The Nelson Brothers

English roots rock outfit the Nelson Brothers consisted of Steve Nelson on vocals and guitar, Simon Nelson handling guitar along with dulcimer, keyboards and sitar, Ben Nicholls on bass, and Andrew Tween supplying drums and marimba. Their sound wove together New Orleans Cajun traditions, Celtic folk elements, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, all framed by the brothers’ clear-eyed songwriting. Raised in Stafford in England’s West Midlands, the pair participated in several local groups during their teenage years. Drawing inspiration from the recordings of Johnny Cash, Paul Simon, Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, and Bob Dylan, together with jazz and rock, they began composing original material while still in their teens. Their earliest ensemble, Alias, performed covers drawn from the Byrds and the Rolling Stones alongside self-penned numbers. The group captured both the new-talent and songwriting prizes in a nationwide contest backed by Pye Records, yet disbanded over creative disagreements prior to entering the studio. The brothers next headed to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, launching an extended global journey that carried them through Europe, North Africa, and America before they settled temporarily in Bermuda as regulars at the Bermuda Folk Club. After returning home they enrolled in college programs, with Steve attaining gold-medal standing at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and Simon concentrating on jazz guitar and composition. In 1983 Simon relocated to Australia for a year, collaborating with acts including the Arizona Smoke Revue; he rejoined Steve back in England the following year, the latter having just completed another period in Bermuda. The late eighties found both brothers pursuing further academic study, each earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and in 1990 they constructed a personal studio for demos and jingles. They also assembled a stable band around the lineup already described. Their first album appeared in November 1993, featuring contributions from Abdul Tee Jay of Sierra Leone, accordionist Geraint Watkins, and bouzouki player Sugar Hajischacalli. The title track “Hometown” was co-written with Steve Booker.