Simon Scardanelli Biography

Simon Scardanelli has been singing, writing and recording since the age of 16. He has worked extensively in Europe and the USA , and has at various times been based in London, Amsterdam, Munich, New York and Los Angeles. Having been signed to both major and independent labels, Simon has an uncompromising attitude to his work and now releases independently through Resonator Records. As one reviewer wrote of the his 2007 album - “ You never know what is lurking around That Dangerous Sparkle's dark corner, but whatever it is will always shock and surprise. Scardanelli is always prepared to take a risk, and we should all hope that it is this experimentation that is the future of British singer-songwriters.”

A charismatic and engaging performer, Simon's live shows are peppered with wry anecdotes and dry, self-deprecating humour – he is able to look back on a long and varied career with an ironic appreciation of its highs and lows. But it is the quality of songwriting and singing that will ring in your ears after a Scardanelli gig – as Sound on Sound wrote – “Simon's greatest asset is a fantastic singing voice…his performance on tracks such as “They Dance” bear comparison to the likes of Scott Walker.”

Simon Scardanelli enjoyed chart success in the late eighties with Anglo-Canadian duo Big Bam Boo (MCA) scoring a top 20 radio hit in the US in March 1989, after which the band re-located to New York. Following the demise of Big Bam Boo Scardanelli remained in New York , composing installation works for Art Events and experimental films, as well as performing at acoustic venues along the East Coast. A regular at the infamous Lach's AntiFolk nights at the Sidewalk Café in New York's bohemian East Village , Scardanelli released the darkly challenging cult album The Eye Camera - Death Row Tales (Red Line) in 1994. Scardanelli returned to London in 1995 before moving to Brighton to take a degree in 20th Century Music at Sussex University . Disappearing from the live circuit, Scardanelli put his energies into experimenting with sonic-composition. He is currently writing up his PhD in Electro-acoustic & Acousmatic Composition at Birmingham University.

Scardanelli returned to the live scene in 2005, releasing HOBOHEMIA (Resonator Records), his first album in over 10 years. Scardanelli's songs combine gritty realism with soaring melody and quirky English eccentricity. Simon Scardanelli was given a rapturous welcome at the Wheaton Aston Festival and at Festival at the Edge in 2005, and now plays selected festivals and acoustic shows as the mood takes him.

An outstanding performer, Simon Scardanelli has been building a strong reputation for his live shows since 2005. His latest album - "That Dangerous Sparkle" - was released 11th June 2007 and further consolidated his standing as an intriguing and innovative singer-songwriter.