From Ballarat to LA -Lewis Love hits the international music scene

Lewis Cotsell (2023) has quickly made a name for himself in the music industry after a single TikTok video helped launch his career. The 19-year-old recently performed as a support act for the American country group Zac Brown Band, entertaining more than 20,000 fans across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Music has always been Lewis’s passion. After leaving school at 16 to pursue sound production studies at RMIT University, the disruption of the pandemic saw him return to Ballarat and continue his studies in screen and media at Oxygen College. Despite taking a more practical study path, Lewis never stopped writing and recording music.

In March 2024, Lewis shared a video of himself performing an original love song on TikTok. Within hours the video had attracted thousands of views, and by the next day he had received messages from record labels and music companies in the United States.

Later that year, Lewis made the bold decision to defer his studies, sell his car and travel to the United States, where he signed with Hallwood Media. The leap of faith proved worthwhile, leading to the release of his debut album Lovesick in July 2025.

Since then, Lewis has performed to crowds far larger than he ever imagined, including the opportunity to support Zac Brown Band on their Australian tour. In December, he also returned home to perform in front of a hometown crowd at the Spilt Milk festival in Ballarat. Lewis said: Playing at spilt milk to a home crowd was incredible. It’s a surreal feeling and honestly still pinching myself…

Lewis just signed a record deal with EMPIRE records in the states and is recording his second album. He just got back from LA and Nashville on a writing trip for a month and is now spending some time back home. Lewis’s journey is a wonderful example of how talent, determination and a little bit of courage can turn a dream into reality.