"Satisfying songs with bite, edge and contemporary relevance..."

An attractive set of efficiently crafted "acoustic soul-based folk-rock" from Simon, a singer-songwriter operating on the fringes of the London acoustic scene. Satisfying songs with bite, edge and contemporary relevance, mostly centred around life, love and the state of England today.

fROOTS Magazine, April 2007 edition.

"... a new Richard Thompson."

Simon Hopper has lurked in the shadows of the London Folk scene since the early nineties, when he hosted the Bromley Acoustic music Club and opened for visiting luminaries, including Bert Jansch, Wizz Jones and Tom Robinson. With a new album, A Land For The Many, he is now pushing himself into te limelight, and has been greeted by some critics as a new Richard Thompson.

Douglas McPherson. The Stage.

"... recommended for fans of Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson or Steve Tilston."

Singer/songwriter based folk music doesn't come much better than this and this is heartily recommended for fans of Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson or Steve Tilston.

Jason Ritchie, Classic Rock Newswire.

"... a gem that sparkles in its many facets."

A Land For The Many is a traditional-sounding album with contemporary lyrics at its core, showing that both band and music are highly relevant in the 21st century. Folk's the music of the common man and this album highlights the need to take back our symbols of common heritage from the far right that tries to exploit them to the detriment of us all. A Land For The Many is about people, places, politics and ideas. The Simon Hopper Band have produced a gem that sparkles in its many facets.

Neil Fatea, Cambridge and Beyond

"The lyrics are razor sharp..."

Story telling is an ancient foundation of folk music - The Simon Hopper Band prove that foundation remains good and strong. They also prove that poignant lyrics, tight harmonies and beautiful musicianship will always reach out and touch you.

There are hundreds of songs cataloguing the waste of the First World War, they are angry, resentful, hate filled and powerful. Jeffery and Robert and I reflects on that tragedy to create a song that is simply beautiful. And that's no criticism - the beauty of the song juxtaposes perfectly with the pain of its subject. Spot on guys, a modern view of that carnage with an incredibly personal edge - an edge that makes you cry.

Simon and the band continue their story telling with the power of Bodies in the Way. There's something about this haunting song that combines the anguish of the 'protest song' with the fatalism of speaking out against 'the system'. The lyrics are razor sharp - 'like a bystander on Kristallnacht' - and delivered with love and care. Absolute proof, if proof were needed that The Simon Hopper Band is a band you should not miss.

Tim Carroll, FolkWords

"... passion and professionalism..."

The band were great fun, & their passion & professionalism in the studio made for an excellent interview & session. The Simon Hopper Band would be welcome back any time.

Mark Seaman, BBC Radio Wiltshire, Afternoon Show.

"A good song with some very pointed lyrics... and at last I know how to pronouce the word!"

Genevieve Tudor - BBC Radio Shropshire

"... listen to this, there is much to enjoy here."

This is an album that frankly you will either like or not. I know that might sound obvious but all too often many of us are set in our ways and don't listen outside of the things that we are comfortable with. That being the case we end up missing out on some fine things. I have been a bit guilty of that in respect of folk music and this new CD by Simon and his band falls, I suppose, generally within the folk genre.

The album begins with the title track and this is pure folk as it tells the story of immigration from all points of the compass and the fear it can instill. When the line about the St George's cross being lost to the far right and the need to wrest it back again is sung it reminds a little of sentiment of Steve Knightley's song Roots. Then there is a distinctly Spanish/Calypso feel to A Body Needs A Body To Hold and by track threes Bodies In The Way we are in singer songwriter mode, similar to some of Harry Chapin's work. For me that one, and When You Fall Out Of Love are the standout songs. This very observant writing cuts to the chase of what we feel as we lose what attracted us to a lover in the first place.

The slightly disturbing dig at political correctness in The Ballad Of Verity Childe has hung around in my head since I first played this CD. Two songs about the craziness of war The Waters Run Fresh and the juxtaposition of 'touring quickly' the battlefields of WW1 and the actual massive loss of life on all sides Jeffrey And Robert And I are very strong. So go on, step over the line a little and listen to this, as there is much to enjoy here.

Graeme Scott, Blues Matters/Classic VRM Radio.

"... loved it all."

Beautifully designed & packaged - great opening track & all the tracks are well instrumented with the lyrics & their message to the fore. A nice balance of acoustic & electric sounds, a mixture of recorded ambiences & a pocketful of very singalong-able songs - loved it all.

Shreds and Patches Folk Magazine

"... thoughtful and highly enjoyable..."

It would be unfair to single out any particular track on this thoughtful and highly enjoyable album.

Folk Diary

"... charming, heartfelt songs..."

As a studio guest Simon Hopper is ready to sell his charming, heartfelt songs acoustically and professionally, the bonus is that he is an entertaining down to earth bloke that you wouldn't mind sharing a beer with.

Sue Marchant, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Evening Show

"This great team of musicians..."

Singer/songwriter Simon Hopper has been shadowing the folk/roots scene in London for going on two decades.

A Land For The Many is a collection of eleven songs written by Hopper telling new stories through new songs evolving around the subjects of life, love and loss. Hopper takes his influences from such artists as Joni Mitchell, Loudon Wainwright, Ron Sexsmith and Dylan. With an old English folk character the album kicks off with a song about the immigrants who've come to Britain to work and find a new life. Embracing multi-culturalism the song tells how the British populace is a melting pot of many nationals who have settled here since the Romans came in the first century AD, right up to the current day eastern Europeans.

Cherry picking through the album When You Fall Out of Love, Waters Run Fresh and I Fell By The River stand out. One track in particular that sits above the rest is Jeffrey and Robert and I, telling of a trip through France with the trio singing along to Nancy Griffith. We pass through the area where thousands of Anzac soldiers died in The Great War and touches the heart very much as Eric Bogle did several years ago with No Man's Land (Green Fields of France) poetry straight from the soul!! Anzac was the name given to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

This great team of musicians easily weave their magical spell with strong vocals from Hopper and stunning harmony from Andee Price as they explore the listener's emotions. With A Land For The Many Hopper takes traditional-sounding music combined with contemporary lyrics to produce a folk album with a current day resonance

Graham Lees, Music Maker Magazine.

"... a seasoned confidence as both a singer and a writer."

What does it mean to be English in the 21st century? It's a question explored in the songs of Billy Bragg, Richard Thompson and, now, The Simon Hopper Band.

Hopper is a new name to me but 20 years in the background of London's folk scene has given him a seasoned confidence as both a singer and a writer. Very much in the Thompson style, he has a warm vocal and instrumental presence and, while his politics may not be for everyone, his relationship songs, such as When You Fall Out Of Love are spot-on.

Doug McPherson, Truck and Driver Magazine

"His songs are topical, wordy and intelligent."

British folk/roots artists rarely get the air-play they deserve and Simon Hopper is no exception. His songs are topical, wordy and intelligent. They do not pull any political punches and they try their damnedest to seek a deeper context or reference point in a quest for understanding. They fearlessly draw upon instruments and rhythms from outside the accepted canon.

The title track, for example, is a traditional picker's ballad about immigration. The media's knee-jerk responses to Eastern European migration are countered by a timely reminder that Britain has always been a cultural melting pot: be it an influx of West Indians in the 1950s; the Nineteenth Century Irish navvies who constructed much of our Victorian infrastructure, or as far back as the Celts and Anglo Saxons who've all contributed to and are part of a nation that loves to wrap itself in the cross of St George. Yet all at one time or another were regarded as foreigners.

Elsewhere, in Bodies in the Way he urges us to physically oppose oppression. Pertinent references to Kristelnacht, bloody dictatorship, sadism and religious zealots distance this music from the usual folk offerings. The protest songs are punctuated by more typical tales of love and loss, often with a stinging twist to the tale.

hi-fi+ Magazine

"... resepected English folk singer, songwriter and musician... "

In recent years, this respected English folk singer, songwriter and musician could be found supporting many a big name, including Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and Davey Graham. Simon now fronts a song-focused outfit that features multi-instrumentalist Andee Price, guitarist/vocalist Leigh Trowbridge and percussionist John Fisher.

Simon's vocals ring out clear and true throughout, and he's lyrically very strong, tackling a wide range of subject matter, as evinced by Trevor Square, an urban fantasy, and the sad Ballad of Verity Childe.

A timeless, stirring and most distinguished set of English folk music.

Musician: The Journal of the Musicians' Union