Meet Eric (Cawfee) Lewandowski | Multi-Instrumentalist, producer, & audio engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric (Cawfee) Lewandowski and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric (Cawfee), why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Because for me, it was all or nothing. Some people are totally okay with working a 9-5, having a family, growing old and that’s that. Sometimes when I talk to people about making music or being a musician they’ll say “uhg, I wish I could do that!” And the truth is I can’t really either haha. I just want to create sounds and make music that I haven’t heard yet, and I’m not sure I really know how to at the end of the day; the only think I do know is that to figure it out, you just have to try. That’s why I picked a creative career in music, because I have that delusional voice in my head that won’t go away until I sit down and make the sounds I want to hear in my head. For me, there was no other option.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started off drumming when I was about nine years old after my obsession with the video game ‘rock band’ made me want nothing more than to have drums of my own. Shortly after I started jamming with some friends and we ended up forming a band throughout high school. When we all split off to go to college, I knew I didn’t want to do something like accounting or a business course. It was always music.

A couple years after graduating college with an associates degree for music production, I moved out to LA to really pursue my dream. Definitely not the first and certainly not the last person to have that journey.

I think what sets me apart, though from some others is that early on living in LA, I was exposed to some bigger things in the music industry, and realized that what I desire more than being this huge artist is simply making music I’d be proud to leave behind after I’m long gone. Everyone wants to be adored, but I’m just a giant nerd when it comes to music, production, and music in general. I like modern conveniences when it comes to recording and production, but I also have massive respect and interest for how music was made before computers and DAW’s. I also love working with certain limitations, I like to try and find a happy medium between the two.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I think about this often because I have a few friends I’d love to have come out and visit me. One thing I always tell people is that when you come out here, put aside some money for food. LA has so much incredible food, I’d have to take them everywhere I could. There’s solid Italian spots in Echo part, great taco trucks in East Hollywood, amazing food in Little Tokyo. That’s probably what we’d do most of the time haha. Besides that, go to some solid shows at the Lodge room, go on a few hikes, maybe try and catch a movie at Brain Dead on Fairfax.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As corny as it might sound, I really have to give credit to everyone in my life, good and bad for where I’m at in life and music. Some of the things I’ve been through or things people have put me through, are the reason why I’m here. Whether it was encouragement from a friend or family member, or someone telling me they didn’t think I could do something and wanting to prove them wrong. For example, one of my high school girlfriends basically said that if I didn’t get out of high school and go to college, she would break up with me. After that, I got my GED, found a music program at a nearby college, and that was that ever since then. I’ve just wanted to keep pursuing music.

Instagram: Thisiscawfee

Other: TikTok: @_thisiscawfee_