Shiv Singh

Shivraj Singh is an established double and electric bass player from Smethwick in Birmingham. His first experience playing was at a very young age through the outreach programme ran by Symphony Hall called the Jazzlines Summer School. Where he performed and studied with some of Britain’s Jazz giants. The likes of Nikki Isle, Shabaka Hutchings, Reuben James and Kit Downes were all part of the programme. He later went on to study at the decorated Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (2015-2019) where he was taught by Mike Williams, Mark Hodgson, John O’Gallagher, Arnie Somogyi, Hans Koller and classical bassist Thomas Martin. Over the course of his short career he has performed with Soweto Kinch, Clark Tracey, Percy Pursglove, Sara Coleman, Denys Baptiste, Nikki Yeoh, Liam Noble, Jean Toussaint, Phil Robson, Xhosa Cole and the Black Voices to name but a few. He has played at many notable venues around the UK and abroad such as the Spotted Dog (Birmingham), Jazz Cafe (London), Cheltenham Jazz Festival (Cheltenham), JAZZFEST (Trondheim) and Pizza Express (London). 

Loophole is about finding a way to break the cycle. Constantly, in music, the feeling of being in a loop or cycle is never ending. The freedom to break barriers is what this bands aim is. The direction of the music experiments with the boundaries of Jazz music incorporating rock, ambient, free improvisation and German Serialism. Loophole features Shivraj Singh on Double Bass, Steve Saunders on Guitar (Xhosa Cole, Paul Dunmall and John O’Gallagher) and Luke D’Aulerio on drums (Jamil Sheriff, Xhosa Cole and Declan Forde). The trio has been working closely to develop the music and have taken organic approach to the song writing outside of the standard Jazz traditions. Following on from a successful commission by Jazz Midlands mentorship scheme, where the band performed to a sold-out crowd at 1000 Trades. Where the band had the chance to collaborate with mercury nominated and MOBO award winning saxophonist and rapper Soweto Kinch. The band are scaling a short tour to support some new music premiering in 2024.

Line Up: Shiv Singh – bass, Steve Saunders – guitar & Luke D’Aulerio - drums