Simon James to play the Hot Press Lockdown Sessions tonight

Tonight on the Hot Press Lockdown Sessions, we're delighted to present Simon James – streaming live on the Hot Press Instagram at 7.30pm.

A multi-talented Irish creative, Simon first came to prominence as an actor – appearing alongside Cate Blanchett, Brenda Fricker and Colin Farrell in Veronica Guerin, as the title character's son at just six-years-old. He went on to feature in two Oscar-nominated short films.

As a musician, Simon draws influence from the upbeat pop sounds of Maroon 5, Charlie Puth and Clean Bandit – as showcased on his latest single , 'Skylar's Got A Gun', which he wrote alongside David Asante (James Arthur, Lauren Faith).

"I took inspiration from artists that I listen to and look up to combining darker lyrics against a happy melodic chord progression," Simon says. "It tells a story about a relationship between a man and his ex ‘Skylar’. It talks about the honeymoon phase people are all too familiar about to then realising what was once thought to be love is actually insanity. In a nutshell, Skylar is your crazy ex girlfriend.

"Marrying this concept with a strong but cool pop production, I was able to achieve the sound I was looking for. Keeping it simple and keeping it fun. Like all songs, this is to be interpreted differently by each listener, hopefully making it relatable to anyone who listens to it. It’s crazy to think a song that was partly written in my bedroom and also produced from a laptop on a desk beside my bed, will be my proudest work to date.’’

Throughout the Lockdown Sessions, our star-studded line-up will be taking over the Hot Press Instagram account (@hotpressmagazine), and live-streaming performances from their homes around the world directly to your phone.

We encourage everyone who enjoys Simon's performance tonight to support him through this difficult time for musicians by buying his music.

Watch Simon James on the Hot Press Lockdown Sessions – live from the Hot Press Instagram tonight, May 21, at 7.30pm.