Music and drag coexist to create some of the most amazing performances you will ever see, from your TV to your local queer bar. What is the connection between the two and how does one influence the other? Niamh Reade explores how drag has influenced music and vice versa through the eyes of Irish Drag Queen, Tewtee.
Still riding high from their incredible DHD win last year, Tewtee's strikingly signature red locks are gaining more than Irish attention, with recent TikToks amassing millions of views from across the globe, catching the eyes of prominent figures in the music industry such as Sam Smith.
Our conversation touched on various topics ranging from the importance of music within the drag community to the art of nailing a great lip sync.
I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to speak with you. I first wanted to start by asking how you started performing and experimenting with drag.
I originally got into drag because I bought a wig. I remember I was bored one night, and I was like, ‘Let’s just try drag’ because I always knew there was something there. It was like a want in me, to try drag. And I tried it, paired with my dance background. Everything just made sense, and over time, the character started to form, and it just snowballed from there.
You have a very distinctive look and style. While you're performing, is there a specific music genre that influences your drag persona, and if so, what is it about that genre?
I usually gravitate towards eighties music because I love that era; artists like Whitney Huston and songs like “Don't You Want Me Baby” and “Flash Dance” are some of my favourites to perform. I incorporate aspects of the decade into my style, adding metallic makeup and feathered hair. But, I am not opposed to adding more modern influences to spice things up and keeping in with the mainstream; for example, with the success of Saltburn, I've recently started performing “Murder on the Dance Floor” again because it's become really popular.
Are there any particular artists you gravitate towards when curating the character of Tewtee?
Keeping with my genre, artists from the seventies and eighties disco scene and even artists that draw inspiration from that era are my primary inspirations. I perform a lot of Bruno Mars. His album 24 Carat focuses on that disco vibe I want to encapsulate. But ultimately, it can change depending on the audience, the location and the time.
Your performances always seem so personal and fresh, showing your immense knowledge of your audience. Is that because you tend to curate the playlist according to the crowd?
Yes, as an artist, you're supposed to be multifaceted and tackle a variety of different genres, so whatever is best fitting for the audience, your persona, and what will come across well in the show. So, the big classic drag numbers work best for my brunch shows. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” “Man, I Feel Like a Woman,” and “River Deep Mountain High,” but it's mostly club numbers when it comes to night gigs. For example, you wouldn't go to the George on a Wednesday night and do a Shania Twain number. It’s all about more current and fun music like Kim Petras and Charlie XCX.
'As an artist, you're supposed to be multifaceted and tackle a variety of different genres, so whatever is best fitting for the audience, your persona, and what will come across well in the show.'
Lip-syncing is a significant aspect of drag expression coined with RuPaul's iconic phrase: ‘lip sync for your life.’ Please explain to an unfamiliar audience what it entails and what makes a good lip-sync.
Lip-syncing is what drag queens do; it's all about impersonating and embodying a song through this character you've created that will convey that emotion to an audience. It's a form of storytelling in that your drag persona is like a character, a version of you that you've created in your head that you can then relate to people. A multifaceted lip-sync performance incorporates elements of comedy and emotion. Personalising the performance through interactions with the audience and using local humour makes the performance more unique and engaging.
'Lip-syncing is what drag queens do; it's all about impersonating and embodying a song through this character you've created that will convey that emotion to an audience.'
Are there any Queens or Performances you've drawn inspiration from recently and why?
There is this drag queen, their name is Dan the Man. When the whole Ryan Tubridy scandal was going on, Dan the Man did a sketch in the style of an RTE news segment. Where they started with “Breaking News” before proceeding to break into ABBA’s “Money, Money, Money.” It was hilarious; I liked how they used a song everybody knew and could channel into the current political landscape. It was just really funny.
After your impressive win last year, I understand you're returning to host Draghensden this year. Congratulations.
Yes, Ireland's largest drag competition! It's coming up this Saturday, the 24th, in the Castletroy Park Hotel in Limerick, which is exciting. The dress I have is so nice!
You can keep up to date with Tewtee on Instagram and TikTok under the same handle, @_tewtee.