Singer-songwriter Simeon Hammond Dallas speaks to Jason Barnard about her imminent second EP ‘Make It Romantic’ and defying conventions with a sound that draws from blues, country and soul.
Hi Simeon – your new EP ‘Make It Romantic’ opens with the powerful ‘The Blues Is A Game’. Can you tell me about the inspiration behind that song?
I wrote this during a lockdown in 2020, when the Black Lives Matter movement gained a lot of traction, and people were posting black squares on Instagram as a demonstration of their support. It really frustrated me to see a number of my white peers post the squares, and claim their support of the movement in public, when I had experienced their insensitivity around race in the offline world. The Blues Is A Game is a call to remember where the blues comes from and the roots of it, which I feel are often lost on young white men who think it’s cool to play the blues but also make racist jokes.
Are there any particular themes that thread through the lyrics of the ‘Make It Romantic’ EP?
The EP definitely explores womanhood and the nuances of femininity, the songs can be quite different stylistically but they’re all autobiographical and it was written during a time when I could reflect on the effect of being a woman in spaces that are typically male dominated. Lockdown in the UK gave me a chance to catch my breath and realise how I felt about being there instead of just trying to survive it.
How do you write generally – do you start with a musical phrase or lyric?
Usually the two come about at the same time. I find that usually the lyric takes priority, though. So if I’m writing and the lyric I want to use doesn’t quite fit I will change the melody or rhythm to suit what I want to say rather than the other way around.
Your material, typified by ‘A Hundred Lovers’, sounds great given they are played by instruments, rather than just using processed samples. How would you describe your sound?
Thank you! This EP is the first collection of recordings in which I play all the guitars having only played rhythm guitar before, so I feel like I’m still exploring my guitar sound, but generally I’d describe it as bluesy country-soul.
What artists, past and present do you admire?
Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, BB King, Lauryn Hill, Alanis Morrisette, The Cranberries, Laura Marling, Brittany Howard, The Staves, Leonard Cohen, Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac, Father John Misty, Nina Simone.
What inspired you to first play music?
My dad says that he used to sing to me while I was in the womb, so there is a case to be made that it was that, but from what I consciously remember, I learned classical guitar at school, and I think generally growing up in a house where music was always playing, and there were always musical instruments laying around the house to be played, so it was kind of inevitable that I would start playing, but something intrinsic for the love of it made me carry on.
What’s the music scene like where you’re based?
I live in Camden Town, and I grew up here, so it’s very musical where I am. There’s lots of live music venues, from grassroots bars to bigger well known venues like the Jazz Cafe and Koko within minutes from each other.
What are your plans for the next year?
After the EP is released, I’m putting on a launch show at The Lexington in Kings Cross on the 22nd August, and then heading on a UK tour as support for Lady Nade in October. And then I would really like a little holiday and some fun adventures to turn into new songs!
