Overview

Hello world! My name is Lew Mckenzie and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Bronx, NY.

Since 2014, I have lent my talents and served as a session and backing musician for a variety of artists. I previously led a series of sold-out tribute performances with my 13-piece band “Erehmeta” at the renowned B.B. King Blues Club in the heart of Time Square before embarking on a solo career of his own. I am heavily influenced by the acts of Stevie Wonder, Anderson Paak, and Marvin Gaye. With my music I look to engineer a throwback sound that both sounds familiar, while paying homage to the greats of R&B, Soul, and Jazz. My latest release, “Alone” came out this past September and I am very excited to be working on new music that I can soon share with the world.

The material is ready, and the musicians are waiting -- this Plaid Dog campaign is the final step toward creating my first ever, professionally produced studio album.

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded album with Mike Davidson in Boston, MA. Mike Davidson is a seasoned Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together,  and I are digging into my original material, writing arrangements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life. 

We’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing one song, which is ready for you to check out right here on this page. This first song is called “B.O.Y. (Because of You),” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "B.O.Y. (Because of You)” on my own, to create an album of songs of this quality, studio costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign can give us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will cover the following costs of my project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts.  and I will start crafting the arrangements for each song slated for the album. We’ll hold rehearsals to fine-tune the songs and arrangements and talk through new and exciting ideas for how to approach the recording process.

2. Recording: This is when we enter the studio and start capturing the music and where the songs become what you'll hear on this album. This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances for every member of the band.

3. Mixing & Mastering: Each track will get mixed to create the right balance between instruments, texture and color that make up a track. As a final step, the album will be mastered from beginning to end so that the listening experience is cohesive and carefully choreographed from start to finish.

And what will you get for your generosity and support? So many awesome things!

I am so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, I've put together a really exciting group of gifts that are available exclusively through your participation in this campaign.

Check out the full list to the right!

It's hard to express how much this project would change my life.

Music has this incredible ability to heal people and unite people, to express feelings that help us feel connected in fundamental human ways. I am, for the first time in my life, feeling brave enough to offer my music up to my city and my community as part of that bigger picture.

Whether I am listening or creating my own, music is the driving force that moves me each and everyday. It was music that allowed me to serve as a member of Ryan Leslie's street team, marching through the concrete jungle, working events to hand out merchandise and promotional materials at network events.  Music then allowed me to intern at Blast Off Productions, where I learned the magic of production and recording in exchange for sleepless nights. I took that acquired knowledge and formed my own band and performed in front of a sold-out audience at the renowned B.B. King Blues Club. Presently, it is music that is guiding me towards the completion of my first musical project.

If you're ready to contribute, just click the "Back This Project" button on the top right of this page! Every little bit counts, and I’m so grateful for all your support.

If you have folks in your network that would be interested in supporting me, please feel free to share this page with them.

Thank you so much for checking out my campaign page. I can't wait to share this music with you.