LEWNATIC

LEWNATIC415 is a virtual-based punk rock band that was created by Patrick Lew Hayashi, who is best known for his indie music career and his work with the Patrick Lew Band and TheVerse. He is also an online content creator, mainly on his YouTube channel.

Born to a Chinese father and Japanese mother of mixed descent, Patrick began playing guitar at age 13 when his cousin Andy was living with his family while studying at a community college as an International Student. He began his indie music career in 2001, playing guitar and singing in his high school band, which later would evolve into the Patrick Lew Band. Patrick is also a moderately known influencer, having been making YouTube videos online since 2007 at age 21.

In July 2019, during the second year of Patrick Lew Band’s (PLB) hiatus, Patrick began brainstorming ideas to go “back-to-basics” with his music as a solo artist. After parting ways with his previous band amicably, Patrick started Lewnatic as a personal solo recording project. And quickly began performing under the LEWNATIC banner once-a-month at DNA Lounge in San Francisco until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

The band’s name Lewnatic is a spoonerism of Patrick’s father’s surname and “Lunatic.”

For the next two years, Patrick returned to performing, recording and live-streaming webcasts with the Bay Area band that made him sort of famous globally with his fictitious cousin (in reality, his alter-ego), Madeline Lew, with the Patrick Lew Band. Embarking on their most prolific stage as artists. By this point, the Patrick Lew Band began receiving recognition and exposure worldwide and online. As bloggers and curators began writing about PLB more positively and they began putting Patrick Lew Band’s music more out there to the public.

By the end of 2022, PLB was put on hold as Patrick mainly put most of his energy and focus with the Lewnatic project.

Lewnatic would eventually return from hiatus in early 2022, as COVID-19 pandemic began winding down considerably and quietly in the San Francisco Bay Area. He began working with his booking agents Afton Shows again. The band Lewnatic once again performed live music at DNA Lounge on February 20, 2022.

Lewnatic is intended as the touring and live-streaming spin-off related to the Patrick Lew Band. Alongside, a touring and live-stream concert experiment as a solo artist. Whereas, with PLB, due to sophisticated nature such as the technical inability to present Madeline Lew's likeness onstage, and other complicated myriad of reasons backstage, cannot tour or perform live.

The band’s live setup and tech rider is based on minimalism and convenience when traveling with Patrick’s guitar rig. Instead of bringing his 50 watt Marshall amp and lots of gear in an Uber ride to venues he’s booked to perform for the evening, most of Lewnatic’s live gear is based off a virtual guitar amp and backing tracks on Patrick’s laptop. Alongside, an inexpensive audio DI box and Fender Telecaster.

As a live musical act, the band Lewnatic performs a mix of PLB and spontaneously rearranged performances of Lewnatic's material. The band Lewnatic makes sure that every one of their live-stream or onstage performances are not exact replicas of their albums on CD.

During the end of March 2022, Lewnatic began recording their second album Strictly Prohibited at their home studio in San Francisco. On one of the new upcoming tracks “As Gritty As I Want To Be,” Patrick’s relative Madeline Lew makes a guest appearance as a lead singer. The music creation for the entire album was finished in less than a week reportedly, and was released worldwide in April 2022 on Spotify, Apple Music and everywhere else.

On July 19, 2022, Lewnatic signed a 1-year record contract with Bentley Records. LEWNATIC released their first album under a record label (and their third LP) titled Rapid Fire worldwide tentatively on August 19, 2022! Featuring six all-new guitar-based instrumental rock compositions with a strong CITY POP and Anime-like theme. The album was briefly promoted by both Bentley Records and Patrick Lew himself on social-media.

On August 28, 2022, Lewnatic live-streamed directly through Patrick Lew Hayashi’s YouTube channel, performing two rearranged songs off Patrick Lew Band’s 2022 EP Pariah Vol. 2 (“Are You Down With Me” and “Love Yourself”). Another virtual concert on his YouTube channel commenced a month later, where Lewnatic live-streamed a cover of the Elvis Presley song That’s All Right Mama.

Most of my Lewnatic’s virtual concerts are pre-recorded on Patrick’s 2017/18 iPad or his iPhone 13 PRO. And edited on iMovie on his old laptop before being posted online. The band’s colleague and friend James Conrad also handles videography and photography for the solo project locally in San Francisco.

On September 24, 2022, Lewnatic filmed an MV for their first single off their album Rapid Fire in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The music video world premiered in mid-October, and amassed a decent number of views on YouTube. The MV for their single We The People served as a #StopAsianHate and #BLM anthem during the post-pandemic aftermath affecting minorities in the United States. Two more live-stream performances followed at PLB HQ (Patrick Lew’s personal rehearsal space) in San Francisco that month also.

Two more mini-albums (EPs) followed during 2023, the 70's rock inspired Getcha Mood On Right and the critically acclaimed circa 1992 reminiscent hard rock and grungy gem, The Lost Souls. During 2023, Lewnatic performed a few live-stream performances on Patrick's YouTube channel. And also, performed and were interviewed extensively for Luke Sauer's podcast at San Francisco's Edge Studios streamed worldwide on Memorial Day.

Lewnatic currently remains a solo project for Patrick Lew Hayashi, as there are no other members onstage and in the home studio with him. Patrick Lew Hayashi boldly describes Lewnatic, “a one-man rock and roll machine.” The musical arrangements are very simple and straight-forward, Patrick plays guitar and occasionally raps/sings. And he handles the backing tracks and beats on his old laptop like a DJ.

The main motives for doing the band Lewnatic is to have fun, play heavy music and not take life and music in general so seriously. And the occasional punk rock show, whether it be a webcast or at the local dive bar! Expect more from the Sino-Japanese rock and roll pariah and icon himself. The Lewnatic is coming to town!