After
Crime and the City Solution split for what seemed the final time in 1991,
Simon Bonney and
Bronwyn Adams,
CCS' masterful violinist and his spouse, relocated to America's West Coast from a long sojourn in Berlin. The nomadic Australians took up residence in Silverlake, in Los Angeles, for a decade.
Bonney re-examined everything he'd done musically. He met musician
JD Foster, who led him through a listening tour of historic country and Americana, inspiring
Bonney's songwriting. His interpretation of those sounds was showcased on
Forever in 1992, and his second offering, the more musically and lyrically expansive
Everyman, in 1994. On tour,
Bonney met
Outrageous Cherry's
Matthew Smith, who introduced him to Detroit's verdant musical community. He cut a third album there, but it was shelved.
Bonney disappeared from music for two decades to support his family. With kids grown, he returned to it, re-forming
CCS with Detroit as its musical base.