About
Emily & the Simons are an Anglo-Belgian Balfolk trio. They met in England’s Peak District, at the folk festival “Skint” and began to perform together professionally soon after. Their music is centred around Emily’s compositions, drawing inspiration from life's encounters and the energy of the dance-floor.
Their style is highly expressive and improvisatory, full of passion, tenderness and playfulness. With a wide repertoire ranging from exquisite, sensual mazurkas to joyful, driving bourrées, their music transports the imagination, stirs the feet and uplifts the spirit.
Emily bowden
UK - Fiddle
Emily Bowden is a musician, composer and teacher from London. She began her musical life as a classical violinist, and fell in love with folk music and improvisation in her early twenties. She discovered the world of Balfolk initially as a dancer, and honed her skills as a dance-musician playing at Clandestine Mazurkas in London’s parks and at European folk festivals. The freedom and exhilaration of dance and the special interplay between musician and dancer are sources of great inspiration in her musical writing.
Emily Bowden – UK (Fiddle) ist eine Musikerin, Komponistin und Lehrerin aus Sheffield. Sie begann ihr musikalisches Leben als klassische Geigerin und verliebte sich in ihren frühen Zwanzigern in den Folk und die Improvisation. Sie entdeckte die Welt des Balfolk zunächst als Tänzerin und verfeinerte ihre Fähigkeiten als Tanzmusikerin bei Clandestine Mazurkas in Londoner Parks und auf europäischen Folk-Festivals. Die Freiheit und Beschwingtheit des Tanzes und das besondere Zusammenspiel von Musikern und Tänzern sind Quellen großer Inspiration für ihr musikalisches Schaffen.
Simon dumpleton
UK - Chromatic accordion
Simon Dumpleton is a multi-instrumentalist, music producer and sound engineer, based in Sheffield and working primarily in the field of British and European folk music. He adores playing music for dancing and, aside from Balfolk, is highly experienced as a ceilidh musician. He has played in the UK and abroad with many folk artists and bands including Bella Hardy, Kirsty Bromley, Bright Season, Bobbing Joe and Trinculo.
Simon Dumpleton – UK (chromatisches Akkordeon) ist ein Multiinstrumentalist, Musikproduzent und Tontechniker, der in Sheffield lebt und hauptsächlich im Bereich der britischen und europäischen Folkmusik arbeitet. Er liebt es, Musik zum Tanzen zu spielen und hat neben Balfolk auch viel Erfahrung als Ceilidh-Musiker. Er hat im Vereinigten Königreich und im Ausland mit vielen Folk-Künstlern und -Bands gespielt, darunter Bella Hardy, Kirsty Bromley, Bright Season, Bobbing Joe und Trinculo.
simon laffineur
BE - Guitar
Simon Laffineur began his musical journey in Belgium. Starting with classical music, finger-picking, and singing around the campfire, he arrived in the infinite land of folk and traditional music. He stopped for a while in Ireland, the UK, Sweden, Romania and France, finding a fiddle and a good pair of dance shoes on the way. He remains curious and happy about all the unexpected meetings along the path. His former bands include A Consommer De Préférence, Waar is Boris? and Orbal. Simon is also a singer-songwriter for young audiences and families (Trio Chansons d'Enfance). He also plays for balfolk with Michel Jacqumain (Tout l'barda !).
Simon Laffineur – BE (Gitarre) begann seine musikalische Reise in Belgien. Angefangen mit klassischer Musik, Fingerpicking und Singen am Lagerfeuer, gelangte er in das unendliche Land des Folk und der traditionellen Musik. Sein Leben führte ihn nach Irland, dem Vereinigten Königreich, Schweden, Rumänien und Frankreich und unterwegs fand er eine Fiedel und ein gutes Paar Tanzschuhe. Er ist immer noch neugierig und glücklich über all die unerwarteten Begegnungen auf seinem Weg. Zu seinen früheren Bands gehören A Consommer De Préférence, Waar is Boris? und Orbal.
Tour dates 2024
Hey ! Discover our brand new album "Promise" ! Contact us if you would like to have us, if you organise bals or festivals wherever you live.
- 26th November 2023 - Bal Folk Bristol (to be confirmed) - (UK)
- 31st December 2024 - New year's bal @ Herk - (BE)
See Previous dates 2017-2024
Media
pictures
Tickets
Emily Bowden and Simon Dumpleton give a live performance of self-penned compositions for listening and dancing which will be live-streamed too. Join us to listen or dance or both!
We'll be playing in the beautiful acoustic of St. Andrew's Psalter Lane Church and arranging the room so that dancers and seated audience will always have a clear view of the stage. Windows and doors will be open to create airflow through the building.
Please be aware this is a live-streamed event and some of the seating and dancing areas will be in-shot. However, there will also be seating and dancing areas out of shot for anyone who doesn't want to appear on-camera.
Thanks for your interest in our gig!
You can access the live-stream here: https://youtu.be/NFndFMLAEq8
You will receive a confirmation email shortly...
Please transfer the amount to the following bank account :
UK details
Sort code: 23-14-70
Account number: 48740993
European details
IBAN: BE91 9670 2445 5076
BIC: TRWIBEB1XXX
Simon Dumpleton
TransferWise Europe SA
Square de Meeûs 38 bte 40
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Please include your name so we know for sure which payment is yours.
"Outstanding bal-folk with Belgian and English influence... A lovely trip to the Southbank centre in Bristol for an evening dancing to Emily and her band. Playing a mix of their own tunes and some Belgian trad ones they kept the floor filled with happy dancers all night."
Alasdair Paton
albumS
SECOND CD "Promise" NOW Available
We're very happy to release our second CD: "Promise", a new collection of 10 tunes composed by Emily, Simon and Simon, arranged by the three of us. The two albums are available now and you can purchase them here or at one of our future gigs - see you there!
The albums are also available digitally on Bandcamp. It includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality file downloads in MP3 and FLAC formats and more. Just click on the "buy" button on the Bandcamp player below.
We would like to deeply thank all the people who helped in making our new CD and who contributed to the crowdfunding. We are humbled by your generosity.
"I had just a wonderful evening of dancing. There was a real feeling of connection between music and dance, and between musician and dancer. The melodies and harmonies were lovingly crafted, but at the same time there was a sense of exuberance and spontaneity which really brought out the creative side of the dance."
Isla Zhang, organiser of Edinbal (Balfolk in Edinburgh)
PRO
Dear organizers, you will find in this section all the information needed for promoting your event along with technical specifications for the band.
Chers organisateurs/trices, vous trouverez dans cette section toutes les informations pour promouvoir votre évènement ainsi que les besoins techniques des musiciens.
English blurb :
Emily & the Simons are an Anglo-Belgian Balfolk trio. They met in England’s Peak District, at the folk festival “Skint” and began to perform together professionally soon after. Their music is centred around Emily’s compositions, drawing inspiration from life's encounters and the energy of the dance-floor.
Their style is highly expressive and improvisatory, full of passion, tenderness and playfulness. With a wide repertoire ranging from exquisite, sensual mazurkas to joyful, driving bourrées, their music transports the imagination, stirs the feet and uplifts the spirit.
Présentation en français :
Emily & The Simons est un trio folk belgo-anglais formé en novembre 2016 dans le Yorkshire. Ces trois musiciens partagent leur goût d'un bal contrasté autour des compositions d'Emily inspirées de l'énergie des parquets européens et des rencontres au gré de la danse. Ils distillent de nostalgiques mazurka, des scottishs à oublier tous ses soucis, des bourrées qui vous alignent les vertèbres. Ils laissent une bonne part à l'improvisation et à la complicité qui les unit pour vous emmener dans la danse.
Präsentationstext :
Emily & the Simons sind ein anglo-belgisches Balfolk-Trio. Im Mittelpunkt ihrer Musik stehen Emilys Kompositionen, die sich von den Begegnungen im Leben und der Energie auf der Tanzfläche inspirieren lassen. Ihr Stil ist sehr ausdrucksstark,voller Improvisation, Leidenschaft, Zärtlichkeit und Verspieltheit. Mit einem breiten Repertoire, das von exquisiten, sinnlichen Mazurken bis zu fröhlichen, treibenden Bourrées reicht, regt ihre Musik die Fantasie an, bewegt die Füße und hebt den Geist.
Beim Balfolk wird eine bunte Mischung aus Paar-, Kreis- und Kettentänzen getanzt. Viele Tänze können schnell gelernt und mitgetanzt werden.
The band may play unplugged for concerts if the venue is appropriate.
Le groupe peut également se produire en acoustique pour une formule concert si la configuration de la salle est appropriée.
Click on the pictures and download what you need to promote your event / Cliquez sur les photos et téléchargez-les pour votre promotion.