A MUSICIAN who played with Lindisfarne has started a record label aiming to kick start the careers of talented singer-songwriters from the region.
Steve Cunningham played bass with the iconic North East band from 1989 until 1994, including the Gazza-Lindisfarne Fog on the Tyne hit single.
He’s now the main man behind BoomChang Records, which has just released its first single. Happy New Year, by Simma, a song about a party that was so good nobody wanted it to end.
Simma – real name Anthony Simpson – is an accomplished singer-songwriter from Benwell who runs the Acoustic Circus at Tyneside Cinema.
Influenced by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Kinks and Lindisfarne’s Alan Hull, Simma’s album will be coming out on BoomChang in the New Year.
The 36-year-old has been a professional musician for seven years and has been playing for 20 years. He first met Steve at a Lindisfarne gig and has now played with every surviving member of the band.
Steve said: “Simma brings a great formula of words and music to the mix.
“I’m looking for more up and coming singer songwriters in the Tyneside, Northumberland and Durham areas.”
Although Simma is well-established locally and has material for this, his second album, Steve is also looking for musicians who maybe don’t have as many original songs who are interested in releasing singles or appearing on compilation albums.
“It’s about fostering their talent,” said Steve, who has an impressive pedigree himself in addition to his work with Lindisfarne.
Starting off his professional life as musician in a country and western club band when he was 14, he learned his craft as a sound engineer with Newcastle Prism at 17. He toured worldwide with Lindisfarne and with The Proud Ones, the band he joined afterwards, and has toured with and supported top acts from David Bowie to Midge Ure and Paul Young.
BoomChang Records is a sideline to Steve’s day job as chief sound engineer for God TV, which also takes him round the globe producing TV shows.
He said: “I’ve been in my main job for a decade now and I thought starting my own label would give me the chance to indulge in my passion for music and support some of the huge pool of talent we’ve got here in the region.”
The single can be downloaded here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/happy-new-year-single/id586467711
Or BoomChang http://www.boomchang.mu
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Photo shows Simma and Steve in the studio.
Photo 2 Shows Steve