Biography
The Nelson Brothers formed an English roots rock band whose members included Steve Nelson on vocals and guitar, Simon Nelson playing guitar, dulcimer, keyboards and sitar, Ben Nicholls on bass, and Andrew Tween handling drums and marimba. Their style merged New Orleans Cajun traditions, Celtic folk, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms with the brothers’ lucid songwriting. Raised in Stafford, West Midlands, England, the Nelsons played in several local groups during their teenage years. Drawing from Johnny Cash, Paul Simon, Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, and Bob Dylan albums along with jazz and rock, the pair started composing original material while still in their teens. Their initial outfit, Alias, performed live sets mixing Byrds and Rolling Stones covers with self-penned tracks. Alias claimed both the new talent and songwriting prizes in a national contest backed by Pye Records, yet disbanded over musical differences prior to entering the studio. The brothers next traveled to Amsterdam, Netherlands, launching a global itinerary that crossed Europe, North Africa, America, and ended in Bermuda, where they became regulars at the Bermuda Folk Club. After returning to England they enrolled in college programs, with Steve attaining gold medal standard at the London Academy Of Music and Dramatic Art and Simon focusing on jazz guitar and composition. In 1983 Simon relocated to Australia for a year, collaborating with acts including the Arizona Smoke Revue, before rejoining Steve in England the following year after Steve’s latest Bermuda residency. The late 1980s found both brothers back in higher education, each completing Bachelor and Masters degrees, and in 1990 they constructed a personal demo and jingle studio. They then assembled a stable band around the lineup noted above. Their debut album appeared in November 1993, featuring guest contributions from Abdul Tee Jay from Sierra Leone, Geraint Watkins on accordion, and Sugar Hajischacalli on bouzouki. The title track, “Hometown,” was co-written with Steve Booker.
Albums