Twin Shadow

Lewis was born March 30, 1983{{cite web|last=Bermingham|first=Finbarr|url=http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/features/302244-twin_shadow_born_in_80s|publisher=The Skinny|access-date=September 27, 2012|title=Twin Shadow: Born in the 80s}} in the Dominican Republic and raised in Florida. His first exposure to music was singing in his church choir.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Around 2000, he moved to Boston and started the band Mad Man Films alongside Joseph Ciampini (drums) (of Hooray for Earth) and Zak Longo (bass) of Before Lazers. Mad Man Films released two records independently. In 2006, not satisfied with recording music for theatre and films, Lewis moved to Brooklyn, New York, and started the Twin Shadow project.

Lewis's debut album, Forget, was released on November 15, 2010, on Terrible Records. It was produced by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear.{{Cite web|url=http://www.4ad.com/news/10/9/2010/twinshadowjoins4addebutalbumforgetoutnovember15|title=The official website for independent record label 4AD.|website=4AD|access-date=January 10, 2018}}

Forget received critical acclaim, appearing on numerous "album of the year" lists, including Pitchfork (#26){{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/7893-the-top-50-albums-of-2010/?page=3|title=The Top 50 Albums of 2010 {{!}} Pitchfork|website=Pitchfork|date=December 16, 2010|access-date=January 10, 2018}} and Stereogum (#32).{{Cite news|url=https://www.stereogum.com/593442/stereogums-top-50-albums-of-2010/franchises/listomania/|title=Stereogum's Top 50 Albums of 2010|date=December 8, 2010|work=Stereogum|access-date=January 10, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1992-twin-shadow-forget.php|title=Twin Shadow – Forget|work=Album of the Year|access-date=January 10, 2018}} It has been described as "steeped in 1980s new wave", "building from streaks of haunting synth textures",{{cite web|last=Drever|first=Ryan|title=Twin Shadow – Forget|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15819/reviews/4141539/|work=Drowned in Sound|access-date=December 2, 2010|date=November 18, 2010|archive-date=November 23, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123122907/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15819/reviews/4141539|url-status=dead}} having "sophisticated melodies", "R&B intimacy", and "poetic lyrics",{{cite web|last=Berg|first=Jeffery|title=Twin Shadow – The New New New Wave|url=http://frontpsych.com/2010/11/22/twin-shadow-the-new-new-new-wave|access-date=December 2, 2010|date=November 22, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523154425/http://frontpsych.com/2010/11/22/twin-shadow-the-new-new-new-wave/|archive-date=May 23, 2011}} and "hazily new wave-tinged pop".{{cite web|last=Wright|first=Lisa|title=Twin Shadow – Forget|url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/twin-shadow/11717|work=NME|access-date=December 2, 2010|date=November 12, 2010}} Twin Shadow was Rolling Stone{{'}}s Band of the Week on October 7, 2010.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/band-of-the-week-twin-shadow-20101007|title=Band of the Week: Twin Shadow|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=October 7, 2010|author=Greene, Andy|access-date=November 18, 2015}}

File:Twin Shadow at Lincoln Hall.jpg

On July 10, 2012, Lewis released his follow-up album, Confess, which he produced himself. He gained inspiration for the album after being involved in a motorcycle accident in Boston.{{cite web|last=Fitzmaurice|first=Larry|title=Twin Shadow – Interview|website=Pitchfork |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/8882-twin-shadow/|access-date=July 9, 2012|date=July 5, 2012}} Two of the album's songs, "Five Seconds" and "Patient", were transformed into a music video saga that drew inspiration from Lewis's 2012 novel, The Night of the Silver Sun.{{cite web|last=Minsker|first=Evan|title=Video: Twin Shadow: "Patient"|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/47112-video-twin-shadow-patient/|work=Pitchfork|access-date=September 6, 2012|date=July 10, 2012}} The A.V. Club described the record as "filled with Morrissey-esque yelps and Human League-worthy choruses, [...] Twin Shadow manages to digest his influences rather than simply replicate them. Confess retains the humid fog that saturated Forget, but the instrumentation is brighter, louder, and sharper. Synthesizers punch through the atmosphere, and Lewis' exquisite croon floats above it all."{{cite web|last=Eby|first=Margaret|url=https://www.avclub.com/twin-shadow-confess-1798173441|title=Review: Twin Shadow: Confess|publisher=The A.V. Club|date=July 10, 2012|access-date=March 18, 2015}}

Confess debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 54, and on the Top Rock Albums chart at No. 18. It had sold 30,000 copies in the US as of March 2015.{{cite magazine|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150314222707/http://hitsdailydouble.com/new_album_releases |archive-date= March 14, 2015 |url=http://hitsdailydouble.com/new_album_releases |title=Upcoming Releases |magazine=Hits Daily Double |publisher=HITS Digital Ventures }}

After criticising his own work for being too elitist,{{cite magazine|last1=Wilson|first1=Carl|title=Album Review: Twin Shadow Clears the Electronic Fog on Major-Label Debut 'Eclipse'|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/6502363/twin-shadow-eclipse-album-review|magazine=Billboard|access-date=March 19, 2015}} Lewis set out to create a more approachable album, which he named Eclipse.{{cite web|last1=Leas|first1=Ryan|title=Q&A: Twin Shadow on Eclipse, Signing to Warner Bros., & Indie Vs. Pop|url=http://www.stereogum.com/1731948/qa-twin-shadow-on-eclipse-signing-to-warner-bros-indie-vs-pop/franchises/interview|website=Stereogum|date=January 27, 2015|access-date=March 19, 2015|quote=I know that that can appeal to what people call an 'indie audience.' Or right now, making something that's minimal and R&B would be appealing to an indie audience. I understand those games very well. But I try not to make music in the shadow of that knowledge, you know? My ambition is to get as many people to hear my music as possible. If that makes me 'pop,' then that makes me pop.}} It was his first with a major record label, Warner Music. Carl Wilson of Billboard magazine noted that Twin Shadow had left behind much of his "foggy layers of synths and drum machines", reminiscent of the likes of Depeche Mode and Simple Minds, in favor of a more contemporary sound.

Eclipse is also noted for being a near-complete departure from guitar-playing, a conscious decision by Lewis, according to a Pitchfork interview in January 2015.{{cite web|last1=Cohen|first1=Ian|title=Twin Shadow|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/update/9575-twin-shadow|website=Pitchfork|date=January 8, 2015 |access-date=March 19, 2015}}

The track "To the Top" was featured in the trailer for the film Paper Towns.{{cite magazine|last1=Strecker|first1=Erin|title=Twin Shadow, Mikky Ekko Soundtrack 'Paper Towns' Trailer|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6509166/paper-towns-trailer-john-green-watch|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 18, 2015}}

On April 17, 2015, Twin Shadow and his band and crew were involved in a tour bus crash.[http://www.avclub.com/article/twin-shadows-tour-bus-was-accident-two-people-rema-218302 Twin Shadow's tour bus crashes], avclub.com. Retrieved November 18, 2015. The driver, John Crawford, and drummer Andy Bauer were hospitalized and in serious condition. Lewis underwent reconstructive hand surgery following the accident.{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2015/08/23/433462831/after-a-harrowing-bus-accident-twin-shadow-is-back-in-the-saddle|title=After A Harrowing Bus Accident, Twin Shadow Is Back In The Saddle|publisher=NPR|access-date=January 10, 2018}}

On July 28, 2015, Twin Shadow released the Night Rally mixtape for free online, in conjunction with the announcement of tour by the same name.{{Cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/premiere-night-rally-twin-shadow-57a206d0c3dc34e02f8416a4/|title=We Catch Up with Twin Shadow, Plus Download His New Mixtape 'Night Rally' for Free|date=July 28, 2015|work=Noisey|access-date=January 10, 2018}} Due to Bauer's severe injuries from the April bus crash, the band retooled the songs in the live set, with samples and a drum machine to keep time. Twin Shadow toured the United States and Canada and opened a portion of Death Cab for Cutie's US tour.{{Cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/59155-death-cab-for-cutie-add-dates-with-explosions-in-the-sky-twin-shadow-and-best-coast|title=Death Cab for Cutie Add Dates with Explosions in the Sky, Twin Shadow, and Best Coast {{!}} Pitchfork|website=Pitchfork|date=April 7, 2015|access-date=January 10, 2018}}

Night Rally consists of recordings from 2010 to 2014. During his convalescence in Los Angeles following the bus crash, Lewis began to look through old hard drives. He left a message under the mixtape on SoundCloud, expressing how his discovery gave him a glimpse into the past five years:

The more I dug, the more I realized how much music was made in the last 5 years. Being home, I had the time and perspective to enjoy all the little impulses, embarrassing choices, and exciting moments that I couldn't bottle. There were also some songs that I couldn't understand why I never finished".{{Cite web|url=http://www.twinshadow.net/news/download-free-night-rally-mixtape-19286|title=Download the free Night Rally mixtape — Twin Shadow Latest News|website=twinshadow.net|access-date=2018-01-10}}

Twin Shadow released his fourth studio album, Caer, on April 27, 2018, which was his final album with Warner Bros. On October 26, 2018, he launched his own label, Cheree Cheree, with the release of the single "Hollow Days", which incorporates the bachata sounds of his birthplace, the Dominican Republic. An EP titled Broken Horses was issued on December 26, 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/listen-to-twin-shadows-new-song-broken-horses/|title=Listen to Twin Shadow's New Song "Broken Horses"|website=Pitchfork|date=December 26, 2018|access-date=January 3, 2019}}

Twin Shadow released his fifth, self-titled studio album on July 9, 2021, on his own label, Cheree Cheree. According to a press release quoted by Paste magazine, the record "represents Lewis' biggest sonic shift to date and finds the artist reexamining the cherished sounds of the golden era of soul and punk that were part of his musical upbringing and embracing his Dominican heritage, recording portions of the album at FAMA Studios in the Dominican Republic".{{Cite news|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/twin-shadow/twin-shadow-new-self-titled-album-get-closer/|title=Twin Shadow Announces New Self-Titled Album, Shares 'Get Closer'|date=May 21, 2021|work=Paste|access-date=June 16, 2021}}

In 2012, Lewis published a novel titled The Night of the Silver Sun.{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/47366-read-an-excerpt-from-twin-shadows-novel|title=Read an Excerpt from Twin Shadow's Novel|website=Pitchfork|date=August 2, 2012|access-date=March 18, 2015}}

Fashion is a notable interest for Lewis, as chronicled by The New York Times, who stated that he is "giving Kanye West a run for his money as the music world's leading fashion dilettante".{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/fashion/twin-shadow-rock-fashion-aspirations.html|title=Twin Shadow's Rock Fashion Aspirations|last=Kurutz|first=Steven|date=October 16, 2015|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 10, 2018|issn=0362-4331}} Twin Shadow was a featured musician in Levi's "Live in Levi's" ad campaign.{{Cite web|last=Levi's|title=Twin Shadow {{!}} The Live in Levi's Project|website=YouTube |date=February 1, 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHYSXRZmOxU|access-date=January 10, 2018}} Since 2010, he has served as a muse and composer for Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osbourne, the designers of the CFDA-award-winning fashion line "Public School".{{Cite news|url=https://www.gq.com/story/gqa-twin-shadow-talks-being-a-muse-to-public-school|title=GQ+A: Twin Shadow Talks Being a Muse to Public School|last=Sullivan|first=Eric|date=February 18, 2015|work=GQ|access-date=January 10, 2018}} In 2015, Twin Shadow composed the music for their spring/summer 2015 and spring/summer 2016 runway shows, which took place during New York Fashion Week. In addition to composing music for Public School, Lewis has modeled for the clothing brand, both on and off the runway.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/14/t-magazine/how-public-school-turned-george-lewis-jr-into-a-model.html|title=How Public School Turned George Lewis Jr. Into a Model|last=Reese|first=Nathan|date=July 14, 2015|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 10, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}

{{div col}}

• Broken Horses (2018)

• Night Rally (2015)

{{div col end}}

{{div col}}

• "Yellow Balloon" (2010)
• "Castles in the Snow" (2010)
• "I Can't Wait" (2010)
• "Slow" (2010)
• "At My Heels" (2010)
• "Changes"{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/44015-listen-to-twin-shadows-new-single/ |title=Listen to Twin Shadow's New Single |work=Pitchfork |date=September 15, 2011 |access-date=March 18, 2015}} (non-album single, 2011)
• "Five Seconds" (2012)
• "Patient" (2012)
• "The One" (Live on KCRW){{cite web|url=http://www.4ad.com/releases/21774 |title=The One (Live on KCRW) by Twin Shadow |publisher=4AD.com |date=December 10, 2012 |access-date=March 18, 2015}} (2012)
• "Old Love / New Love"{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/16043-old-lovenew-love/ |title=Twin Shadow: "Old Love/New Love" |work=Pitchfork |date=September 16, 2013 |access-date=March 18, 2015}} featuring D'Angelo Lacy (2013)
• "To the Top" (2014)
• "Turn Me Up" (2015)
• "I'm Ready" (2015)
• "Saturdays" featuring Haim (2018)
• "Little Woman" (2018)
• "Brace" featuring Rainsford (2018)
• "Hollow Days" (non-album single, 2018)
• "Only for the Broken-Hearted" (non-album single, 2019)
• "Truly" (non-album single, 2019)
• "Crushed" (non-album single, 2019)
• "Slave" (non-album single, 2020)
• "Johnny & Jonnie" (2021)
• "Alemania" (2021)
• "Get Closer" (2021)
• "Sugarcane / Lonestar" (2021)

{{div col end}}

{{More citations needed|date=April 2022}}

{{div col}}

• Neon Indian – "Psychic Chasms" (cover, 2009)
• Bear in Heaven – "Lovesick Teenagers" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2009)
• Hooray for Earth – "Surrounded by Your Friends" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2010)
• Surfer Blood – "Floating Vibes" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2010)
• N.E.R.D. feat. Daft Punk – "Hypnotize Remix" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2010)
• Gypsy & the Cat – "Jona Vark Remix" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2010)
• Oh Land – "White Nights" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2011)
• Lady Gaga – "Born This Way" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2011)
• Wim – "See You Hurry" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2011)
• Flume (musician) – "Sleepless" (featuring Twin Shadow, 2012){{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/52645-flume-details-mixtape-featuring-ghostface-killer-mike-twin-shadow-how-to-dress-well-autre-ne-veut-more|title=Flume Details Mixtape Featuring Ghostface, Killer Mike, Twin Shadow, How to Dress Well, Autre Ne Veut|work=Pitchfork|date=October 15, 2013|access-date=March 18, 2015}}
• Neon Indian – "Hex Girlfriend" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2013){{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/45625-listen-twin-shadow-remixes-neon-indian|title=Listen: Twin Shadow Remixes Neon Indian|work=Pitchfork|date=March 5, 2012|access-date=March 18, 2015}}
• Goldfrapp – "Thea" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2013)
• MS MR – "Hurricane" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2013)
• Sky Ferreira – "Everything Is Embarrassing" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2013)
• SKATERS – "Deadbolt" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2013)
• Haim – "Edge" (co-writer, 2013){{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/52549-listen-haim-edge-co-written-with-twin-shadow|title=Listen: Haim: "Edge" (Co-Written with Twin Shadow)|work=Pitchfork|date=October 4, 2013|access-date=March 18, 2015}}
• Zeds Dead – "Somewhere Else" (featuring Twin Shadow, 2014){{cite web|last=Breihan|first=Tom|url=http://www.stereogum.com/1683019/zeds-dead-twin-shadow-lost-you/mp3s|title=Zeds Dead & Twin Shadow – "Lost You"|date=May 22, 2014|publisher=Stereogum.com|access-date=March 18, 2015}}
• Transviolet- "Girls Your Age" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2015)
• Big Data (music project) – "Perfect Holiday" (featuring Twin Shadow, 2015){{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/58373-rivers-cuomo-teams-with-big-data-for-snowed-in|title=Rivers Cuomo Teams with Big Data for "Snowed In": Big Data's album 2.0 features Twin Shadow, Jamie Lidell, Kimbra, Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner|work=Pitchfork|date=February 9, 2015|access-date=April 15, 2015}}
• Zeds Dead – "Stardust" (featuring Twin Shadow, 2016)
• Alt-J Feat. Pusha-T – "In Cold Blood" (Twin Shadow Remix, 2017)
• Rainsford – "Intentions" (featuring Twin Shadow, 2018)

{{div col end}}

In 2013, Twin Shadow launched the UNDER THE CVRS series, in which he covers requested songs from various artists.

• "I'm Not in Love" (10cc) August 2013{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/51941-watch-twin-shadow-covers-10ccs-im-not-in-love|title=Watch: Twin Shadow Covers 10cc's "I'm Not in Love"|work=Pitchfork|date=August 16, 2013|access-date=March 18, 2015}}
• "I'm on Fire" (Bruce Springsteen) September 2013{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/52166-watch-twin-shadow-covers-bruce-springsteens-im-on-fire|title=Watch: Twin Shadow Covers Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire"|work=Pitchfork|date=September 5, 2013|access-date=March 18, 2015}}
• "Silent All These Years" (Tori Amos) September 2013{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/52445-watch-twin-shadow-covers-tori-amos-silent-all-these-years|title=Watch: Twin Shadow Covers Tori Amos' "Silent All These Years"|work=Pitchfork|date=September 26, 2013|access-date=March 18, 2015}}
• "Perfect Day" (Lou Reed) October 2013{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/52804-watch-twin-shadow-covers-lou-reeds-perfect-day|title=Watch Twin Shadow Cover Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" |work=Pitchfork|date=October 28, 2013|access-date=March 18, 2015}}{{dead link||date=January 2025}}
• "With or Without You" (U2) November 2013
• "Cupid" (112) January 2014
• "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (The Smiths) February 2014

In 2013, Lewis appeared as a fictional version of himself in the video game Grand Theft Auto V as a DJ for the in-game radio station Radio Mirror Park.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.spin.com/2013/09/twin-shadow-old-love-new-love-grand-theft-auto-5/|title=Twin Shadow Gets Drilled on 'GTA 5' Song 'Old Love/New Love'|magazine=Spin|date=September 13, 2013|author=Reilly, Dan|access-date=November 18, 2015}} His songs "Shooting Holes", "Forget", and "Old Love / New Love", a track he made specifically for the video game, were featured on the station.{{cite news|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/57496-grand-theft-auto-v-reveals-expanded-radio-station-tracklists-for-game-relaunch/ |title=Grand Theft Auto V Reveals Expanded Radio Station Tracklists for Game Relaunch |work=Pitchfork|date=November 17, 2014 |access-date=November 18, 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/52352/gtav-soundtrack-listen-to-original-new-songs-added-from |title=GTAV Soundtrack: Listen to Original New Songs Added from Flying Lotus, Jamie Lidell, Freddie Gibbs and More |author=R* A |work=Rockstar Newswire |publisher=Rockstar Games |date=November 20, 2014 |access-date=November 23, 2014 }}

He made his feature film debut in the 2018 science fiction action Western film Future World.

• Conan

:Episode #1,183 (July 10, 2018) (song performed: "Saturdays"){{Cite web|url=https://teamcoco.com/schedule/2018-07-09|title=Team Coco|website=Teamcoco.com|access-date=July 14, 2021}}

• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

:Episode #1.435 (2011) (song performed: "Castles in the Snow"){{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4446382|title=Twin Shadow|publisher=IMDb|access-date=March 18, 2015}}

• Conan

:Episode #578 (June 3, 2014) (song performed: "To the Top"){{cite web|url=http://thetwinshadow.tumblr.com/post/87707882070/tonight-we-meet-the-man-the-myth-the-legend-coco|title=Tonight we meet the man the myth the legend|publisher=Thetwinshadow.tumblr.com |date=June 3, 2014|access-date=March 18, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://thetwinshadow.tumblr.com/post/87707863715/tryin-on-my-late-night-legs|title=Tryin on my late night legs | Twin Shadow|publisher=Thetwinshadow.tumblr.com|date=June 3, 2014|access-date=March 18, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://teamcoco.com/schedule/2014-06-02|title=Conan Show Guests Schedule: June 2–5, 2014|publisher=Teamcoco.com|date=June 2, 2014|access-date=March 18, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://teamcoco.com/music/twin-shadow|title=Twin Shadow|publisher=Teamcoco.com|date=December 31, 1969|access-date=March 18, 2015}}

:Season 22 Episode No. 27 (Tuesday, February 17, 2015) (song performed:"Turn Me Up")

• Late Show with David Letterman{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4443706/|title=Late Show with David Letterman: Season 22, episode 96: Dakota Johnson/David Tochinskiy/Twin Shadow|date=February 17, 2015|publisher=IMDb|access-date=March 18, 2015}}
• Late Night with Seth Meyers

:Season 2, episode #59 (May 6, 2015) (song performed: "I'm Ready"){{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

• Comedy Bang Bang: Season 3, episode #2—"Milkshake Movies" (July 31, 2014){{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}
• The Late Late Show with James Corden: (July 29, 2015) (song performed: "To the Top"){{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• {{official website|twinshadow.net}}

{{Twin Shadow}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1983 births

Category:Living people

Category:American alternative rock musicians

Category:American electronic musicians

Category:American indie pop musicians

Category:American new wave musicians

Category:American synth-pop singers

Category:Dominican Republic emigrants to the United States

Category:Warner Records artists

Category:4AD artists