Jeffrey Lewis

Jeffrey Lewis was raised on New York's Lower East Side by loving beatnik parents. Having no television in the tenement apartment, he became a comic book fanatic before even learning how to read. A life-long love of writing and drawing comic books, both autobiographical and fantastical, found new vent when Lewis began making up songs in the winter of 97-98.

Lewis began recording homemade cassettes in 1998 and selling them, packaged in small comic books, at his soon semi-monthly shows at The Fort, home of New York's infamous Antifolk scene. Lewis's younger brother Jack began playing electric bass and contributing to the shows and tapes. Lewis's live shows currently incorporate "lo-fi folk and sci-fi punk" as well as "low budget videos" (large ragged comic books displayed to accompany songs); he cites as constant inspirations the spoken word/rap work of his uncle Professor Louie, and also experimental music collective Guitar Situations which both Jeffrey and Jack have sporadically contributed to. "Since 2001 Jeffrey has released 5 full-length albums on the Rough Trade Records label, including the 2009 album "Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard: 'Em Are I" and the 2008 album "12 Crass Songs" which was recorded at Olive Juice Studios.

Once again Manhattan-based, Jeffrey continues to produce issues of his most recent comic book series Fuff (formerly Guff)."

The Jeffrey Lewis Site

New York Times profile | Jeffrey Lewis Live session & interview in The Guardian