Christopher M Brown Rocks
The Story So Far
This is the place to find out about Christopher M Brown's musical journey which began in Caterham a small town at the southern tip of London, England where he grew up in the early 1970s. This is his story in his own words.
The journey began with a kid singing along to Elvis Presley records. Later as a teenager he was captivated by the voice of John Denver. After 50 plus years of treading his own musical path it has led him to International music award shows in Atlanta and Nashville's Grand Ole Opry and membership of the Country Music Association HQ Nashville.
Christopher has been writing lyrics since 1974 aged 14 and first performed them as vocalist in a band live on stage in 1977. From 1978-1981 he continued making music whilst earning a degree in US Politics working with different line-ups until the early 90s.
Since 1993 Chris has visited 40 of the 50 US States visiting places from where artists' music and words informed his formative years. Having enjoyed those places first hand Christopher tells lyrical tales of events - some factual, some imagined but all heartfelt through songs of Americana, Country, Rock and more.
Chris talking to Janest Street Porter of London Weekend Television / Chris & Neil on Stage at The Roxy August 1977
In the Fall of 1975 aged 15 having amassed a folder of some 80 plus song lyrics Christopher met fellow De Stafford School pupil Neil Faulkner in a Home Economics lesson. Neil had been writing music for some time and was proficient in guitar, bass and drums and offered to set some of Chris's lyrics to music.
Some months later Chris visited Neil's house where he and a friend played 4 songs on guitar and drums and suggested Chris perform the vocals. Although this came as some surprise to Chris the result was fairly painless. They had diverse and divergent musical tastes but shared American influences in their repertoire - Elvis, John Denver, Eagles, Glen Campbell, Bellamy Brothers, Chicago and many more.
However, the UK music scene was soon to be swept up in the sounds of Punk Rock and so the American influences (apart from The Ramones) would take a back seat as Chris and Neil joined two school-friends to form the punk band 'Nuffin' with Chris on lead vocals and writing the lyrics and Neil on drums and providing the music for some of the songs. The pick of their live performances was an appearance at the legendary Roxy Club in London where they were interviewed by the UK's journalistic icon Janet-Street Porter for a London Weekend Television documentary 'Year of Punk' airing on New Year's Day 1978.
Excerpt from Chris's appearance on LWT's TV special 'The Year of Punk'
In the Fall of 1978 Christopher travelled north to Lancaster University to study US Politics and the band went their seperate ways. However, Chris and Neil continued to write and perform together and seperately up until the mid 1980s. Their final gig together would be part of a New Romantic line-up 'Two From Seven' at the iconic venue The Rock Garden in London's Covent Garden.
Chris wrote and performed with several other acts before becoming involved with music videos and independent film and eventually taking time out to raise a family but in time he would ultimately rediscover songwriting and music as his passion and calling.
'Two From Seven' Christopher Brown &
Nicola Evans
Bored Teenagers Vol 9 released by Detour Records Label 2016
Thanks to the advent of social media, Chris and Neil met up again in 2010 and discussed re-recording some of their material from the 80s. Whilst family health issues would delay the project it would re-surface some years later as duo 'Sun-Pinned Leaves'.
In 2015 an independent record label 'Detour Records' asked to include music from a 1979 Nuffin' demo on their latest punk release 'Bored Teenagers Volume 9' and for the band to perform at the album launch in late 2016. As a result the 4 original members reunited after 38 years and would ironically go on to play 38 gigs including famous venues such as The 100 Club in London's Oxford Street.
A highlight of the reunion was to at long last release a 12 track album of their original songs from the 1970s titled 'Crowd Control' in 2018 recorded and produced by Neil who managed to recapture their original sound in a brand new recording. Chris penned the lyrics for 11 of the 12 songs and created the cover artwork and sleeve notes for the vinyl and CD releases. The album would finally be made available for streaming on major platforms in 2025.
'Crowd Control' album released on vinyl/CD 2018 and in 2025 for streaming
Sun-Pinned Leaves third album 'Eclipse' released during UK lockdown in Oct 2020
In 2018 Chris and Neil started work on the first Sun-Pinned Leaves album 'Theories of Destiny' which would be released in March 2019. The album consisted of new recordings of favourite self-penned songs from the 1980s plus some brand new songs. The album received a good response from radio presenters and audiences.
This was followed by a second album 'Trans-Genre Express' in Spring 2020 which built upon the positive reception for their first album.
However in 2020 the global pandemic caused a hiatus of live performances and so the decision was made to embark on a third album 'Eclipse' made up of new songs and adopting lyrics and music in their now trademark Americana sound. The album released in October 2020 included their most streamed song to date 'Monterey Bay' which was thankfully well received on John Denver fan-sites and brought SPL new followers and increased their radio presence.
'Monterey Bay' SPL's popular tribute to the music of John Denver taken from 3rd album Eclipse
The period from 2021 onwards sometimes feels like a whirlwind of hard work, blessings and tales of the unexpected. October 2026 will see the release of SPL's ninth album since 2019 'Lost in America' and then in November their 100th original track 'Winter in the Woods'. They have been played on over 650 different radio shows and stations including multiple plays on BBC Upload and totalled thousands of airplays. They received a World Songwriting Award in 2023 for 'Best Collaboration' for single 'Brilliant Jewel' and in the same year received the International Singer Songwriter Association Gold Award for Best International Duo followed by 2 years as ISSA Judges.
In 2024 they were nominated by the Josie Music Awards for 'Best Americana Album' for 'Tales From The Great Lakes' and a Songwriting Achievement Award. In 2025 they were again nominated by the JMAs, this time for Americana Duo of the Year' and for another Songwriting Achievement Award.
2026 sees Christopher Brown and Neil Faulkner nominated by the JMA's for a third consecutive year in the category of 'Songwriting Achievement' for 'Total Disregard' a tribute to the heroic Coast Guard crew responsible for rescuing 32 members of The SS Pendleton in 1952. They are also nominated for Best Album in the Category of Country Rock/Southern Rock/Outlaw Country for seventh album 'Seven Sins Aren't Enough'.
At the same time they were blessed to be nominated in 4 categories of the ISSA Awards 2026.
In March 2026, 9 years after overcoming Stage III Prostate Cancer Chris was diagnosed with Stage I Lung Cancer necessitating the removal of the Superior lobe of his right lung in a robotic lobectomy performed by a brilliant surgeon and her dedicated staff at Guy's Hospital, London on 7th July 2026. After waking up on the post op recovery ward the nursing staff were intrigued to hear Chris singing Sun-Pinned Leaves songs (quietly so as to not disturb the other patients). He explained that he wanted to make sure he could still sing minus half a lung.
Thanks to the brilliance of all the staff at Guy's Hospital, the very next day Chris was up and walking along the bank of The River Thames accompanied by his son Philip and the following day was discharged from hospital. Chris was of course determined to perform live as soon as possible and the following month on 12th August he sang 'Tennessee Whiskey Sweet Georgia Peach' and 'Life's So Good' (ironically released one moth before his cancer diagnosis) in front of a packed 'Lighthouse Music and Arts Venue, Deal). You can see and hear these songs performed that night in videos on the News Page of this website (Aug 2026).
But the good news doesn't end there.
On 22nd August 2026 Chris and Neil were overwhelmed to be announced winners of the ISSA Gold Award in 2 categories 'International Vocal Duo' and International Male Songwriters of the Year. They also look forward to serving a second term as judges in 2027 and 2028.
Please check out the other pages of this website to hear a sample of the music both studio recorded and performed live and view the galleries of live performances, some significant events and the latest news.
Finally enjoy your own musical journeys as creators, consumers or both. The future of independent music needs you all - perhaps more now than ever. xx
Peace out
Christopher Brown
28th Feb 2026