Kettle's On, Amps Humming: The Ten Records That Soundtrack Lewis Taylor's Soundcheck

There's a half-hour in every venue that nobody buys a ticket for. The doors aren't open, the lighting rig is still half-up, and someone from the local crew is taping cables to the floor while the support act's drummer tests a snare in the corner. It's the soundcheck — and for Lewis Taylor, it comes with its own soundtrack.

While the band tunes up, Lewis puts a short list of records through the front of house. It's not background noise. It's a calibration exercise: he's teaching the room how it should feel before a single note of his own music is played. We asked him to walk us through it. He did, in typically understated fashion, over a cup of tea in the venue bar.

Why the Playlist Matters More Than You'd Think

"The room tells you everything through someone else's record," Lewis explains. "If a Donny Hathaway vocal can't sit right in that space, my voice won't either. So I put on records I know inside out and listen for where the room swallows things."

It's diagnostics disguised as pleasure. Each track serves a purpose — testing low end, checking warmth, setting the band's collective mood. Here's the running order.

1. Donny Hathaway — 'A Song for You'

The opener, always. "It's the benchmark for vocal warmth," Lewis says. "If the PA makes Donny sound thin, we've got a problem before we've even plugged in." Live version, naturally — the audience noise helps him gauge how the room handles space.

2. Bill Withers — 'Let Me In Your Life'

Pacing homework. "Withers never rushes. Putting this on reminds the band that tonight's show breathes. If the lads start playing along too fast, I know we're over-caffeinated."

3. Sault — 'Strong'

The modern marker. "British, current, and it proves the system can handle low-slung groove without turning to mush. Plus it keeps us honest — this is what soul sounds like right now, in London, in 2025."

4. Stevie Wonder — 'Too Shy to Say'

"For the top end," Lewis says. "Stevie's voice sits so high and delicate that if the horns of the PA are too sharp, you hear it instantly." It's the sonic equivalent of a tailor's pin.

5. Aretha Franklin — 'Rock Steady'

A deliberate gear change. "By now everyone's a bit nervous. Aretha loosens shoulders. The rhythm section always plays along under their breath. It's my favourite half-hour of the day, honestly."

6. Terry Callier — 'Ordinary Joe'

"The storytelling test. Callier's voice is so intimate that if the mid-range is wrong, the words disappear. I want to hear every consonant from the back of the room."

7. Michael Kiwanuka — 'Solid Ground'

A peer and a friend of the British scene. "Michael's records are mixed so warm — it's like checking the room against a nice armchair. If this feels comfortable, we're getting somewhere."

8. Amy Winehouse — 'Round Midnight'

"The jazz check," says Lewis. "And a reminder of what a British voice can do with an American standard. It sets the bar for interpretation, not just sound."

9. D'Angelo — 'The Root'

"Low-end discipline. If the subs are booming on this, the whole show will sound like a car stereo. This is where we sort it out."

10. Gil Scott-Heron — 'Winter in America'

The closer, every night without fail. "It's melancholy, it's spare, and it puts everyone in the right head. Gil strips everything back to what matters. After that, there's nothing left to say — we just play."

The Ritual Behind the Records

What emerges from the list isn't just taste — it's a philosophy. Warmth first, pace second, ego nowhere. The playlist moves from intimacy to groove to quiet, mirroring the arc Lewis wants the evening to take. The soundcheck playlist is the show in miniature, played for an audience of amp hum and empty chairs.

"People think soundcheck is admin," Lewis says, packing up his guitar. "It's the first performance of the night. The room's the only one listening, so you'd better make it a good one."

Next time you're early to a Lewis Taylor gig and hear something drifting through the doors, you'll know exactly what you're eavesdropping on.