BIO
Simon Taylor is a singer-songwriter from Newcastle upon Tyne in the North-East of England. His music combines elements of Latin, funk and rock with musical influences ranging from Lou Reed to Serge Gainsbourg. Having studied classical guitar initially, Simon began writing songs that reflected his love of Latin culture as well as occasionally exploring his own experiences of mental health.
Simon began recording his own songs with his band Simon Taylor & The Sundowners in 2011. Between then and 2016, the 6-piece recorded an album (2013's "Continental Girl") plus a single ("Hot Love") and E.P ("New York City Girl" in 2015) latterly with guest vocalist and collaborator Ivel Goverda. Critically well-received locally, NARC Magazine gave "Single of the Month" status to 2014's "Hot Love" after an earlier "Demo of the Month" review for the Sundowners' track "Real Fantasy".
In 2016, and following the departure of Ivel from the Sundowners' line-up, Simon began to perform under his own name, initially with the remaining line-up and currently solo. His first release under this guise was the 2016 single "Like You Do", which again received positive reviews locally. Following a headline performance at the O2 Academy Newcastle in 2018, Simon began recording a series of new songs at home with assistance from the producer Adam Forster and his brother and frequent collaborator, drummer Jon Forster. These songs will form the basis of the E.p "Under The Volcano", which mixes Latin, rock and pop influences. and will be released in early 2021.
The first two singles from this E.p, "Bolero Loco" and "Formentera Dream", were released in the summer of 2020 with the former receiving a 5-star review in NE Volume Magazine and the latter gaining BBC Introducing In The North East airplay. The third single to be released from this E.p is the Balearic-inspired rock/ electronica track "Ibiza Nights". This song is available to buy on Bandcamp, Amazon and iTunes now and also to stream on Spotify.
"The highlight of the month's bag is the latest from Simon Taylor & The Sundowners, with a record as charming as their moniker. A delicious duet with Ivel Goverda, "Hot Love" takes a strong acid jazz influence and wraps it in an effortless mood of smooth. Think Parisian cafes on cobbled streets of fallen leaves and the beautiful people passing by. Close your eyes and you can even smell the Gauloises"
Michael Brown, NARC Magazine
