Louis III

Describe your style in three words? 
Irreverent, loud, changeable.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Kanye West’s secret gig at Koko Camden in 2015 was like nothing I’ve ever been to. My sister somehow managed to get tickets, and I got straight on a train from uni to London - everyone queued for 2hrs, and we only got let in at about 1.30am. Wu-Tang Clan, Big Sean, Vic Mensa, Skepta - Kanye brought EVERYONE out that night.

If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
Watch the Throne (Kanye and Jay-Z) and the Fugees.
The Watch the Throne album was two artists at the top of their game - I hope they do another one. 
The Fugees were one of the first groups I properly got into. I loved how they used Samples like Enya on ‘Ready or Not’. Wyclef Jean and Lauren Hill worked so well together in a group; they’re both absolute geniuses. The energy you see the group had when they performed was electric.

Which subcultures have influenced you? 
Punk, hip-hop, rave, skinhead, garage. I love elements of all of those subcultures. They all have such distinctive aesthetics and have contributed a lot to popular culture today in their own ways. I love the old school creepers punks used to wear, been wearing them a lot recently, and then when it comes to Hip-Hop subculture, I think the look of oversized bombers and t-shirts is sick.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
David Bowie. He was a visionary, consistently ahead of his time with every way he expressed his art. I bet he would have some jokes stories to tell. It felt like something had left the planet when he died.

Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?  
The Scotch of St James. It feels so old school in there, has a really intimate vibe and a lot of history. I’m so happy I got to do my debut live show there. Jimi Hendrix used to play there a lot which is cool.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Eva Cassidy. She only really rose to stardom and had her music recognised after she died so young. Fields of Gold is my dad’s favourite song. Her voice sounds like happiness and sadness at the same time it’s crazy.

South Londoner Louis III draws influences from the music he grew up with. Through his parent’s record collection he discovered the like of Bob Marley, Leonard Cohen, and BB King. Louis fuses these with more modern sounds inspired by credible beat-driven pop he listens to today (The XX, Frank Ocean, Kanye West, Major Lazer, and Drake) creating his own unique style.