Newcastle-based singer-songwriters Simon Taylor & Lesley Roley share a love of 60’s and 70’s singer-songwriters such as Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, which has informed their frequently musically mellow but lyrically biting originals. Lesley performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 2010 while on tour around the UK performing at major venues in support of the legendary American singer-songwriter Don McLean. She has accrued many years of experience performing solo, in bands and, more recently, as one of the group leaders of Aukestra, an ensemble of neurodivergent musicians who have performed in Europe as well as around the UK.

Simon has been releasing and performing his rock, pop and Latin originals regularly since 2011. From 2012-2018 his Latin/ jazz/ funk 5-piece band Simon Taylor & The Sundowners performed across the North-East including at festivals as well as a headline show at the O2 Academy in Newcastle in 2018. More recently he has been performing solo and received funding from the UK music charity Help Musicians to create a new e.p which he released in February 2025 called “Northern Star”. Both Lesley and Simon offer warm on-stage presences, drawing from their personal experiences to communicate with audiences musically and emotionally.