Simon Hinkler

Who is Simon Hinkler?

Simon Thomas Hinkler is an English guitarist, keyboard player, songwriter and producer from Sheffield, most notable for being the lead guitarist for the British rock group, The Mission from 1986 to 1990.

Simon formed his first band, TV Product, while studying at Sheffield Polytechnic in 1978. The other members of the group were his housemate Tony Perrin and three friends from the polytechnic. After many line-up changes Hinkler left the band to join Artery on keyboards. He was part of the line-up which recorded the group's most well known songs, including "Into The Garden", which reached number four on John Peel's festive 50 for 1981. This incarnation of the group started to disintegrate around this time, and Simon spent much of the next year mentoring the young Jarvis Cocker. He joined the 1982 lineup of Pulp and produced the band's first LP, It, playing bass, piano, guitar and mandolin, as well as co-writing the bands' debut single "My Lighthouse". After this he had another spell in Artery, this time joined by his brother David Hinkler, also formerly of Pulp, and around this time played with a few other bands, including The Flight Commander and Midnight Choir.