Simon Taylor is a singer-songwriter from Newcastle, pairing unflinchingly honest songwriting with sunny, Latin-tinged guitar sounds. Kayleigh Mattson was fortunate enough to track down the enigmatic performer and find out what’s new.
Salutations, Simon. We interviewed you back in 2024. Thanks for joining us again. For those who haven’t yet had the pleasure, who are you and what is it that you do?
I’m a singer-songwriter from Newcastle who has been releasing and performing music for fourteen years, usually seen toting a nylon-string guitar and initially inspired by Latin sounds. I had a band from 2012 to 2018 but have been performing solo ever since. My musical styles are diverse, encompassing rock, pop, funk, Latin, and folk, but I suppose a common thread is an appreciation of ‘70s stars such as Serge Gainsbourg, Isaac Hayes, and David Bowie, among many others, of course.
I hear you’ve got a shiny new EP out. What can you reveal to us about that?
‘Stars’ is a collection of acoustic folk, pop, and jazz ballads that I had written years ago but left lying untouched in my songwriting folders for some reason. Producer Ziad Jabero was a key factor in achieving a sound I was happy with, and my brother Paul Taylor plays beautiful keys. Overall, the mood is gentle and tranquil, reflecting a period of rare calm in my personal life.
You recently removed your music from Spotify. Was that an easy decision to make and implement?
It was easy enough to implement, but not an easy decision by any means. Ultimately, I performed an embarrassing volte-face. After months of railing on social media about how evil Spotify was – which I still believe – and removing all my music from the platform, I had a dream about 24 hours later suggesting I was making a big mistake. Whatever people think of that, I tend to listen to my unconscious in my own slightly nutty way. I ended up paying daft money to re-upload all my music, and yes, I probably copped a bit of flak for it. It’s not an easy industry to navigate ethically, if it ever was, but I learned lessons and try to keep my opinions to more august publications like this one now.
Your work has a beautifully natural and organic sound, exuding warmth and humanity. How do you feel about the increasing use of AI in music and the arts in general?
Thank you. I despise it. Being a cheery sort, I’m firmly of the opinion that AI is going to end up doing us all in. Supporting this process in the flippant way we are encouraged to nowadays is anathema to me. I use Google AI only to find the email addresses of radio shows, and I try to keep it at that.
It’s refreshing to see you speak and write so candidly about your experiences with neurodivergency on your social media platforms. Do you feel that attitudes towards autism are changing for the better?
I’m not sure they are – there’s just more knowledge on the subject, thankfully. Ultimately, we have an empathy problem on both sides, neurotypical and neurodivergent. Lots of us struggle to see things from the other’s perspective, and that may always remain the case. Neurotypical people naturally struggle to grasp how much of a challenge life can be with this condition, while autistic people may struggle to empathise with the lived experience of neurotypical people. I think there will always be issues in this respect.
Lastly, where do you hope to see your musical journey taking you this year?
Things are going to get electric. I’m planning on getting a band together and pursuing a more kick-ass rock sound in general, with lyrics that take fewer prisoners than Alcatraz.
You can listen to Simon’s new EP from Friday 6th February on all major streaming platforms.
