The Sheffield Scenester

I knew Simon Kaviani (Vocalist/Guitarist for Darke Horse) had gone to Nashville (America) a while ago – way back in January!...although just recently I noticed on The Plugs screen he was back...in fact no sooner had he landed back on British soil, he was sat on the Plug’s small stage playing his new solo material for a small gathering to hear. I managed to catch up with Simon just before the gig for a little chat...

SS: So, why did you go to Nashville?

SK:I went to Nashville for a couple of reasons...firstly I wasn't getting much time to write songs over here with my job and general 'life' getting in the way! I wasn't getting much time to be creative...so I wanted to go away somewhere where I could have some time to concentrate on writing songs. Nashville was the only place for me...The Mecca for all songwriters!

SS: And what was it like over there....has the visit been a good source of inspiration?

SK: It was amazing. The place is crawling with talent...singers, songwriters, musicians. At first it made me feel very wary of my own abilities...but once I'd gotten my head around it all...I just had to raise my game! My time in Nashville was so valuable...I learned so much, met so many amazing people and wrote some great songs! Once you get into the creative process, it just keeps on flowing ...there is no such thing as 'writers block' in Nashville!

SS: So, did you meet any interesting people?

SK: In my second week I met the guy who runs the entire of Warner Music and we got on really well, which is never a bad thing! Met loads of publishers, pluggers, promoters, anyone and everyone you could think of! That's why they call it Music City. I also got to write with the lady who had a number 1 hit last year with Balke Shelton's 'She Wouldn't Be Gone'...which was fantastic! Then there were all the amazing new artists...everyone was interesting!

SS: Now you’re back on British soil, what’s happening with Darke Horse?

SK: Darke Horse is still going. I wrote a batch of songs for the band whilst I was out there...so it's now a case of getting those songs down and continuing right where we left off and chasing world domination!

SS: And what’s the future got in store for Simon Kaviani?

SK: I have no idea! Darke Horse has been and always will be my main priority...so I'll keep writing and working hard with the band and the music business in general and hope that someone, somewhere along the way, likes what we do enough to back us and give us a deal of some sort. I'm also continuing with the tribute band 'The Thin Lizzy Experience' which is also going very well!

With that I decided to hear his new material first hand at The Plug...

The Plug was fairly quiet really...but the people present were a very supportive crowd who were obviously interested in Simon’s new material. I have to say Simon looked quite nervous tonight...he wasn’t portraying his usual confident stage persona...in fact he stated that some of the songs he was going to play would be the first time he’d played them! Also I’m not sure the lighting helped...he had a bright red light beaming so hard down on him he was blinking quite a bit too....so Simon didn’t really look that comfortable either...

The first acoustic track was called ‘Laura’ which was delicately accompanied by a harmonica...the sound was very listenable and the clarity of the vocals were top notch....you could tell these were heartfelt lyrics that had been very carefully put together. The next song was about trying to find that special someone called ‘Love will Find You’....which proved to be quite a lively acoustic song...I enjoyed this one very much and I was quite impressed with the sound...especially since he had one solitary guitar. Simon by now was looking more comfortable and confident...after all the applause he’d just received was very supportive. Although the best was yet to come...‘One Way Up’ had a wonderful melodic start, this one also had a very learnable chorus...I found myself singing away to the chorus after the first time I heard it...very catchy! I think the crowd agreed with me on this one...because Simon received cheers as well as applause this time! You could see Simon was pleased with the response and now he was becoming more recognisable as the Simon most of us already knew (and not as someone just playing a guitar). The next song ‘Bring A Little Love’ had a faster feel to it...and yet again with captivating lyrics...I seem to remember thinking that this one would be a good song to develop with the full Darke Horse rock treatment! The next song ‘Button on Your shirt’ is about not having any money but knowing that you’ve always got life’s priorities...family and friends. It did occur to me that this particular song may have been written when he was at the point where he was missing his loved ones whilst he was away. This was a much slower song....quite relaxing to listen to really. The lyrics were more abstract...and less literal...yep another good one. His last song ‘Fools Rush In’ was another slow track and very delicately played...this one out of all of them sounded the most American....to me anyway! It really finished off his set well. I have to say I’m glad I got the opportunity to see his new songs in quite a raw state, and I think his break to Nashville has worked well....after all if this is the quality he is coming out with then it’s worth the plane fair alone. I’m looking forward to see how these songs are developed and if any make the setlist of the next Darke Horse gig.

Words/Photos Gail Buckthorpe