Hot on the heels of new single, Judgement Day, and ahead of a summer filled with releases, Damian Robinson caught up with local singer-songwriter Simon Taylor to find out more about his new music.

You’re about to release your new single “Judgement Day”. Could you explain a little about the premise of the song please?

I was living in a heavily student-populated area when, in July 2020, I had the misfortune to be lumbered with some nightmare neighbours who made my life a misery with their antisocial behaviour. By the time I wrote “Judgement Day” in January 2022 about this whole situation myself and my neighbours were embroiled in practically an ugly feud and I ended up having to move home a few months later for the good of my sanity.

There’s an interesting sound on “Judgement”, ho worked on the production and what studio techniques did you use?

Lisa Murphy of Blank Studios produced “Judgement Day” but as for any studio techniques used I’m afraid I’m entirely in the dark owing to my ignorance in this area. By the time I recorded the track last year a whole host of terrible events had befallen me as an indirect consequence of what happened with my neighbours and it is a wonder the song has come out sounding as cohesive as it hopefully does.

There seems to be a really important centre to the heart of the story – could you say a few words about the type of impact you want “Judgement” to have?

The tone of the song is almost Old Testament-like in its finger-wagging approach. The song is basically saying that the person in question is going to have to answer for their actions at some point.

Will you be having a launch party for “Judgement”, or doing any gig work to support its release? Unfortunately not as I’ve been struggling a bit recently with my energy levels due to strong medication that I was put on when I became unwell last year. But I’m cutting those meds down and hope to be back out gigging again soon.

“Judgement” is the first of a trilogy of summer releases. Could you tell us a little about what is to come and when the future singles will arrive?

I’ve recently decided to release the singles as part of an e.p called “Karma” that will be released in November 2023. So basically there will be songs getting released every two months from April until the e.p comes out in November. There may well be a launch night then but we will see.

Judgement Day is out now.