Morgan Simpson | |
|---|---|
 Simpson performing with Black Midi in 2021 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Morgan Simpson (1998-10-29) October 29, 1998 |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Label | Rough Trade |
| Formerly of | Black Midi |
Morgan Simpson (born 29 October 1998) is an English drummer best known for his work with south London band Black Midi. The group were a part of British rock music's Windmill scene.1
Early life
Simpson started playing drums when he was two years old.2 He grew up listening to gospel artists Fred Hammonds, Kirk Franklin and Richard Smallwood, as well as soul singers Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin.3 When he was 15, Simpson won the prestigious Young Drummer of the Year 2014 competition.4 He started attending the BRIT School at age 16, where he met future bandmates Geordie Greep, Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin and Cameron Picton.5
Career
Black Midi started playing shows at The Windmill in Brixton, South London, in 2017. After a later show at The Windmill, the group would find themselves approached by record producer Dan Carey, with whom they would record their debut single, "bmbmbm".67 The band were signed by Rough Trade in early 2019 and would release their debut album, Schlagenheim, in June.8 Black Midi released two more albums before splitting up in 2024.9 Simpson worked with jazz musician Nala Sinephro and rapper Little Simz, appearing on their albums Endlessness (2024) and Lotus (2025) respectively.
Discography
with Black Midi
- Schlagenheim (2019)
- Cavalcade (2021)
- Hellfire (2022)
with other artists
- "Mixed Messages" - Rosie Alena (2019)
- Loggerhead - Wu-Lu (2022)
- Gentle Confrontation - Loraine James (2023) ("I DM U")
- Hymn for My Dad - Finn Carter (2024)
- Dos Atomos - Dos Monos (2024) ("HI NO TORI", "ATOM")
- Endlessness - Nala Sinephro (2024) ("Continuum 1")
- The New Sound - Geordie Greep (2024) ("Blues", "Walk Up", "Motorbike")
- Lotus - Little Simz (2025) ("Enough")
- Once Upon a Time... in Shropshire - Jerskin Fendrix (2025) ("Princess", "Sk1", "Jerskin Fendrix Freestyle")
References
References
- Read, Kieran (23 June 2020). "'There's a complete fearlessness to them': Inside the raucous new south London guitar scene". Independent. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
- Nylander, Lynette. "Crossed Paths: Morgan Simpson". The Face. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
- "Black Midi Revel In Their Anti-Pop Proclivities". RANGE. 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
- "Morgan Simpson, Soultone Artist, Wins Young Drummer of the Year 2014 | ADS Drums". 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
- "Morgan Simpson – Liberty Drums – Largest Boutique Drum Company in the UK". Retrieved 2026-03-20.
- Lowe, Catherine (17 June 2019). "How London's Black Midi Embraced Improvisation on Debut Album 'Schlagenheim'". Billboard.
- Patterson·Features·, Ian (17 May 2019). "Black Midi – Album Launch And Surprise Intimate Gig – God Is In The TV".
- Lowe, Catherine (2019-06-17). "How London's Black Midi Embraced Improvisation on Debut Album 'Schlagenheim'". Billboard. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
- Monroe, Jazz (2024-08-12). "Black Midi Go on Hiatus as Geordie Greep Says Band Is "Indefinitely Over"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2026-03-20.