Rising British recording artist Louis III is fast carving out a stellar reputation in the world of pop, with his candid, beat driven, alternative/soul inspired sound striking a chord with a new wave of free-thinking, young adults (all) looking to find their place in this often crazy, and chaotic world.
Hailing from Croydon, South London, the accomplished singer-songwriter draws influence from the culture clash of sounds he grew up around – most notably Bob Marley, Tracy Chapman, Major Lazer, and Frank Ocean – to create a unique musical style of his own, that in recent years has won praise from the likes of 1Xtra, i-D, Wonderland, and High Snobiety.
Louis III x Sweat
Having hit it big on TikTok with his reworking of popular tracks, alongside his own original work, 2022 saw Louis sell out his headline show at The Old Blue Last in 6 weeks, feature on YouNotUs’ summer hit ‘Samba’ (which to date has amassed more 19M streams on Spotify), participate in TikTok’s ‘find the unsigned’ artist billboard campaign, and appear in a media campaign with streetwear giant Adidas.
Away from music the ‘Sad On Sundays’ singer admits he is keen to explore the fashion world, after being handpicked by the late Virgil Abloh to feature in the Louis Vuitton SS20 Men’s show at Paris Fashion week alongside artists including Dev Hynes/Blood Orange and Evan Mock.
We caught up with Louis III for the latest edition of our ‘My London’ interview series.
Favourite neighbourhood:
Do you know what, there honestly are so many different neighbours I love in this city! If I’m being sentimental than I would have to say Croydon, because that’s where I grew up and so that’s where my heart is. If I’m going out then Shoreditch by Red Church Street, and if I’m walking then De Beauvoir… which is the most bouji-iest place in the world and I love it (laughs) it’s like being transported to a different era.
Favourite place for brunch:
I don’t actually go for brunch that much! But if I had to, then I would say one of the little cafes in Stoke Newington because I like the vibe there… or Eggslut! They do some great sandwiches.
Best coffee in London:
I don’t really have a specific place I go to to get my coffee. I’m a big supporter of independent coffee shops, and because there are so many great ones dotted around the city I’m always discovering new places while I’m out and about.
Favourite gallery or museum:
Its got to be the V&A, I absolutely love it there! I recently went to see the ‘Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear’ exhibition which was incredible – they had the most phenomenal pieces on display!
Tell us a secret:
I hadn’t brushed my teeth yet today!
Favourite place to shop:
Dover Street Market. It’s such a beautiful store, and they have all of my favourite brands! I literally have to re-mortgage my place every time I go… I mean I don’t actually have a mortgage, but you understand what I saying (laughs). I absolutely love buying new clothes, so shopping for me is a bit of an act of self-care – it’s important to treat yourself every once in a while right? I don’t like to be too greedy or reckless though, so I have a rule where if I hadn’t worn something in two years, I give it to charity.
Favourite place to find inspiration:
I often find I’m most inspired when I’m away from home, and out of the country… no offence to London or anything (laughs). I just find myself going into a really creative space when I’m in a new place – there’s something about being surrounded by a totally different culture that inspires me. It’s not something you can force though, so if ever I’m looking for inspiration, it never finds me – I’m most receptive to new ideas when I’m not actively searching for them.
Best London destination for a date:
I think Upper Street around Angel is a really good place to go to on a first date because it’s not as intense or busy as somewhere like Shoreditch or Soho. The vibe is pretty relax, and it’s actually a cool area to walk around, which means you have the opportunity to get to know your date a little bit better. There are loads of good places to call into for either a drink or some food as well… depending on how it’s going (laughs).
Favourite park:
I used to live in Burgess Park… and I hated it (laughs) and up until 2 weeks ago I lived near Caledonian Park, which has this really old but beautifully symmetric clock tower right in the centre of it, so I’d say that’s probably my favourite. It’s quite small and not that well known, but it’s a really nice, relaxing place to hang out. It was super busy during lockdown, and it got a little rowdy at times but thankfully things calmed down once all of the social distancing restrictions were lifted.
Favourite food market:
I’m torn between either Spitalfields or Broadway… I really like both, but I’m going to go for Spitalfields because it’s covered, and that’s very important when you live in the U.K. because chances are whenever you want to visit a food market, it’s going to be rain, and speaking from experience, walking around one of those places when it’s cold and wet, isn’t fun (laughs).
Your sanctuary in the city:
Ok so this is going to sound so lame but, I think it’s the gym! Mainly because it’s the one hour in my day where I can totally switch off from everything I have going on, and focus on nothing but the thoughts in my brain, and I guess my body as well. I love having that time away from work and my phone, and just sort of getting lost in whatever I’m doing during that session… I hope people reading this aren’t rolling their eyes right now (laughs).
What inspires you?
I’d say it’s a lot of the personal relationships I have in my life that inspire me the most. Conversations, interactions or maybe just those tiny, little seemingly insignificant moments that you think nothing of as they’re happening, they can often be the times that turn out to be the most insightful and inspiring. Also just thinking about how weird we are as human beings – don’t you think our existence on this planet is mad sometimes? Here we are all, searching for happiness, love and connection, but yet none of us really know what we’re doing do we? What’s that about? (Laughs).
This season I’m loving…
I am the biggest fantasy fan! I’ve read all of the Game Of Thrones books, and Fire & Blood, and I am obsessed with House Of Dragons! I know this is going to make me sound very sad, but I listen to this podcast called ‘The Ringer-Verse’ where they do a 3-hour deep dive after episode has aired and I LOVE IT! So yeah, this season, and every season, I’m loving fantasy!
