I only bought my first Simon Love record in 2015, which makes me preposterously late to the party, especially as Mr. Love’s domain is Cardiff, where I have worked for 30 years. It was a set at the Buffalo Bar, as part of the Sŵn festival, where our paths finally crossed. There is a photo somewhere of the two of us, taken at the Welsh Music Prize later that year, or perhaps the next. I must make clear that I’m not claiming any personal friendship here, I simply ambushed him for that photo op because he was wearing a startling white suit and, as a fan of the original Randall and Hopkirk series, I just couldn’t let the chance to pretend that I was Jeff and that he was Marty pass me by.
Anyways, It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time was a knockout album and was followed by the equally well-received Sincerely, S. Love x (2018) and Love Sex and Death (2022), both for Tapete in Germany.
It has always been my intention, although I haven’t taken a single step forward in that direction yet, to check out the work of The Loves, the band Simon fronted in the first decade of the century. There are no less than four albums and four Peel Sessions to trawl through. I sense a New Year’s Resolution in the air.
Swirling goth-rock from the big voice behind '90s outfit Sunshine Blind, featuring a who's-who of dark underground denizens. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 31, 2020
The enigmatic Frank Ene's solo record lives in a magical world where Serge Gainsbourg fronts Yellow Magic Orchestra. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 17, 2022