Frontline photos taken by nurse inspires album by award-winning songwriters, curated by Squeeze’s Chris Difford

‘Working on the Frontline’ is the first single from the album ‘Song Club’, a collection of songs by award-winning songwriters – including Nick Heyward, Graham Gouldman, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Mark Nevin and Kathryn Williams – that celebrate frontline workers and document a poignant moment in time

Curated by Chris Difford, the Song Club album is inspired by the work of Hannah Grace Deller, a nurse on the front line. In addition to being a paediatric matron Hannah is a talented photographer who, throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, has been documenting her and her colleagues’ experiences.  When Hannah’s photographic work was featured on the Channel 4 programme ‘Grayson’s Art Club’, it grabbed the attention of the Squeeze co-founder and Grammy nominated and double Ivor Novello Award winning lyricist.

“I first saw Hannah’s photography on Grayson Perry’s Channel Four program ‘Art Club’. Lockdown provided some great TV moments and this was one of them. Inspired by her work I asked all of my co-writing chums to use her photographs as inspiration for songwriting. Together we have created a body of work to raise funds for the frontline workers, it has been so inspiring to hear the results” says Difford.

Difford’s co-writing chums are a host of world-class, award-winning songwriters – including Nick Heyward, Graham Gouldman, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Mark Nevin, Julia Fordham, Robert Vincent, Judie Tzuke, Kimmie Rhodes, Judith Owen and Kathryn Williams – who have used their time in lockdown to document a poignant moment in time.

“Songwriters have been in lockdown like everyone else and collectively we have dark stages and an unsure future regarding live performances, so this has been something to focus on by way of embracing the amazing work of the NHS and frontline workers” says Difford. “My aim is to document this strange time we are living in and I hope bring inspiring songs to the ears of many.”