“His Blue-Eyed Brilliance Bewitched You in Band of Brothers. It’s the Hunk from Homeland!”
The ever-charming Damian Lewis joined the legendary Chris Evans on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show in the Virgin Radio UK studio this Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 9:15 a.m. BST to chat about the electrifying second leg of his UK tour, Mission Creep Part Two! Buckle up for a conversation filled with rock and roll energy and a glimpse into the world of a Hollywood A-lister turned rockstar. Listen to the show here or watch below.
Whilst Band of Brothers star Damian Lewis has said that he appreciates it can be “quite hard” for fans to get their “head around” the fact that he is also a touring and recording musician, he has explained the “seriousness of intent” behind his craft.
The actor and musician joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with webuyanycar in the midst of an eight-date UK tour. His new dates follow the success of his first ever tour which took place throughout autumn 2023, and will see him play songs from debut album Mission Creep, as well as some new ones.
Regarding being a musician, he told Chris: “I’m having a good time, don’t get me wrong. I’m enjoying it, loving it, spending a lot of time with brilliant musicians, playing music, writing music, recording it. Every stage of it is so much fun, but there’s a seriousness of intent behind it, I guess, because if a job’s worth doing…sorry to sound like Dad…it’s worth doing well.”
He continued: “If it’s no good, you just get humiliated, so there is a sort of seriousness about it, and I’m loving that, actually, that seriousness, ‘Okay, look, we’re gonna create and present some good music here for you guys.’ So, challenging people to come and be a fan, because it’s a bit difficult. ‘Why is Major Winters singing me a love song in Basingstoke?’”
“It’s quite hard to get your head around, and I appreciate that.”
Regarding playing live, he said: “It is nerve-racking being on a big stage in front of a big crowd, holding a guitar, no question. And in fact having not played for a few months – on Friday, I got halfway through the first song, very confident, and then sort of looked down, ‘Oh god I’m playing a concert again. I’m playing in front of three hundred people,’ and my fingers just went all wobbly.
“Oh God, where’s D minor? Just please don’t forget. So that does happen momentarily.”
The musician and Billions star added: “I will still say though there is nothing in the world more nerve-racking than standing on a West End stage or at the National RSC, wherever you are, opening a play on a press night.”
After rising to prominence playing Army Major Richard Winters in Band of Brothers, Damian won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for playing Sergeant Nicholas Brody in Homeland, and nominations for his performance as Henry VIII in Wolf Hall, a role which he is reprising. However, music has always been in his bones. Talking about his first guitar, he told Chris: “My first ever one was this was just great. I was 13 and it was the Fender Squier, which they still make. So it’s the startup Fender, cheap, but fantastic. And a small little five-watt, Marshall amp. That was my setup.”
They discussed songs from Damian’s debut album, Mission Creep, which came out last year. One such song is called After Midnight, which led to a discussion about late nights, and how there are plenty of night shoots in Damian’s other profession. “You film through the night, and then the only way you can sleep at that point is this odd thing of having a beer at seven in the morning, or six in the morning,” the actor revealed. “It’s the only way you go to sleep. So you just have a little bottle of beer before you go to sleep and it knocks you out. But otherwise you’ve just sort of recharged again and you’re flying.”
One particular, much-anticipated film that the actor has recently worked on involved some late nights. “I’ve just shot a vampire movie based on the Matt Haig book, The Radleys,” he said. “So, a bit of night shooting there. You’ve got to do a bit at night with a vampire.”
The Radleys follows a family of vampires who choose not to drink blood, but when the blood-lust of their teenage children is exposed, parents Helen and Peter are forced to confront who they are, with the help (or hindrance) of Peter’s twin brother Will, who is a practicing vampire. Damian plays both Peter and Will in the film, while Kelly Macdonald from Trainspotting and Line of Duty is Helen.
The film is expected to land sometime this year. Speaking about Matt Haig, Damian said: “He’s wonderful.”
When Chris asked if he had met him, the acting star revealed: “Once, just filming.”
On the subject of vampires, Damian told Chris that meeting legendary musician Nick Cave after a gig was “one of the great moments.”
He explained: “I just said, ‘You’re amazing.’ I just said, ‘thank you’ a lot.”
Regarding what other jobs Damian has got on, he told Chris: “I’m playing Henry VIII at the moment.” Indeed, the star is set to feature alongside Mark Rylance in a Wolf Hall sequel, and talk subsequently turned to how Ray Winstone (who has also played the iconic monarch) is starring in the new Guy Ritchie Netflix series, The Gentlemen. Chris suggested that Damian would be good for a potential second series of The Gentlemen, the actor said of Ritchie: “He did ask me to do a job once and I said no, and I haven’t heard back!”
Damian revealed he has plans for a follow-up album. Speaking about albums in general, he said: “I think you can delve a bit and develop a relationship with it over time. Back in the day, we were always waiting for Friday for the new album or singles down in Our Price. And then you listen to it all weekend. We struggle to listen to albums now, because we’re handed these incredible playlists by all these DSPs but, actually, it prevents you from doing a deeper dive on on the album.
“It’s a bit like being on a dating app. Please don’t swipe left. Don’t swipe yet, just get through a few songs!” 😉
Tickets for his UK Tour Part 2 are available at damianlewismusic.com.
Source: Virgin Radio UK
Secondary Source: Virgin Radio UK