A MENSTON songwriter is to perform at a music event in Leeds tomorrow night organised by a homelessness charity.

Paul Davy has been asked to perform initial album track, Karen, as part of music event Sounds on the Streets, organised by Leeds-based homeless charity Simon on the Streets as part of Light Night Leeds.

Following a chance encounter with the charity two years ago, Paul was inspired to write the track to tell the story of a shared moment between a homeless woman and a charity worker.

In a show of support for this charity, all proceeds from ‘Karen’ will go to Simon on the Streets, along with £1 from every album sale.

Thirty years in development, five years in the making and 13 days in the studio, the self-funded Better Late is Paul’s first studio album.

Recorded at Airtight Studios in Manchester and produced by rock musician Nigel Stonier, Better Late is a collection of 12 songs detailing Paul’s observations on birth, life and death.

From homelessness to Virgin trains, the birth of his first granddaughter to the death of a close family member, Paul has matched up a bluesy/folk style with storytelling in a lyrical, musical exploration of the world around him.

He is backed on the album by guest vocals from singer/songwriter Thea Gilmore and instrumental contributions from, amongst others, Nigel Stonier, Robbie McIntosh (Paul McCartney band, The Pretenders), Che Beresford (Black Grape, Capercaillie) Chris Hillman (Billy Bragg band), Liz Hanks (Jarvis Cocker, Pulp, Richard Hawley) and Al Lowles (I Am Kloot).

Karen and Better Late are available from tomorrow via the pauldavy.bandcamp.com/releases website. The song will also be available via the charity's simononthestreets.co.uk website.

Sounds on the Streets will run from 6pm to 10pm at Trinity Kitchen in the Trinity Centre, Leeds. Visit leeds.gov.uk/lightnight/Pages/default.aspx for more details about Light Night Leeds.

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