Simeon Walker

In October of 2021, Leeds-based pianist and composer Simeon Walker released a 4-track EP titled Imprints. I absolutely loved the sounds of the quiet, delicate, and sentimental piano recorded in Walker’s living room, which was subsequently mastered by Martyn Hayne and published as a charming brief release with artwork by Gregory Euclide. I’ve premiered a piece from that first volume, titled “Gleam”, and you can listen to it here. On March 17th of 2023, Walker returns with the second instalment in the series of Imprints, with four more gentle tracks, one of which I am sharing for you today, along with a beautiful video, or shall I even say a short film, directed by Will Killen and featuring Dawn Bryant. The video draws your attention to the inevitable movement of time, always forward, always fleeting, forever retaining those short precious moments that seem to be held in the memories of our past. Deeply moving and melancholic, the music is a perfect soundtrack to the emotions stirred up by the film. “The gently fluctuating wave of melodic pitch and harmonic sequences references the ups and downs of life, at times settling on moments of openness and brightness interspersed with tighter, more emotionally-wrought passages.” Heyne and Euclide are back once again in the company of this self-release, and I think that you can agree that there is plenty to applaud here in this small gorgeous package. “Pouring his authenticity and integrity into every element of his creative output, the ‘Imprints’ series find beauty in the liminal spaces between faces, places, songs and sounds…”

I lost both of my grandmothers last year, which represented something of a closing of a chapter in my family, with the last close relative from that generation passing away. They saw and experienced so much change and development in their lifetime, living through important world events and experiencing significant societal change, but at heart, for them, and for most people, it is the relationships with the people closest to them which mattered most. Not always easy nor simple, with plenty of challenges along the way, but real, genuine and true – life in focus reflected on through the mists of time.

— Simeon Walker

‘Crave’ takes me to a place of loss, craving a past life. I instantly thought of my grandmother and the recent passing of her husband, Arthur. She’s a big fan of Simeon’s music, and we both agreed that it’d be a lovely tribute to film something for it. Thankfully, Simeon trusted my gut on this one, so my grandmother and I spent an afternoon diving through dusty old family tapes while listening to Crave and capturing her reaction. I definitely haven’t cried this much while making a video before, it’s one that’s almost too close to home, but my proudest work yet.

— Will Killen

Once again, the self-released 4-track EP is out on March 17th, available via all of your favourite digital platforms or directly from Simeon Walker’s Bandcamp. Be sure to also catch Simeon in concert – you can check out the latest tour dates listed on his Bandcamp page.