Sea Lemon, a dream pop songwriter from Seattle, visited CWU to perform for SWEECY day on May 21. Performing to over 300 attendees, the lead singer, Natalie Lew, took center stage in front of Samuelson Hall leading to cheers that could be heard across campus.
Inspired by artists such as Enya, Caroline Palochek and Hatchie, Sea Lemon said she aimed for ethereal sounds using synthesizers, low bass and slow tempo.
Before performing, the artist met with students in Samuelson Hall, answering questions and taking photos. Lew, along with three other musicians, including her husband, gave insight into their musical process and background.
“I started playing guitar five years ago. I used to live in New York and was in a grunge band there–it was my first band ever. I didn’t think grunge was for me, and then I heard this artist, Hatchie, who I love. Once I heard her, I wanted to play something more akin to her,” Lew said. “I showed my band at the time, and they said no. Once the pandemic happened, I moved back to Seattle and decided that I just want to pursue what I want to pursue.”
During Sea Lemon’s performance, the band played her cover of the song “Slow Burn” by Kacey Musgraves.
“The original is kind of a country pop, but the cover that we play is kind of like slow pulp or more grunge-inspired–it’s really fun to play live. Then I went into the studio, and it was time to translate that cover into a studio version. It wasn’t feeling as freaky as I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be weirder. The studio version is definitely one of the weirder songs that I’ve put out, but the version that we do live has more of a shoegaze feel,” Lew said.
Since her debut in 2020, Sea Lemon has been climbing up the industry, first starting as a songwriter, then officially releasing her song “Close Up” in 2022. She went on stage for her first live performance under the title Sea Lemon in March of 2023.
“It’s really fun to think about how you take a song into a live environment, and it’s okay if it feels completely different. When listening to songs on Spotify or Bandcamp can feel like a different listening experience compared to seeing something or someone live,” Lew said.
Sea Lemon’s top song is titled “Eraser,” amassing over 6.2 million plays on Spotify.
