Editing Simon Armitage (section)

== Music ==

Armitage is the first poet laureate who is also a [[disc jockey]].<ref name=Profile/><ref>{{cite web |title=Simon Armitage Guest DJs on Sat 26th May |url=http://www.scaredtodance.co.uk/2012/05/simon-armitage-djing-at-kings-cross-social-club/ |work=Scared to Dance |date=26 May 2012 |access-date=20 May 2019}}</ref> He is a music fan, especially of [[The Smiths]].<ref name=Profile/> During what his wife Sue described as "a bit of a mid-life crisis", Armitage and his college friend Craig Smith founded the band The Scaremongers.<ref name=Profile/> Their only album, ''Born in a Barn'', was released in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Scaremongers – Born in a Barn |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Barn-Simon-Armitage-Scaremongers/dp/B003535SB0 |work=amazon.co.uk |date=8 March 2010 |access-date=20 May 2019}}</ref> Armitage is the lead singer of '''LYR''' ('''Land Yacht Regatta'''), a band he is in alongside [[Richard Walters (singer-songwriter)|Richard Walters]] and Patrick J Pearson. The band is signed to Mercury KX, part of [[Decca Records]]. They released their debut album ''Call in the Crash Team'' in 2020 and a single, "Winter Solstice", in 2021 featuring [[Wendy Smith (singer)|Wendy Smith]] from [[Prefab Sprout]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000xbpc |title=BBC Radio 6 Music – Steve Lamacq, 5 Minute Menu |website=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.totalntertainment.com/music/lyr-winter-solstice-out-today-feat-wendy-smith/|title=LYR 'Winter Solstice' Out Today feat. Wendy Smith|date=11 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.backseatmafia.com/track-lyr-share-redwings-unique-and-profound/|title=Track: LYR share 'Redwings': unique and profound|date=14 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.backseatmafia.com/meet-lyr-on-their-new-music-post-pandemic-life-working-with-simon-armitage-and-more/ |title=Meet: LYR on their new music, post-pandemic life, working with Simon Armitage, and more|date=18 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bradbury |first=Sarah |url=https://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2021/05/28/lyrs-patrick-pearson-i-dont-think-you-can-ever-get-close-to-the-energy-that-youll-find-live/ |title=LYR's Patrick Pearson: "I don't think you can ever get close to the energy that you'll find live"|date=28 May 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Harrison |first1=Ian |title=Hello Goodbye |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/mojo-uk/20210801/281535113939577 |via=[[PressReader]] |access-date=26 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408212802/https://www.pressreader.com/uk/mojo-uk/20210801/281535113939577 |archive-date=8 April 2023 |language=en |date=1 Aug 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.outsideleft.com/main.php?updateID=1924 |title=Outsideleft Week in Music – We're hearing from The Armed, Alan Vega, Laraaji, LYR, Wadada Leo Smith, Belvedere,The Goa Express, Sarah Neufeld, Steve Almaas, Sam Eagle, The Mountain Goats and Flowertown ...the latest story in Outsideleft|website=outsideleft.com}}</ref>

In May 2020 Armitage was the guest on BBC Radio 4's ''[[Desert Island Discs]]''. His choice of music included [[David Bowie]]'s "[[Moonage Daydream]]"; his chosen book was the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', and his luxury was a [[tennis ball]].<ref name="bbc-desert">{{cite web |title=Desert Island Discs, Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000j120 |publisher=BBC Radio 4 |access-date=17 June 2020}}</ref>