Meet the team

Ben Buddy Slack

Founder & Creative Director

Ben is an award winning songwriter and community musician. He has released albums as a solo artist, with his band (The Blind Dead McJones Band) and as a duo with Siobhan Donnelly. His community music work has involved delivering songwriting workshops and courses in a variety of community settings, mental health facilities and prisons. He was inspired to start The Swan Song Project after losing his Grandma and regretting not recording her singing with him.

www.benbuddyslack.co.uk

Email: Ben@swansongproject.co.uk

Tel: 07858307904

Songwriters

Holly Taymar

Holly Taymar is an accomplished singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from York. With seven albums, hundreds of gigs, and a First Class Honours degree in Performance: Music under her belt, she’s devoted her life to sharing music with others. Holly has shared stages with renowned artists such as Barbara Dickson, Albert Hammond, and Jamie Lawson. Her songs have also received airplay on numerous radio stations, including BBC Radio 2 and BBC Introducing.

“Working with Swan Song gives me the opportunity to meet awesome new people and help them craft their feelings into awesome new songs. Creating a song is such a therapeutic thing to do, and I love to help others realise they can do it too’

http://www.hollytaymar.co.uk

Jamie Roberts

‘Jamie Roberts is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter based in South Yorkshire. Performing on the UK folk circuit as part of Gilmore & Roberts, The Dovetail Trio, Kerfuffle and A Winter Union, Jamie has toured around the UK, Canada and mainland Europe, appeared at some of the UK’s biggest acoustic festivals and featured on many acclaimed albums. Jamie has also worked as a composer/sound designer in dance theatre as well as doing extensive community music education work in SEND schools, care homes and youth music programs.’

Al Bampton

Al Bampton has been on a long and varied musical journey stretching all the way back to the early 1970’s. He has been writing songs since he first formed a rock band called Fragile Alliance back in 1977. Al has also performed in and written songs for pop, funk, Reggae and blues bands as well as jazz and folk duos. With over 5000 gigs under his belt there isn’t much he hasn’t experienced in the musical world.
“I love writing songs with and for the people who have knocked on Swansongs door. However, seeing the smiles on their faces has been one of the joys of my life. It’s all about the people.”

Mark Christopher

Mark Stoney is a Sheffield-based singer- songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, performer, producer & collaborator with over 20 years experience in the music industry. renowned for his genre-hopping classic melodies and sharp lyrics, his critically-acclaimed solo work has been featured in publications such as NPR, NME, Entertainment Weekly, The Sunday Times, and The Huffington Post and led to touring & working alongside the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Laura Marling, Athlete and Jamie T.

In recent years he has contributed music to several major Hollywood films & TV Shows including American Idol, Better Call Saul & Legends and scored two indie films. Stoney also has a particular heart for developing up & nurturing up and coming talent, and his co-writing and production skills have helped launch the careers of many award winning young artists over the last few years.

Although highly experienced in the world of high achieving hit-makers, Stoney believes that everyone has a song in them and compares his role as a co-writer and producer to a “musical midwife” to help facilitate bringing it into being.

“The important work of The Swan Song Project facilitates a powerful and important process that is an honour to participate in.”

Katie Billes

Katie Billes is a Scottish Singer/Songwriter currently based in Leeds. Since completing her songwriting degree at Leeds Conservatoire, Katie has been writing and gigging her music and has fully immersed herself in the Leeds music scene. Her singer/songwriter style also incorporates an intriguing mix of folk and pop based around her love for storytelling. Katie has featured several times on the likes of BBC Radio Scotland and BBC music introducing. Alongside her own artist project, she loves to get involved with community projects and lives her life sharing musical experiences with others! When she’s not songwriting or performing, Katie spends her time singing in/teaching several choirs, holding 1-1 singing sessions and working with all ages and stages through the medium of music!

Jon Foulger

Jon is a songwriter and sound designer, based in Leeds.

After a degree in Psychology and Media, Jon spent 10 years as a recording and touring artist in Europe and the US, also gaining experience in production and co-production alongside the likes of James Ford (Gorillaz, Arctic Monkeys), Jim Abbiss (Adele) and James Kenosha (Pulled Apart By Horses, RHODES). Jon then co-founded Buffalo Sound Design who specialise in immersive audio for spaces where people play and explore. Collaborating with visual artists, theatre makers, and designers, they use field recordings, organic and synthetic textures and instruments and spatial techniques to create sonic environments that inspire connection.

Jon is one of the four person team who created the music support organisation Launchpad in 2019. He is currently Project Coordinator for Launchpad Connect which links emerging Yorkshire artists and projects with music industry advisors, peer support and live opportunities.

Jon is passionate about songwriting and creative technique and has written music for TV and film, including original material for campaigns by Walter Presents, BBC, Channel 4 and EA Sports. He has guest lectured in songwriting at Leeds Beckett University and has written with a variety of artists.

He is a keen gardener, loves reading and is a lifelong Norwich City Football Club supporter.

“I’m honoured to have been asked to be part of the Swan Song Project team. I believe writing songs can be a powerful, enriching and sometimes transformational experience. Sharing that process with someone else is an enormous privilege. ”

Lauren Kara

Lauren Kara is a singer, poet and multi-instrumentalist from Leeds. She has been creating songs since she was 13 as a way to express herself. Lauren has a love for all genres of music but especially enjoys R&B, Jazz and Soul. Lauren Kara is extremely passionate about the healing power of music and how it connects us with our loved ones on both sides.

Tom Edney

Tom Edney is a singer, songwriter and producer from Manchester via North Wales who writes songs in many genres, reflective of his eclectic music taste. He love a good songwriting challenge!

Tom has a decade of experience writing and recording music with people from all walks of life, young and old and with varying abilities.

“What I love most about working for the Swan Song Project is how much fun the sessions are, despite the participants finding their way to us under sad and tragic circumstances.”

Ric Neale

Ric Neale is a musician and performer whose shows spotlight his expert songwriting. He has taken his theatrical, heartfelt and often hilarious performances of his brand of piano songsmithery all over the country. Ric’s love for storytelling is crystal clear. His solo piano albums All That Counts, Pencil and Lullabies for Parents (a song cycle about parenting) show his ability to explore the extremities of the human condition using just his voice and a piano and the songs on these records are continually requested by his loyal audience. Ric has been invited to perform with Hue and Cry, David Mead, Jason Donovan, Divina De Campo and (weirdly) Tiffany. In 2023 he released the album Parting Ways inspired by the death of his lifelong friend to huge acclaim. It was the follow up to 2021’s collaborative album Connected/Disconnected which has already had over 800,000 streams on Spotify.

Outside of his solo work Ric worked as Songwriter, Musical Director and performer for a wide range of shows. He is also a senior lecturer in Songwriting at Leeds Conservetoire.

www.ricneale.com

Jess Kelly

“Jess is a songwriter who has recently started working with the Swan Song Project. She enjoys playing piano and singing, and has always had a passion for making and composing music. She holds a degree in music composition and technology, and has also trained as an art therapist previously. During this time she has written music for a Student Academy Award Winning film, and she has experienced her music featured on radio platforms.

She currently works as a Creative Practitioner in the charity sector, mainly working on mental health wards and in community services across West Yorkshire, where she supports people to access the arts to help improve their overall wellbeing. This has included teaching and supporting people to create music and write their own songs. During this time, she has supported a group to write a song for the Kirklees Year of Music 2023 “Songs For the Season” songwriting competition. The song created was selected as one of the winners for the competition, and was subsequently performed at Dewsbury Town Hall as part of a celebration event to showcase the winning songs.

Jess always loves to see the magic that music can bring to people, and believes that it has the power to really help people express their ideas and feelings in ways that can create something beautiful and deeply meaningful for people. She also believes that music is a universal language, and that it provides the opportunity for us all to connect with each other and express our human experiences in ways that each of us can relate to in one way or another, helping us to feel more connected to others, and less alone in our experiences. Jess hopes that she can help others to create something beautiful and meaningful to cherish and honour the lives of those writing a song with the project, and feels passionate about supporting others to bring these visions and ideas into fruition, so that people have the opportunity to have a personal song that celebrates them and their families and loved ones.”

Affiliate Artists

Sam Hodgson / Samh

Sam teaches songwriting at the University of Huddersfield and works freelance as a musician and events organiser. He plays in a three piece acoustic jazz band, a big prog-rock band and collaborates with a hip-hop artist and a DJ. Most of his musical experience however is focussed around British/Irish/American folk music.

samh.bandcamp.com

Jess Baker / Kaninchen

Jess is a community musician based in Huddersfield. She runs community choirs and singing workshops, specialising in harmony singing for mental health and wellbeing. Jess performs in several bands and performs as a solo artist under the name Kaninchen using voice and loop pedal.

https://www.jess-sings.co.uk/

Rob Crisp

Rob Crisp has 15 years experience of making music with a wide range of groups, encompassing youth work, art for mental health and well-being improvement, delivery in education establishments, and work with people with dementia and their carers. His diverse musical background ranges from classical and jazz to rock and pop through to electronic music. As a solo performer and producer working under the pseudonym Rib Corps, he’s released multiple albums in a wide variety of styles and played gigs with multiple lineups, including solo electronic improvisations, full band prog rock epics and even a 40 piece orchestra. He’s the bassist in garage blues trio Knuckle and plays sax in Yellow Goose, amongst many other performance and recording credits.

Trustees

Email: trustees@swansongproject.co.uk

Chris Martin

Chris is a singer-songwriter, guitarist who after working in various branches of manufacturing is now semi retired and enjoying life performing and recording regularly. He believes that SwanSong is the perfect way to offer a positive and creative avenue to people dealing with end of life and bereavement .

Marika Finne

“I’m Marika and I currently work at UnLtd, the largest supporter and funder of social entrepreneurs in the UK. As their Head of Community & Partnerships, I oversee UnLtd’s externally funded programmes, relationship management with key partners as well as the delivery of pro bono and mentoring support across the UK.

I’m passionate about cultivating human connection and am always curious about what enables relationships to truly flourish. To me Swan Song Project offers a unique, beautiful combination of comfort and connection at very difficult points in people’s lives, something I’d love even more people have access to.”

Lindsey King

Lindsey has over twenty years’ experience as a primary school teacher and tutor, and is now a psychology research student at university.

She has experienced first-hand the work of Swan Song when her mum was diagnosed with a terminal illness in 2018 and wrote a song with the help of the charity.

Lindsey has sung in choirs and groups throughout her life and is passionate about music as a medium for expression, healing and bringing people together.

Richard Gibson

Richard has thirty years’ experience in the health sector in nursing and patient safety roles. He first worked with The Swan Song Project in 2023, using their services to help him write a swan song for his son Leo who died in 2021; harnessing the creative power of music to navigate his grief.

Joshua "Satch" Satchell

Joshua ‘Satch’ Satchell has played songs, and written new ones, all over the world. From performing at prestigious festivals (Glastonbury, Reeperbahn, The Great Escape), to writing with artists across the US and Europe, this songsmith is a creative force. 2023 saw SATCH headline the first ever trans stage at Pride in London, before the release of his debut album – ‘Present in the Post’. Signed to Catalyst Music Publishing, he now writes with breakthrough acts to Grammy award winners. He is the co-chair of The Ivors LGBTQIA+ Council, and part of the ethics committee. Satch is also the founder of SongTeller – a songwriting brand focused on transformative songwriting. He has lectured in songcraft and creative process at multiple universities in the UK and speaks regularly on songwriting, EDI and the music industry.

Graeme Dawson

Graeme has over 15 years experience in the charity sector. He has been a fundraiser for many causes (including environment, mental health, welfare and international development) over this time. For his work currently he is part of the Grants Team at a regional grantmaker. Joining the board in November 2025, he is enjoying bringing his passion for the power of small charities to support the development of The Swan Song Project.

Sue Diamond

Sue is an experienced consumer researcher with more than 26 years of experience as co‑director of Compass Research. She has worked extensively with organisations in the bereavement, end‑of‑life, and financial services sectors, engaging one-to-one with consumers, developing deep insight into how they anticipate and experience loss, legacy, and planning for the future. Her work has placed particular emphasis on understanding attitudes to death, grief, remembrance, and support. It is against this backdrop that she is keen to support The Swan Song Project in reaching out to those who would benefit from expressing their feelings through the power of song

Ambassadors

Jon Gomm

Jon Gomm is a singer/songwriter based in Yorkshire, UK, known around the
world for his virtuoso guitar playing style, soulful singing and his honest and
emotive songwriting style.

Jon said “I am honoured to be the 1st ambassador for The Swan Song Project. Writing a song in those
circumstances is an amazing idea. Sometimes it’s incredibly hard to express things in words or face to
face. So being able to put it into that form, that people can then listen to forever, seems to me an incredible
way of having a real memory of a person, to help you cope with the fact that they’re not there anymore.”

Read more here

Interested in writing a song with us?

We can support anyone living with a terminal illness, planning their end stages of life or dealing with a bereavement to write and record their own original song.

Please visit the "Writing A Song With Us" Page and submit the short form and we will get back to you as quickly as we can.

Write A Song With Us

Latest Swan Song News

“I wrote a song in memory of my son, Leo.” Richard Gibsons Blog for The Compassionate Friends

In 2023 we were very happy to work with Richard Gibson to write a song in memory of his Son, Leo. Richard did an amazing job writing and recording the song "Forever Young (Boy Wonder) that you can listen to here. He recently wrote a blog for The Compassionate Friends...