, persevering through the music journey, and songwriting. I asked him if I could play a song for him. He was cool with it, handed me his guitar, and then brought me into the green room to perform for his friends and family. I played a song of mine called “Alive (The Ocean Song).” I remember looking at Ed while playing, having so much respect for him, and simultaneously feeling really confident about who I am as an artist, and what I have to offer. Before we parted ways, he grinned and told me to “keep going.” Getting Ed’s stamp of approval was quite the affirmation. The craziest part about this experience was that I had a vision that we would meet. It seemed delusional, but I thought if the vision is going to come to fruition, then I need to put myself out there. It felt like Destiny. 

What does a dream gig and/or collaboration look like to you? 

Dream gig: Honestly, I feel like gaining just enough notoriety, so that my audience can sing along to my tunes. Even if it’s just a small room. 

Dream collaboration: Okay if I let my imagination go wild: 1) Write a song with The Beatles in India… sometime between Sgt. Peppers, and Let It Be 2) Write a song with Jack Johnson on the beach in Hawaii, right after a morning surf 3) Studio day with John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, and Pharrell.

What else might you have planned for the fall and the rest of the year? 

In November, I’ll be playing at Jade Music Festival. This is a new music festival promoting Chinese-Language music. I have been learning how to sing in Mandarin and Cantonese, and infusing the languages into my songs. Later that month, I’ll be embarking on a small tour of Vancouver Island to promote Destiny to a new audience! 

I also have a live off the floor album that I cut before my tour that is currently in post production. It was recorded at Echoplant Recording Studios in Port Coquitlam, BC. It’s a combination of songs from Destiny and previous projects. It’s co-produced by Dennis Law, Kiyoshi Iio, and myself. 

Ultimately, I just want to keep writing, recording, and releasing songs, and performing as if it’s the last time I get to do it.