One guitar, one rucksack and hundreds of miles: independent singer-songwriter Si Connelly launches The Walking Tours, travelling entirely on foot between concerts with only his guitar, backpack and performance equipment. The first route runs from Hastings to Bournemouth via the Isle of Wight before a headline show at London’s Camden Barfly. There are no tour buses or support vehicles; every mile between venues will be walked.
Connelly’s debut album Youth, War & Joy was written while he was living out of his car. Following recording and publishing deals with Sony/RCA and EMI, he chose complete creative independence and built a catalogue including monthly EPs, several studio albums, the live album Less of Me Left and Loneliness in the Making. Further albums Wedding Singer and Change are scheduled for release.
His work has received support from BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio, Kerrang! Radio and BBC One’s The One Show. He has written for other artists and toured throughout the UK, Europe and United States, sharing bills with Ocean Colour Scene, Starsailor, KT Tunstall, Dexys, Bob Mould, Space, Boyzlife and Skipinnish.
Each walking route will be documented and will raise money for local and national charities. Connelly describes the project as a natural extension of building his career one song and one audience at a time: slowly, honestly and through direct connection.
