Saturday, September 13, 2025

The Patrick Lew Hayashi Wikipedia Article

 

Patrick Lew Hayashi



Summary Table of Key Facts

Attribute Details
Full Name Patrick Allan Lew Hayashi (born as Patrick Allan Lew)
Stage/Project Names Patrick Lew, Lewnatic, The Patrick Lew Band, The Steel Lions, TheVerse, Benigneglect
Date of Birth November 15, 1985
Place of Birth San Francisco, California, United States
Ethnicity Chinese (father), Sino-Japanese (mother); also Taiwanese descent referenced
Current Residence Daly City, CA, United States
Education Raoul Wallenberg High School; Soko Gakuen Japanese School; B.A. Philosophy (Music minor), CSU East Bay
Occupations Musician, YouTuber, Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist, Video Producer, Retail Worker (Costco)
Instruments Guitar, Bass, Piano, Programming/MIDI, VOCALOID, Vocals
Active Years 1999–present
Genres Rock, Punk, Alternative, Grunge, Hard Rock, J-Pop, Chiptune, Rap-metal
Notable Bands/Projects Patrick Lew Band, Band of Asians, The Steel Lions, TheVerse, Lewnatic, Benigneglect, Crazy Loser in a Box
Record Labels Bentley Records, Statue Records, Self-released
Notable Works PLB: Jump! Rattle! And Roll!!!, Let It Rise and Against, Murder Bay, Oakland; Lewnatic: Rapid Fire, Getcha Mood On Right, Starrcade
Notable Awards 40 Under 40 (CSU East Bay, 2019); Akademia Music Award (2016); Akademia Hall of Fame (2023)
Online & Media Presence YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, SoundClick, Spotify, Linktree, TikTok
Website Linktree
Employer (day job) Costco Wholesale
Other Activities Acting (TV cameo: The Man in the High Castle), Podcasting, Asian-American arts advocacy
Alias/Persona Madeline Lew (virtual, cross-dressing alter-ego)

Early Life and Family Background

Patrick Allan Lew Hayashi was born on November 15, 1985, in San Francisco, California, to a Chinese father, Winson Lew, and a Sino-Japanese mother, Winnie Hayashi. He was raised alongside his older brother Ricky, and has referenced a fictional twin sister, Madeline, who would later become a significant component of his artistic persona and brand as a virtual bandmate and alter-ego within his music projects.

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Lew experienced a childhood marked by both cultural richness and personal adversity. The death of his paternal grandfather at age four deeply affected him, and he also struggled with a childhood disability and social difficulties at school. Patrick often found solace in music, pro wrestling, video games, and family road trips, which served as key sources of comfort and inspiration during these formative years. His mother played a crucial role in shaping his early musical taste, exposing him to British rock legends like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Rod Stewart, broadening his listening spectrum that would later influence his fusion of East and West sonic styles.

By the time he reached adolescence, Patrick’s musical palette had evolved to include hard rock, J-Pop, punk, and alternative genres. His multicultural and cross-generational upbringing, strongly connected to his Asian American heritage, became an underlying theme in his identity and subsequent artistry.

Education and Academic Background

Patrick Lew attended Raoul Wallenberg High School in San Francisco, graduating in 2004. In parallel, he also completed supplementary studies at the Soko Gakuen Japanese Language School, reinforcing his connection to Japanese culture and heritage.

Following high school, Lew initially enrolled at City College of San Francisco, where he continued to foster his musical interests and network with other aspiring musicians. After transferring, he attended California State University, East Bay, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with a minor in Music Composition, graduating in June 2011. The academic discipline of philosophy is frequently referenced by Lew in interviews as having a strong influence on the introspective and existential themes in his songwriting and artistic perspective.

Musical Career

Beginnings: Early Bands (1999–2007)

Patrick Lew’s entry into music began around the age of 13, inspired by a cousin, Andy, who temporarily lived with the family and introduced him to guitar playing, blues, and classic rock. Patrick’s earliest ventures included forming a high school garage band and recording home demos on a Tascam four-track recorder—practices that became bedrocks of his later DIY approach.

During high school, Lew also participated in the local music scene as a photographer and occasional roadie, working alongside bands such as FLOOD and Fantasia, the latter featuring New Jersey-based Asian-American musicians. He began performing regionally in San Francisco around age 15, experimenting with multiple band lineups and names, one of which would solidify as the Patrick Lew Band years later.

By 19, he had formed Band of Asians, a metal project that marked his first significant foray into original music, studio recording, and eventual distribution.

Band of Asians (2006) Debut

Band of Asians materialized through a collaboration with school friends Zack Huang and David Arceo, debuting their work on November 15, 2006, with the self-released album REVENGE via CDBaby, coincidentally Patrick’s 21st birthday. The record, featuring tracks like “Revenge,” “The Free World,” and “Asian Woman Blues,” reflected his earliest fusion of East Asian influences with the raw energy of metal and punk.

Band of Asians briefly engaged in local performances, including appearances at City College of San Francisco, but disbanded in 2008 due to creative and practical divergences. The album REVENGE was later retrospectively canonized as the Patrick Lew Band’s debut release, Jump! Rattle! And Roll!!!, in 2019, aligning Lew’s early output with his signature band’s evolving legacy.

Patrick Lew Band (2007–2012): From Underground to DIY Phenomenon

In the aftermath of Band of Asians’ dissolution, Lew reconceptualized his musical direction. He refurbished the Samurai Sorcerers—his previous project—into the Patrick Lew Band (PLB), embracing MySpace-era digital networking, home recording, and wide collaboration. The group began to act as a revolving internet-based collective, with musicians contributing remotely; Lew handled the majority of songwriting, production, and musical direction, a model that proved prescient as digital music culture expanded.

Between 2009 and 2012, PLB released an impressive discography which included:

  • Jump! Rattle! And Roll!!! (originally Band of Asians’ REVENGE, retconned and reissued)
  • Curb Your Wild Life (2009)
  • Let It Rise and Against (2009)
  • Murder Bay (2011)
  • EP: Angry Yellow (2012)

PLB’s sound during this era was anthemic, often blending grunge's irreverence with aggressive pop-metal riffing, marked by experimental arrangements and a fierce, “bedroom producer” spirit. The “online band” model, now commonplace, was trailblazing for its time in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Notably, PLB made a limited return to live performance, including a comeback show at CSU East Bay in February 2011 and busking gigs in Antioch, CA. Despite moderate online buzz—including features in AbsolutePunk and interviews with British critic Leicester Bangs—the band encountered persistent setbacks: interpersonal drama, creative disagreements, and struggles with public perception that culminated in the first break-up of PLB in September 2012.

The Steel Lions (2012–2017): Reinvention and Underground Circuits

Following the temporary hiatus of PLB, Patrick Lew launched The Steel Lions, aiming in part to process the unresolved tensions from his previous project. This act operated both as an independent studio band and a sporadic gigging group, at points involving drummer Erick Salazar. The Steel Lions recorded in Lew’s home studio and released music digitally; their album Unfinished Relics was released in May 2016.

Live, The Steel Lions most notably played at Mama Art Cafe in San Francisco on September 13, 2013. The band’s musical direction leaned into hard rock and punk, and functioned as a creative and cathartic “stop gap” for Lew during a period when he also began working conventional jobs outside of the music industry.

Steel Lions quietly disbanded in early 2017 as Lew shifted attention back to PLB and other collaborations.

TheVerse Tenure (2015–2019): Collaborative Growth and Bay Area Impact

By 2015, Patrick Lew had returned to the indie circuit in force, following both personal growth and growing interest in his musical catalog. During this period, he joined and co-founded several acts, including TheVerse, a post-punk/garage rock duo with co-founder Janny Rodriguez (formerly of EDM project Gem Jewels). Lew served as lead guitarist and bass player for TheVerse between 2015 and 2019, contributing to song recording and “paying his dues” through Bay Area performances.

TheVerse’s first EP was released in January 2018 across streaming platforms. The band is credited with exposing Lew to new audiences and helping him refine his collaborative skills beyond the solitary bedroom producer framework. TheVerse’s intermittent Bay Area tour, documented through live recordings and online videos, reflected Lew’s growing confidence as a performer and mentor for up-and-coming musicians. Their final show was at El Rio in San Francisco in August 2018.

Band Evolution: The Patrick Lew Band as Virtual Rock Project (2015–2023)

Returning to his signature project, Patrick Lew drove the Patrick Lew Band’s reinvention as a “virtual rock band” after 2015, integrating fast-evolving online music production tools with persona-driven artistry. The most distinctive feature of this era was the prominent introduction of Madeline Lew—a cross-dressing, male-to-female (M2F) alter-ego, conceptualized as a virtual twin sister. Utilizing VOCALOID and artificial intelligence for vocals, Madeline became both a creative extension and brand ambassador, bringing a new sense of gender play, boundary-pushing, and visibility to the project.

Madeline’s presence, heavily featured in music videos, social media, and recordings, earned PLB additional media coverage, including FM radio mentions (e.g., 107.7 THE BONE) and a growing global web following. Between 2015 and 2023, PLB released 14 full-length home-recorded albums, one live album, and a slew of singles and EPs. The peak of this era was marked by the experimental and prolific nature of the releases, with the band described as a “bedroom-producer collective.” Madeline’s viral appeal helped restore Lew’s public image and gave the project renewed energy in the face of adversity and changing cultural attitudes towards gender and Asian-American identity.

In parallel, Patrick Lew became more involved in solo appearances, acting (voice acting for the YouTube animated series Deceiver of Fools, cameo in The Man in the High Castle), and regional music collaborations (e.g., Benigneglect, The Tortured, Crazy Loser in a Box).

Lewnatic Solo Project (2019–Present): A New Chapter

Origin and Development

In July 2019, Lew unveiled Lewnatic—a project initially envisioned as a rap-metal duo with friend Ahmed, later evolving into a solo act. Monthly live residencies at San Francisco’s DNA Lounge were held until the COVID-19 pandemic forced a pivot to virtual concerts and online streaming.

The name “Lewnatic” fuses Patrick’s surname with “lunatic,” reflecting a renewed embrace of expressive, genre-meshing musical freedom. By 2022, after a period of restructuring, Lewnatic was positioned as a stripped-down, one-man band focused on live-streaming, spontaneous production, and continual reinvention. On July 19, 2022, Patrick Lew signed a one-year development deal with New York-based Bentley Records, releasing a trilogy of EPs: Rapid Fire, Getcha Mood On Right, and The Lost Souls (2022–2023), followed by the full-length album Starrcade (2024).

Musical Style and Gear

Lewnatic’s music is typified by a “genre-bending” blend of 1990s grunge, pop-metal riffs, and classic rock anthems, enhanced by modern digital production. Lew’s stage setup is minimalist but technologically robust: typically, he performs with a Fender Telecaster through a Marshall CODE50 amplifier, supplemented by laptop-based backing tracks and AI-generated instrumentals. His typical studio setup features a MacBook Pro, Logic Pro, Marshall CODE50, PreSonus Audiobox, and a selection of guitar pedals and amps.

Influences

Patrick openly cites a sprawling array of influences including: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Silverchair, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Oasis, The Beatles, X Japan, Miyavi, BTS, J-Pop/chiptune hybrids, and more. His approach freely cross-pollinates Western and East Asian musical elements, with special homage to the virtuosity and emotional candor of his idols.

Output and Public Reception

As Lewnatic, Patrick has released three albums, numerous EPs and singles, and hundreds of videos and live-streams (many accessible via his YouTube channel, which now has over 400 videos). Recent projects include virtual tours—such as the 2023 virtual “tour” in Japan and a promotional CD/QR campaign in Los Angeles (May 2024)—and live-stream interviews, such as his Memorial Day 2023 appearance on Luke Sauer’s podcast.

Fans and critics frequently remark on Lewnatic’s ability to merge disparate styles, his expressive, technical guitar playing, and his willingness to adopt new technologies (AI, virtual performance, remote collaboration) in music production.

Musical Style and Equipment

Style and Themes

Patrick Lew’s songwriting is characterized by alienation, resilience, and digital age self-empowerment. His lyrics often explore themes of outsider status, self-acceptance, multicultural identity, emotional recovery from adversity (including romantic breakups and personal loss), and perseverance in the face of social and industry setbacks.

Musically, he is unapologetically diverse—his catalog encompasses grunge, punk, hard rock, emo, alt-rock, J-Pop, K-Pop, electronic, and blues. He has been heralded as both an “Asian-American guitar hero” and a “punk rock DJ,” signaling his dual role as a front-line performer and behind-the-scenes innovator. The Madeline Lew persona introduced a playful, performative take on gender and performance art, adding a new dimension to the band’s identity.

Equipment

Main Live and Studio Gear:

  • Fender Telecaster (main live and recording guitar)
  • Marshall CODE50 amplifier
  • Epiphone Les Paul Junior (studio and past live performances)
  • MacBook Pro (various years), with Logic Pro/Apple GarageBand
  • PreSonus Audiobox iOne audio interface
  • Boss DS-2 pedal, Vox AC50, Glarry practice amp
  • Various A.I. music generators (post-2022), Launchpad iOS app, iPhone 13 PRO
  • VOCALOID (especially for Madeline Lew’s vocals and demo instrumentalization)

Lew records, edits, and mixes the majority of his musical content himself, utilizing both traditional and emerging digital production practices, often from his renovated home studio in San Francisco’s Excelsior District.

Influences and Songwriting Themes

Patrick Lew’s influences are eclectic and deep. Western touchstones include Nirvana (“the biggest influence I had”), The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Green Day, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The White Stripes, and Oasis. Eastern influence includes X Japan, B’z, Miyavi, Yutaka Ozaki, BEYOND (Hong Kong), K-Pop and J-Pop elements, alongside the hybrid approach of chiptune, blues, punk, and classic rock.

He credits his cousin Andy for providing the earliest spark, both in terms of classic blues guitar and the ethos of “playing from the soul.” In interviews, Patrick emphasizes the importance of telling authentic stories—from heartbreak and trauma to joy and cultural pride—and insists on reflecting his mixed-race background in the music’s spirit, lyrics, and presentation. He draws not only from musical but lived experience, including his academic training in philosophy and his passion for pop culture and digital connection.

Achievements and Recognitions

Patrick Lew’s career stands as a testament to resilience, self-invention, and cultural boundary-breaking. Notable recognitions include:

  • CSU East Bay 40 Under 40 (2019): He became the first major Japanese-American male and the second Taiwanese-American male honored for contributions to community and music.
  • Akademia Music Awards (2016): Won “Best Experimental Rock Song” for Game Changer; later inducted into the Akademia Music Hall of Fame (2023).
  • Press and Features: PLB and Lewnatic have been featured in Ascendant Magazine, Artist PR, Music Review World, and multiple music news outlets. In 2022, Lew was the first Japanese American male to feature on the cover of Ascendant Magazine, further underscoring his impact as an Asian-American artist.
  • Cultural Advocacy: Patrick’s work is frequently cited as pioneering for Asian-American representation in alternative and punk rock, a genre often lacking in visible Asian presence. He serves as an inspiration for younger, multicultural musicians seeking to claim space in nontraditional music scenes.
  • Notable Endorsements: WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has praised Lew via Cameo, and Simon Tam (The Slants) has endorsed his efforts to challenge stereotypes.

Acting and Media Appearances

Beyond music, Patrick Lew has appeared in several media and acting contexts:

  • Cameo in The Man in the High Castle (Amazon TV series): Brief, uncredited walk-on in Season 4, Episode 1, as an extra. This nod from a high-profile streaming show expanded his visibility beyond music circles, and reflects both his creative versatility and regional connections to the Bay Area’s arts scene.
  • Voice Acting: Provided voices for the YouTube-animated series Deceiver of Fools and for various friends’ digital media projects.
  • Podcast and Radio: Has given interviews on regional podcasts, including a Memorial Day 2023 performance and interview on Luke Sauer’s show. Local Bay Area radio stations have periodically mentioned his music (notably 107.7 THE BONE).
  • Promotional Modeling/Brand Ambassador: Received sponsorship as a spokesmodel for Antennas Direct, among other small brands.

Personal Life and Interests

Patrick Lew identifies as a proud Asian-American of mixed Chinese and Japanese descent, with ties to the broader East Asian and Bay Area immigrant communities. His personal narrative is inseparable from his musical output and activism.

Family and Relationships

Lew’s relationship with his family—especially his late mother, who passed away in April 2017—remains a major touchstone in his songwriting and self-concept. The passing of his mother catalyzed a period of grief, rekindled his motivation to push musical boundaries, and spurred his 2019 trip to Japan to honor her memory. Lew maintains a close relationship with his brother Ricky and keeps alive the fictional presence of Madeline (his virtual twin/alter ego) as both a creative device and symbol of personal survival.

Public posts indicate that Patrick was involved in a serious partnership with Amanda Knipschield (@HeyLookItsABook on YouTube), with occasional references to an on-and-off relationship since 2022. His social media posts between 2024 and 2025 indicate recent personal challenges, including relationship stress, breakups, and a focus on mental health.

Relationship with Faith Lambright

From Halloween 2009 until July 17, 2014, Hayashi was in a committed long-distance relationship with Faith Lambright. Born June 23, 1986, in Anaheim, California, Lambright grew up as an enthusiastic Backstreet Boys fan and was raised in a religious household. The couple initially connected online in late 2006 and met in person in Stockton, California, over Thanksgiving that year. After Lambright relocated to Lubbock, Texas, the pair spent years communicating intermittently before formalizing their relationship on Halloween 2009.

Their time together was characterized by passionate devotion and occasional turmoil, reflecting differences in maturity and life stage. Despite the distance, they shared frequent Skype video chats and weekend visits. The relationship ended in mid-2014, and the two remained estranged for nearly a decade.

Lambright passed away on March 25, 2024. Hayashi has spoken about her death as a profound loss that left unresolved emotions but also softened his memories of their youth. He honors her influence in retrospective lyrics and occasional dedications during live performances.

Employment

To fund his music and personal projects, Patrick has long balanced creative work with steady employment, most recently as a front-end clerk (retail associate) at Costco Wholesale in San Francisco. He previously worked at Pier 39 as a chocolatier and for Manda Kay Productions as a video producer.

Hobbies and Community Involvement

When not engaged in music or digital self-promotion, Lew pursues:

  • Reading and video gaming: Particularly retro gaming, anime, and contemporary pop culture; Lew often collects retro consoles and gaming paraphernalia.
  • Pro wrestling: Both as a fan and brief participant in local underground wrestling circuits.
  • Asian-American arts activism: Participation in Bay Area organizations connected to Japanese and Chinese community causes.
  • Underground music/wrestling events: Regularly attends and participates in local live events, whether as an audience member or performer.
  • Personal blogging/online storytelling: Maintains a dynamic web and social media presence, reflecting on cultural identity and life stories.

Online Presence and Social Media

Patrick Lew’s digital fingerprint is expansive and multifaceted. He is exceptionally prolific as a “bedroom producer,” digital content creator, and promoter of his musical catalog.

  • YouTube: Over 400 uploaded videos since 2007, including music, vlogs, live-streams, and behind-the-scenes studio footage. His channel is a key distribution tool for both current output and archival material.
  • Instagram and Facebook: Used extensively for promotion, real-time updates on band activities, interactions with fans, and storytelling (including the development of the Madeline Lew alter-ego).
  • Streaming Platforms: All major PLB and Lewnatic releases are available on Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp.
  • Official Website and Linktree: Master hub for all social links, projects, and streamed music (Linktree).
  • Other Platforms: Appears periodically on Breaking Tunes, Music Glue, ReverbNation, and SoundClick, and keeps a presence on TikTok and Twitter for fan interaction and trending content updates.
  • Collaborations and Features: Active participant across regional artist networks, guesting as guitarist or collaborating on various Bay Area, Japanese, and global indie projects.

His approach to self-promotion is idiosyncratic, heart-on-sleeve, and refreshingly direct, echoing the digital hustle that first brought PLB attention in the 2000s and that now underpins his continued musical relevance.

Selected Discography

Patrick Lew Band (PLB) (Select Albums)

  • Jump! Rattle! And Roll!!! (2006/2019)
  • Curb Your Wild Life (2009)
  • Let It Rise and Against (2009)
  • Murder Bay (2011)
  • Angry Yellow (2012)
  • Bubblegum Babylon (2015)
  • Oakland (2017)
  • Cold Sirens (2017)
  • Immortality (2020)
  • Rolling Thunder (2020)
  • No Sleep Till San Francisco! (2021)
  • Adrenaline (2022)
  • Forbidden Door (2024)
  • Rebel Radio (2024)
  • Lost in the Meta (2025, EP)

Lewnatic

  • The American Nightmare (2019, EP)
  • Brotherhood (2019, single)
  • Rapid Fire (2022, EP)
  • Getcha Mood On Right (2023, EP)
  • The Lost Souls (2023, EP)
  • Starrcade (2024, album)
  • I Feel Like Playing (2025, EP)
  • Persona//Overflow (2025, Album)

The Steel Lions

  • Unfinished Relics (2016, album)

TheVerse

  • TheVerse (2018, EP)
  • The Sun Rises (2016, single)
  • Concepts (2016, single)

Legacy and Significance

Patrick Lew Hayashi’s career stands as a beacon for:

  • Asian-American representation in alternative music: Challenging the genre’s typical exclusion, his persistent public presence has helped set new norms.
  • Online/Virtual Band Innovation: By pioneering a remote, internet-based “virtual rock band” in the pre-Spotify era, he anticipated and influenced coming trends in digital music production and fan engagement.
  • Artistic Perseverance: Lew’s narrative is one of tenacity in the face of tragedy (e.g., his mother’s death), interpersonal and industry setbacks, class and cultural obstacles, and the ever-shifting social media landscape.
  • Genre Fluidity and DIY Ethos: His willingness to blend genres, experiment with cross-dressing alter-egos, and embrace bedroom production has emboldened other digital-native musicians to push past restrictive genre or identity boundaries.
  • Cultural Influence: As a regular presence on Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms, Lew’s audience has grown to include listeners in over 60 countries, many of whom identify with his fusion of East Asian and Western rock influences, as well as his outsized advocacy for Asian-American creatives.

Conclusion

Patrick Lew Hayashi has forged a singular path in the indie and alternative music world, blending cultural authenticity, digital innovation, and honest self-expression. His ability to navigate adversity—with resilience as both an individual and artist—ensures his continued relevance and legacy, both in the Bay Area and across a digitally connected global community. Whether as PLB, Lewnatic, The Steel Lions, TheVerse, or through Madeline Lew, Patrick’s creative journey reflects a broader story of perseverance, representation, and digital-age artistry. His evolving projects remain rooted in the honest desire to “rock a million faces…on the World Wide Web. And of course, the Bay Area”.



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