Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage

'Weird? Very... but also downright inspiring"'
**** - Rolling Stone

'Jeffrey Lewis is an amazing musician, and if you don’t know his songs you probably have a hole in your heart that can only be filled by his words… I did!'
Regina Spektor

The mind-spinning indie-rock/folk/art of Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage developed when songwriter and comic book artist Jeffrey Lewis began recording homemade cassettes in New York City in 1998; his critically acclaimed, unusual and word-dense songs lead to Jeffrey signing to Rough Trade Records in 2001 (record label of The Smiths, The Strokes, Belle & Sebastian, etc.), and the project evolved into a live touring cult sensation around the world. Creating a brilliant style of scuzzy urban indie-rock-folk, like a 21st Century mash-up of Sonic Youth, Pete Seeger and R. Crumb, Jeffrey’s band has played countless gigs all over the world, including playing as the opening act for icons like the Mountain Goats, Daniel Johnston, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Dinosaur Jr, The Fall, Dr. Dog, Pulp, Roky Erickson, The Vaselines, and more.

Their most recent official album is “Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage: Bad Wiring” released on Don Giovanni Records (USA) and Moshi Moshi Records (internationally) in November 2019 (garnering rave reviews), but Jeffrey has also digitally self-released four DIY albums from his apartment since the pandemic started. With or without bandmates Jeffrey continues to wring folksy spiel and garage bohemianism from his ramshackle guitar, while incorporating his often politically subversive visual artwork and cartoons into live appearances. Some of these audio/visual projects have been hosted by the History Channel website, such as “The Story of Sitting Bull,” a Jeffrey Lewis illustrated song which won a Webby Award in 2011 for “Best Writing on the Internet.” Jeffrey's “The Story of Keith Haring” was commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art in 2021.

As of 2024 the 4-piece line-up of Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage includes Mallory Feuer on violin and keyboard, Kait Pelkey on bass and Brent Cole on drums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIRIvBecs2Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3urXygZXb74

Press:

'Hands down my favorite contemporary songwriter.'
Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie)

'Jeffrey is the best pure songwriter I know of... 'Sad Screaming Old Man’… is one of my favorite songs ever written.'
David Berman (Silver Jews)

'Ramshackle and beautiful noise… Lou Reed’s natural successor as punk poet of the New York streets.'
Louder Than War

'Bizarre but brilliant'
Uncut

'Dazzling'
Mojo

'Jeffrey is the only artist I've sent fan mail to.'
Jens Lekman

'Really great and impressive and inspiring and exciting... There's not a lot of people that can tell a story and use language like that in music.'
Will Oldham
        

Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage have more or less perfected a scuzzy and urban style of indie-folk - a 21st Century mash-up of Pete Seeger, R. Crumb and Sonic Youth.

A born and raised New Yorker, Lewis has been hard at work in the underground music and art world since the turn of the century - touring throughout the world and releasing eight acclaimed albums on the record labels Rough Trade and Don Giovanni. He is also a widely respected comics artist who self-publishes a comic book series called "Statics".

On stage Lewis is backed by his band the Voltage, including long-time collaborators Brent Cole (drums) and Mem Pahl (bass) as well as recent addition Mallory Feuer (violin and keys). The spectacular full-length Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage album "Bad Wiring" was recorded in Nashville, TN with producer Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo) and was released November 1, 2019.