Simon Stewart

Simon Stewart?has played in East German biker bars where the bikers had only push-bikes; in New Orleans, where burly ?friends' collected his wages; and in pubs where the punters fought mercilessly during the ballads. He has sung at German fish festivals and to the unemployed of North-East Berlin. Simon has also written a number of plays that were staged on the London Fringe circuit including a comedy about the life of Sir Francis Drake and a portrayal of life in London's Bedlam hospital, and continues to write short stories and poetry.

At a recent Sussex Arts Club gig, Simon penned a poem about the historic George Jones Patented urinals at the venue.

Until the release of his debut album Across the Land (LongMan047CD) Simon Stewart had sold only battered versions of his beautiful songs. His best demos include one made in London, funded by a Belgian ethanol salesman, and one recorded in an obscure Swedish town. He was promoted by a Philippine business man. Unfortunately, the latter's ability to carve out a music career in Manila for Simon was cut short by a political revolution. However, a track from the Swedish demo - the harmonium laced Thinking of You ? caught the ear of musician and producer Richard Durrant.

Across the Land highlights Richard's fine musical mind, his playing and production skills, as well as displaying and foregrounding Simon's singing and song-writing ability. The production ensures that Simon realises the full potential of each and every song, and Richard's guitar duel with Marc Jordan's trumpet on Barcelona Bound takes us far further south than Barcelona!

The songs featured on Across the Land were recorded in an intense week in the summer of 2006, during a heat-wave, when Simon was also completing his Doctor of Philosophy degree. Most of the songs conjure a world of cafes, romance and crumbling architecture. Blazing Heat, for example, was written for the wedding of Simon's sister Lucy Truscott, whose beautiful harmony vocals feature throughout the album. The song captures the essence of a South of France wedding, and one can picture the Pastis being passed round at the Marie. Tracks such as Oh My Love conjure what some call ?Old Europe', and a balcony moment with sunrise and memories of the night before. The mandolins, guitars and percussion set the scene for the album: the wine glasses are half drained and the plates still haven't been cleared away.