Bill: I was also interested, since some of my background is in writing on club dance music, how did you get connected with BT (Brian Transeau)?
Blake: Actually, it's kind of a long story. I've known him for years. I met him in 2000 when he was on tour for "Never Gonna Come Back Down." He came to Seattle, and I met him there with his DJ Tony Stewart who he's been friends with for 18-20 years. So 3 years, when Binary Universe came out, no, it was before that, when Emotional Technology came out. I opened for him and his Laptop Symphony with all my loops. My show is loop-based as well with beatbox, and I'll loop it. It's very BT-inspired. He's one of my main inspirations of all time. He's my favorite producer.
That's how we met, but he knows me as BShorty, and, when I was on American Idol, someone I was working with at 19, my management group, had worked with him. I was like "Wow, that's crazy. I opened for him. He's my favorite. It would be great if we could get him to come to the show or something. Come see the show." So they called up Brian. I wasn't in contact with him at the time. I just opened for him like 3 years ago. He was totally into it. It was great, but we didn't get to hook up after the show. He had to leave. It's crazy. Things happen for a reason, and me working with BT is just one of those.
Anyway, long story short, he was coming to the show. The reason this all came to fruition is I kept running into one of his business partners everywhere I went that was helping out with Binary Universe. So anyway about a year later I was in Best Buy or something, and I said "What's up?" He's was talking about BT, and I was like "Yo, I met you in Seattle..blah blah blah...maybe you should come to American Idol." He got there like 20 minutes too late, and they had closed the door, and they wouldn't let BT in, but Ron made it in.
So I gave Ron a DVD of my stuff, and BT checked it out, and he was like "Yo, this is the dude from Seattle." He had no idea. He doesn't watch American Idol. He knows me as BShorty. So he was coming to American Idol on this whim because some dude named Blake Lewis is playing it. He doesn't know who Blake Lewis is. He said "Yo, this is the kid from Seattle that was opening for me, and I was trying to get on my record." So, he was trying to find me out and get my information as BShorty. So he called me, like a week later, and he says "Yo, we've gotta do something."
That was right around the finale, and I had gotten second, and I was like "Cool, I've gotta get signed and get a record deal, and when it comes to doing my record..." So, yeah, we did a lot. We did like 50 gigs of music together when he came to Seattle. He hadn't been to Seattle since IMA and ESCM, and we recorded "She's Makin' Me Lose It."
Bill: So I assume there will be more work with BT in the future?
Blake: Oh yeah. We just talked yesterday, and I might go there in the beginning of January. We talked about doing a whole record together. He's one of my biggest inspirations, and the fact that my stuff inspires him is just like a dream come true. The chemistry between us writing music is instant. I love working with him, and he loves that I already do my own vocals and loves the beatboxing. I love everything he does. I've modeled my vocals after a lot of his music.
Bill: What's next for you in 2008?
Blake: Tour, tour, tour. I can't wait to get this underway with my band. Just tour, and my band will probably make a record on the road. More trip-hop, drum and bass, break-beat kind of record.
Bill: That's all I've got for now. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me.
Blake: Thank you. Thanks for asking great questions.
Interview conducted December 2007.
