Your name:Simon Atkinson.
Where are you from?
Ayrshire – Scotland’s West Coast (I’m originally from the North of England). The rest of the band are from various parts of Scotland.
Name of band:
Simon Atkinson & The Foundryman’s Apprentice.
Who is in your band?
Simon Atkinson ( Song writing, Vocals, Acoustic Rhythm Guitar), John Duffy (Bouzouki), Ron Rodger (Lead electric & Acoustic guitars), Martin Henderson (Bass), Mike Daly (Cornet), Karen Henderson (Fiddle), Becky Crichton (Cello) and Bert Craig / Richard Hamilton (Drums).
How would you describe yourselves?
We’ve been described as "a new and vibrant folky-jazz vibe".
Who are your main influences musically?
The Beatles, Fairport Convention , The Strawbs, Lindisfarne, James Taylor, Neil Young etc etc.....
What do you hope to achieve in music?
My hope is that as we build on the fan base already in place we can become regular performers on the festival circuit in addition to more recordings and gaining a much wider audience with higher profile live gigs and radio airplay.
What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
With my previous band Simon Atkinson & The Ben Marcato Trio (Jazz, Swing & Blues) I performed at both the 2007 & 2008 Glastonbury Festivals – that was a blast and a brilliant experience. This year I will be performing at The Wickerman Festival with the full eight-piece line up of Simon Atkinson & The Foundryman’s Apprentice and performing my own compositions - so I can’t wait!
And what’s the moment you want to forget?
I’ve been a vocalist for some 30 years – and very confident in my ability to perform – walking on stage to large audiences and not a flicker of nerves. My first performance of my own material as a singer songwriter some 2 1/2 years ago, accompanying myself on guitar for the first time was a lesson in humility – I sucked big time – Nerves got the better of me and all my carefully crafted songs went to pieces! Fortunately now that stage is long gone!
If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
From our recent EP The Pawnbroker – my song WINDOWS IN THE WEST really represents what my music is about – I love to tell stories in my songs and the tale of the Glasgow Tenement building and it’s occupants featured gave me an opportunity to write a fairly complex song detailing individuals who I imagined lived there (From the famous painting by Glasgow artist Avril Paton) As a Beatles fan I was delighted when a listener suggested it’s my PENNY LANE. The song is a joy to perform – and goes down great with audiences (especially in Scotland!)
Where can we listen to it?
http://soundcloud.com/simon_atkinson/windows-in-the-west-1
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