Simon Widdowson

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Simon Widdowson is an English producer, recording engineer, arranger, musician singer songwriter with over 30 years experience in the USA and Europe working with some of the most respected artists, recording engineers and producers. After spending many years touring and performing over 1000 concerts and releasing over a dozen albums Simon now lives in the South of France and works at Cream Tangerine Recording Studio near Montelimar.
Soaking up americana, blues and folk that showcases many skills! A superb songwriter, great musician and vocalist - this comes HEAVILY reccommended! At times it reminds me of American Music Club or even Mark Lanegan...CHECK!
Matthew Bradshaw, Jumbo Records Leeds, November 2016
After growing up in Leeds, Simon boarded a plane with an acoustic guitar and a suitcase full of records and in 1986 landed in Minneapolis Minnesota, sitting in with bands in bars on the West Bank, the Cabooze and Whiskey Junction and playing guitar in a blues band called Killing Floor, going on to front a power pop trio called Rainjackets and performing regularly at clubs around Minneapolis for several years. About 8 years later in 1994 relocated to Santa Fe New Mexico and began a period of touring across the USA, playing over 250 shows a year for several years. Playing acoustic guitar and harmonica in dusty saloons, college bars, theatres and festivals and driving almost every day across the desert, the Great Plains and the mountains his English pop roots merged with America's folk and blues. He has shared the stage with numerous artists such as; John Martyn, Peter Case, Dave Mason, Tom Paxton, Leo Kottke, Spin Doctors, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, RL Burnside, Clive Gregson, Deacon Blue, Crashtest Dummies, Subdudes and Peter Himmelman.
British transplant Simon Widdowson is a prolific, socially conscious songwriter who wears his heart on his sleeve and whose nimble phrasing recalls both Graham Parker and Van Morrison
Jim Walsh, Billboard Magazine


Widdowson moved to
Portland Oregon in the late 90's, built a Recording Studio and Artist Space called Are You Listening? and went on to record and produce many artists such as Decemberists, Pete Krebs, Little Sue, Charmparticles, Hindi Guns, Papillon, and borrowing some of their musicians to make 2 more of his own albums and occasionally perform live while gathering experience and developing a reputation as a producer, recording engineer and studio musician.

Simon Widdowson's Are You Listening? Studio, the soundlab responsible for some of the shiniest gems in Portland's recent pop past
Zach Dundas, Portland Willamette Week 2003
After 18 years in America, moved to Cork Ireland and played bass in a local rock band calledrio The Outside and keyboards in a folk pop group called Box Camera, playing occasional solo gigs and continuing work as a producer and recording engineer for several notable Irish bands such as Driven and Arm the Elderly. After 3 years in Ireland moved to France performing regularly with various musicians and working as a recording engineer and producer for several French artists such as Novox, Karimouche, Remingway, Zen Zila. In 2015 he retreated to his studio in a remote location near the mountains in the South of France to record the album. "Retractable Roots" and in 2017 released the acoustic album "Looking for the Sun".

Widdowson performs live both solo acoustic and also as a duo with cellist Isa Seon and in 2024 formed a new Trio featuring Tommy Rizzitelli on drums and Laurent Cokelaere on bass. This Trio is currently preparing materiel for live shows.

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Widdowson is a superior songwriter whose intelligent social and political commentary is never preachy because it's usually grounded in a personal context. Musically his adept mingling of rock and roll, folk elements and catchy pop hooks result in tunes remarkable for their depth and scope
Rick Mason, Minneapolis Star tribune