- Words Yazzi Gokcemen
- Photography Raz Azraai
With his first full album Sinematic, producer Drew Louis talks working with Drag royalty and pushing the boundaries of pop music.
“Unapologetically pop” is the rule Drew Louis lives by each time a bold new project lands in his lap. The LA-based producer has earned a hallowed reputation for this attitude, proudly broadcasted in his bio. He transforms promising records into polished perfection and, knowing everything there is to know about music’s most popular (but sometimes sniffed-at) genre, Drew is making a mark on pop culture.
Out tomorrow, the music engineer’s latest venture is a culmination of fabulous, diverse pop references and his starlit career to date. It’s an album, titled Sinematic, that Drew has been passionately working on with a close collaborator, the drag artist Trinity the Tuck.
In what has been a whirlwind couple of years, Drew has become a trusted musical correspondent to Queens. From graduating music school in 2018 to working with established acts The Gospellers and YENA, the producer went on to compose music for Drag shows where he pricked the ears of Rupaul royalty Trinity, along with Kylie Sonique and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ Joe Serafini.
Soundtracking a scene where unfettered self-expression is celebrated, Drew’s powerful hooks, infectious basslines and mood-shifting melodies propel important narratives into the mainstream. Speaking with the pop connoisseur, we hear intellectual takes on music’s most irresistible cheese and why Sinematic felt like a sign from the universe.
Do you remember the moment you fell in love with music? What was your artistic upbringing like?
Music has always been a constant. Some of the best memories I have are at concerts, or blaring songs in the car. Music has also been there at my worst moments – my brother passed away when I was ten, and naturally, I was pretty lost and confused. At that time, we had Kesha, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga dominating radio. I have extremely vivid memories of pop music bringing me out of the grief– it was a true escape. When the time came to start thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, music really was the only option. I was constantly in sessions with my band in high school, and I was in just about every possible extracurricular involving music… and I never took any honours or AP classes, so I wasn’t really setting myself up for anything else [laughs].
Sinematic has been described as “Unapologetically Pop”. Could you share with us what inspired this sound and aesthetic?
Sinematic is such a special project to me– Trinity the Tuck and I have had so many conversations about our shared love of pop music, specifically the darker pop of the 2010s like The Pussycat Dolls and Britney Spears. When she approached me to make this project with her, it was a no-brainer. Settling into the concept of Sinematic was such a magical moment, as each track is thematically linked to one of the seven deadly sins. The pop hooks centre the more horror and conceptual elements, and I think it makes for an extremely unique, yet palatable record.
You’ve already collaborated with a diverse range of artists, from The Gospellers to drag artists Trinity the Tuck & Kylie Sonique Love. How did these collaborations influence the creation of Sinematic?
Every step that I’ve taken has led me to something else… I thought that was going to come out really profound, but again, I never took any honours classes [laughs]. I started at the Los Angeles College of Music in 2018, which is where I was connected with K-Pop and J-Pop songwriter Mayu Wakisaka to co-write on The Gospellers single, ‘Loving Out Loud’. That led to multiple cuts on YENA’s mini-albums. I got thrusted into the drag world by working on Drag: The Musical with Tomas Costanza and Ash Gordon. In May 2023, Ash and I wrote the theme song for PEG’s Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon fundraiser, which led to working with Trinity the Tuck on Trinity Ruins Christmas: The Musical. To top it off, I produced ‘My Kitty’ for Amanda Tori Meating, which premiered on RuPaul’s Drag Race in January. It was a pretty wild seven months, long story short, every project I’ve done has felt like a learning curve coming into this album.
Sinematic marks your first venture into executive producing a pop album. What challenges did you face in this role, and how did you overcome them?
I’ve done a lot of pop singles, but being able to truly have a head at the table of a pop album has been one of the most fulfilling moments of my career so far. Crafting the world of Sinematic was, surprisingly, met without resistance – I do believe that the universe only gives you what you can handle at that time, and this process was the first time I’ve felt completely comfortable that my team and I could knock this out of the park.
You’ve mentioned that this album was inspired by your love for The Pussycat Dolls & Britney Spears. Can you tell us more about how these iconic acts influenced the music on Sinematic?
Last year, when Trinity and I were writing Trinity Ruins Christmas, we had many conversations on the importance of pop music, and how much energy and joy it can bring into the world. Shortly after the musical came out, Trinity hit me up to talk about the idea for a single with Jujubee… and that quickly became a full album. We were keen on making music that was truly hit-worthy, but also completely twisted. Meshing these pop legends with really dark artists like PLVTINUM, and Bludnymph really put this album in a unique spot sonically. Pairing that with the conceptual base of each song being tied to one of the sins– makes for really cool songs individually and in the context of the project.
With your background in pop production, how do you approach crafting powerful hooks and airtight production? Do you have any signature techniques or influences that shape your sound?
Oh you’re too kind! [laughs]. I am a huge fan of the greats in pop production– Max Martin, Cirkut, and everyone in that sphere. I always strive to produce music that feels as polished and perfected as those hit records. When it comes to the songwriting, I take a page out of their book- I always demand that a lyric must fit the melody, rarely the other way around. Another huge part of it is collaboration, as ego is never a friend in music creation.
One of your goals with Sinematic was to elevate the genre of drag music. What elements did you introduce or emphasise in this album to achieve that goal?
I was tasked to executive produce a pop album, and I did exactly that. With that, I got some of the most incredible writers on this project- Ash Gordon, Coen Hutton, Max Vernon, Violet Skies, Myah Marie, Sierra Cornell, and my right-hand-woman, Jayelle. While we’ve seen a lot of drag music be elevated, I wanted to keep pushing the boundary of how seriously we can take an album that happens to be sung by a drag queen. Along with Trinity being incredibly involved, we had a phenomenal team at PEG making this record feel important and loved.
You’ve worked extensively in the realm of TikTok, collaborating with artists like Jake Warden. How has the TikTok platform influenced your approach to music creation and promotion?
There’s something to be said for helping an artist find their voice- and working with influencers is very fulfilling in that regard. There’s a lot of excitement in the unknown, wondering how the audience will react to a pivot, and cracking the code as to what kind of story the fans will resonate with. Tik Tok is such an incredible way to reach new fans, and many creators and artists have taken to dominate the platform. Jake Warden is an incredible talent, and I’m really eager for the world to finally hear what he has in store. We have been hard at work making a really beautiful project.
What do you hope listeners will take away from Sinematic, what can they expect from Drew Louis in the future?
This album is at the crossroads of religion, horror, and pure pop bliss– so go dance your demons out! I’m already feeling the love for this album, and I can’t wait to see the heights that it soars to. I have a lot of exciting things lined up for the rest of this year, with a good amount of mainstream pop on the horizon.
What’s next for Drew Louis?
A whole lot of work [laughs]. But seriously, I’m really looking forward to everything for the rest of this year, with some wickedly talented new artists and exciting cuts in the works. This past year has been such a crazy turn for my career, and I am endlessly grateful to the people in my life who have opened doors for me- and now it’s time for me to run through them.