Simon finds his forte

11:53am Thursday 18th October 2007

FORMER cathedral chorister turned singer-songwriter, Simon Le Fort often has to pinch himself to prove that he's not dreaming.

Having shelved his ambition of a career in the music industry when a demo CD of his songs failed to attract any enthusiasm or offers, Simon was amazed earlier this year to take a call from leading producer Matt Butler, who had been very encouraging when he first heard Simon's work at Hereford Sixth Form College.

"Seven years after I sent him the demo he had found it, jammed down the side of the seat in a car he was about to sell. He played it and, like they always say, the rest is history,"

Simon, a former cathedral school chorister, a fact he is proud of but which he feels has little connection with the direction in which he is now taking his music, is about to release his first album, Tuesday Blue.

"Being a chorister was a priceless experience in learning about musical structure, but the style I'm pursuing now is in stark contrast to that," he says. "I do try to retain the professionalism I learnt there in what I do now."

Tuesday Blue features 14 tracks, many inspired by life in Hereford.

"The city has provided me with plenty of inspiration for my songs," he says, citing If You Were Me' in particular that talks about the house in which he grew up, No 55 Portfield Street, and Nothing Changes' - nothing changes in this old town/pickled in a time warp.' Simon's early dream was to become a Formula One racing driver, an ambition that ran hand in hand with, and has now been eclipsed by, his love of singing.

"My dad used to sing and play the guitar to me when I was small," he says. (He still follows Formula One and is gunning for Lewis Hamilton to win the championship this year!).

Inspired by his dad's copy of The Complete Beatles Songbook', he soon began writing his own material, which Matt Butler first heard almost a decade ago.

False starts have been something of a feature in Simon's musical journey so far - at 19, he left Hereford to study music in London but, disillusioned with the lack of creative freedom, he came back, taking a series of non-music related jobs.

Having serendipitously chanced on the lost CD, Matt immediately signed Simon up to Alto Records and the digital release of Tuesday Blue will be on November 5, produced by Matt, who has worked with major artists including Chris Rea, Paul McCartney, Dire Straits and Luther Vandross.

The album explores a range of subjects - from the death of a friend to racism and global warming. The opening track, Nothing Changes, could prove an anthem for many, describing as it does the monotony of everyday working life while Light describes the end of a relationship - subjects with universal appeal and the power to prompt a little contemplation.

FORMER cathedral chorister turned singer-songwriter, Simon Le Fort often has to pinch himself to prove that he's not dreaming.

Having shelved his ambition of a career in the music industry when a demo CD of his songs failed to attract any enthusiasm or offers, Simon was amazed earlier this year to take a call from leading producer Matt Butler, who had been very encouraging when he first heard Simon's work at Hereford Sixth Form College.

"Seven years after I sent him the demo he had found it, jammed down the side of the seat in a car he was about to sell. He played it and, like they always say, the rest is history,"

Simon, a former cathedral school chorister, a fact he is proud of but which he feels has little connection with the direction in which he is now taking his music, is about to release his first album, Tuesday Blue.

"Being a chorister was a priceless experience in learning about musical structure, but the style I'm pursuing now is in stark contrast to that," he says. "I do try to retain the professionalism I learnt there in what I do now."

Tuesday Blue features 14 tracks, many inspired by life in Hereford.

"The city has provided me with plenty of inspiration for my songs," he says, citing If You Were Me' in particular that talks about the house in which he grew up, No 55 Portfield Street, and Nothing Changes' - nothing changes in this old town/pickled in a time warp.' Simon's early dream was to become a Formula One racing driver, an ambition that ran hand in hand with, and has now been eclipsed by, his love of singing.

click now to listen to "If You Were Me"

"My dad used to sing and play the guitar to me when I was small," he says. (He still follows Formula One and is gunning for Lewis Hamilton to win the championship this year!).

Inspired by his dad's copy of The Complete Beatles Songbook', he soon began writing his own material, which Matt Butler first heard almost a decade ago.

False starts have been something of a feature in Simon's musical journey so far - at 19, he left Hereford to study music in London but, disillusioned with the lack of creative freedom, he came back, taking a series of non-music related jobs.

Having serendipitously chanced on the lost CD, Matt immediately signed Simon up to Alto Records and the digital release of Tuesday Blue will be on November 5, produced by Matt, who has worked with major artists including Chris Rea, Paul McCartney, Dire Straits and Luther Vandross.

The album explores a range of subjects - from the death of a friend to racism and global warming. The opening track, Nothing Changes, could prove an anthem for many, describing as it does the monotony of everyday working life while Light describes the end of a relationship - subjects with universal appeal and the power to prompt a little contemplation.

click now to listen to "Nothing Changes"

click now to listen to "Tuesday Blue"

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