Redcliffe on the Murray

This Sunday

SINGER songwriter Simon Kelly's repetitious rootsy poetry is described somewhere between pop, rootsy folk, reggae, bluesy ska and demented country all held together by tight vocal harmonies and interesting and well written songs.

Kelly is one of the most talked about acts in the thriving Fremantle roots scene. He has toured with Blue King Brown, Ash Grunwald and The Audreys and has supported Lior, Jeff Martin, Serena Ryder, Bob Evans and many other national and international touring acts.

He has also performed at festivals across Australia, including Peats Ridge, Fairbridge and the Bridgetown Blues Festival.

Kelly cut his teeth playing in teen rock band Wasted Youth who supported the likes of Silverchair, You Am I, The Cruel Sea, Bad Religion and The Cramps, played The Big Day Out twice and toured Australia with Suicidal Tendencies all by the age of 19 years.

A lifestyle move from the city to the country after finishing a university degree provided a time for reflection and a backdrop for playing and developing his acoustic guitar stylings.

During this time Kelly also managed to tour Australia with a circus providing an interesting mix of life experiences and observations from which to draw inspiration from.

Kelly has recently completed a full length album, which was released in September to full houses in both Perth and the South West.

The album was recorded by industry veteran Jeremy Allom, who has worked with names such as Bjork, Massive Attack and David Bowie.

The album features performances from some of Western Australia’s best musicians, including Shaun Sibbes (Eskimo Joe), Alex Archer (Kill Devil Hills), and Ben Franz (the Waifs).

Kelly’s music has also featured in several American prime time television shows including Cane, Samantha Who and Army Wives and he has composed the score to a feature film (Uneven Ground) that is currently screening at film festivals across the world and contains many original songs performed by the Simon Kelly Band.