Simon Allen

Simon Allen

Simon Allen is an engineer and musician from Portadown in Northern Ireland. He picks up his first guitar at the age of 11 and begins writing songs before his 16th birthday, rather than focusing on playing other people’s material. Raised on music and religion, he moves to England when he is 18 and works for a time in a homeless hostel before going to Plymouth, where he studies briefly and leaves student accommodation after six months.

Early bands and later work

After leaving Plymouth, Allen moves to London with his band largeman. The group later ends, and he returns to the South West to spend time in the countryside and write new songs. He also forms The Simon Allen Trio with James Newton and Jon Head. In the periods between these projects, he continues working on his own songs and describes a first solo album, tentatively titled Hundreds and Thousands, as part of his work.

Personal background

Allen marries a woman he meets after seeing her with a black eye. They have two daughters, with the second arriving 17 months after the first. His music is presented as centred on strong songs, strong singers and melodic writing.