A Rough Trade Book of the Year
A Resident Book of the Year
A Classic Pop Book of the Year

Nominated for the 2025 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research

‘A wonderful book’ ELTON JOHN

‘Beautiful, insightful and honest’ CILLIAN MURPHY

‘A love letter to a charmed life lived through music’ OBSERVER

As one-third of seminal band Cocteau Twins, Simon Raymonde helped to create some of the most beautiful and memorable albums of the ’80s and ’90s – music that continues to cast a spell over millions. This is the story of the band, in his words.

Beginning with Simon’s remarkable childhood and exploring his relationship with his father, Ivor Raymonde (the legendary producer, musician and arranger for acts such as the Walker Brothers and songwriter for artists including Dusty Springfield), the book will journey through the musician’s rise to prominence and his time with Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil.

It will also chart the successful career he has forged running his own label, Bella Union, for the past twenty-seven years, discovering, developing and working with globally renowned artists like Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty and John Grant. And the narrative will lead us back to the present day, reflecting on Simon’s most recent experiences in the music industry – all while going deaf in one ear.

A must-read for music fans, this is the incredible tale of Simon’s life and legacy.

In One Ear

Quantum Listening