Dean Lewis Pushes Past the Breakdowns on ‘The Epilogue (Deluxe)’

Australian singer/songwriter Dean Lewis opens up about pressure, passion, and why The Epilogue’s deluxe edition proves timing is everything.

Stream: ‘The Epilogue (Deluxe)’ – Dean Lewis

Dean Lewis’ songs often feel like lifelines – raw confessions that turn private heartbreak into something everyone can hold onto.

With the release of The Epilogue (Deluxe), the Australian singer/songwriter delivers music that somehow sounds deeply personal yet universally relatable. This expanded edition isn’t just a collection of extras – it’s proof of Lewis’ restless drive to capture emotion in real time, whether it’s a track that took years to find its way back to him or one that was written and recorded in a single day. Urgent, unfiltered and unapologetically honest, The Epilogue (Deluxe) is a reminder of why Lewis’ music continues to resonate across stadiums and streaming platforms alike.

The Epilogue (Deluxe) - Dean Lewis — The Epilogue (Deluxe) – Dean Lewis

“I’m just always writing songs,” he explains. “There was a song called ‘With You’ that just took a lot of time. It was with Rihanna’s team, and we thought that she was going to release it. And then it came back to me and I’m like, ‘The album is coming out soon.’ It missed the cutoff for the original album, but I didn’t want to wait until the next album cycle to put it out.”

That restless energy pulses through the deluxe edition. Songs like “I Hate That It’s True” arrived like a lightning strike – written and recorded in a single day, finished within a week, and released almost immediately.

“It’s very hard to write songs like that,” Lewis says. “So, I just had to put it on the album.”

That urgency is the thread that ties his work together: he writes because he needs to, and he shares because keeping a song to himself feels impossible.

What’s striking is how deeply those “extra” songs have resonated.

“Weirdly, the deluxe songs have actually performed a lot better with the fans,” Lewis says. “They’re streaming a lot better. I don’t know how much it develops the story; I just think they’re really good songs that I’m really proud of. A lot of it’s just timing.”

Timing has always been a defining factor for Lewis, who came of age listening not to local Aussie acts but to international icons like Oasis and Goo Goo Dolls. That influence comes full circle on The Epilogue (Deluxe) with his cover of “Iris,” a song he describes with unshakable reverence.

“I actually think ‘Iris’ is the greatest song of all time,” he says without hesitation. “The lyrics are truly unbelievable. ‘You bleed just to know you’re alive’ and ‘I’d give up forever to touch you.’ These are incredible lyrics.”

The cover isn’t just a tribute – it’s a career milestone. Years ago, when “Be Alright” was dominating U.S. radio, Lewis found himself sharing the bill with Goo Goo Dolls at holiday shows.

“They were really nice guys,” he recalls. “And now this song is literally outstreaming everything, which is unbelievable.”

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It’s a surreal full-circle moment for a fan who once studied their music in his bedroom. Of course, Lewis’ journey hasn’t been all crescendos. After the initial rush of hit singles, he faced a sobering slowdown during the pandemic.

“I thought everything was over after COVID,” he admits. “When all my singles weren’t working and ‘How Do I Say Goodbye’ came out, I wasn’t even getting calls back from people in my team. It was crazy.”

That ballad, inspired by his father’s illness, flipped the narrative again – a global hit that reminded both industry and fans that Lewis’ greatest strength lies in songs that cut straight to the heart.

That immediacy is something he chases in the studio, often recording songs the very day they’re written.

“It can be strange – you’re recording when you don’t even properly know how it should be sung,” he says. “But that actually adds to the song because it feels so exciting. And sometimes you can’t replicate that passion later.”

It’s the same passion fans feel at his shows, where Lewis is confronted with the raw power of his music in real time.

“People come to the front row to cry and show their emotions,” he says. “Every night, for like a hundred nights of the year when I’m touring, I see people crying and reacting. It’s very special.”

Now, standing at a crossroads between past success and future projects, Lewis is leaning into possibility. He’s in Los Angeles recording his next album, experimenting with collaborations – including a recent release with the Jonas Brothers – and watching with curiosity as TikTok reshapes the music landscape.

“TikTok has been so great to me, to be honest,” he says. “I’ve spent a lot of time writing when I could have just been on holiday. But I don’t really take holidays – I just write and record new songs. And I’m so excited to put new music out in the world.”

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