DEBUT SINGLE RELEASE Simon's debut single, "spaced out refugee", is scheduled for release on Monday 14 April, and will be accompanied by live appearances. You can listen to this and other tracks at Simon's Myspace page. The video for the single is now finished and you can see it on this site by using the "video" navigation bar at the side of the page.
LIVE DATES Latest confirmed date is Wednesday 15 May at The Fly, London. Simon is also playing 4 live tracks and being interviewed on Southern Counties Radio and Radio Solent on Sunday 29 June. See live dates page for further information.
REVIEWS "spaced out refugee" - Playing Out Loud UK Multi-talented, animal loving and general all round good guy, local boy Simon Kent makes good with this sweet synth-led anthem, the quality of which would no doubt send it rushing to the top of the charts were it to originate from a more established name. The Portsmouth singer-songwriter writes, sings and plays every instrument on this (demonstrating that it is in fact possible to be a Jack Of All Trades while still mastering one's art) and in doing so comes up with something that has all the pop sensibilities of the eighties whilst not sounding the least bit dated. Look out for the next big thing from the city that gave us Joe Jackson and Gentle Giant.
"spaced out refugee" - Get Ready To Rock! With a classically trained musical background you would expect proficiency from someone who as well as singing plays every instrument (apart from drums) and impressing producer Phil Brown (Didi, Beth Gibbons, Talk Talk) not only to take on recording duties, but to proclaim Simon the best unsigned act he'd heard in a very long time. And as you would expect from the main soloist in an award winning boys choir, the vocals are spot on, while the music falls somewhere between The Moody Blues and Ultravox - soaring vocals, rock shaded pop and decent hooks.
"spaced out refugee" - Whisperinandhollerin He can certainly hit the high notes, and consequently sounds slightly like what Aled Jones might have done, had he absconded "Songs of Praise" and started singing Mansun. It's an interesting concept...his songs are genuinely massive, and bloom organically to fill your brain..."Spaced Out Refugee" is an apt title for his self-released single, that embraces the trippy, detached atmosphere that he conjures, like the soundtrack to a comfortable come-down after a highly weird evening.
"silence between us" - Disorder Magazine Simon Kent is now working with Cranes drummer Jon Callender and classical pianist Tim Drysdale. The outcome is this outstanding track. An echo of very early Muse and Radiohead, this song has power and composure all in one. Starting smoothly with gentle strum chords, it breaks into a dark and majestic melody mixing in perfectly with the deep and sombre lyrics. The climatic chorus is the highlight, followed by a cracking middle eight. This track has so many levels and carries you through many emotions, but not in a cluttered way. With the added soothing voice of singer Simon, this song truly is magnificent.
"spaced out refugee" - The Mag 'Spaced Out Refugee' is an indie-pop track with a hint of mistiness courtesy of a great keyboard sound. Simon's classical training means the vocal is largely under-used in the pop genre - reaching out towards its powerful roots towards the end of the chorus in a brief flicker of Morten Harket...Things head down the plaintive path for 'Turned to Rust', an accomplished acoustic-guitar led song with a great drum sound. The keyboards once more add the extra element, signalling the turning point of the song and getting ready for the big build...'Blissed' is a chill-out instrumental with a throbbing bass and eerie keyboards, occasionally stabbed with a sample...Simon Kent's music is all about a great vocal and cracking keyboard work. The other instruments have to find their own place in the pecking order.
"turned to rust"/ "spaced out refugee" - Die Shellsuit, Die! A joy to behold, ‘Turned to Rust' is relaxed and full of sparse beauty until an emphatic climax, while single ‘Spaced Out Refugee' is a more expansive Coldplay, New Order type affair. He can obviously mix things up.
"spaced out refugee" - Unearthed Treasures Taken from his debut album, pillo, Former Indigo Sun member Simon Kent has gone solo and is about to embark on releasing his debut single Spaced Out Refugee...Trained as a classical vocalist and with the ability to play every instrument on his recordings bar drums, Kent decided to undertake this momentous task and even managed to rope in producer Phill Brown to help with recording...Floating through with a backdrop of keys and an opening big guitar riff, Spaced Out Refugee falls highlights Kents versatile voice. Especially in the choruses where his note holding is echoed by the synthesizer and runs parallel with the guitar riff. The song definitely grows on you, as the amount of times you listen it, will reflect the amount of fine detail you can spot in the songs content.
FREE DOWNLOAD We are offering a free download of a demo of "Burning The Candle". You can download the track as a zip file from the bottom of the homepage here. This is the first in a series of free downloads which will be made available over the coming months.
