When The Clash Met Prog: How Galen Ayers and Paul Simonon Made Their Unlikely Album

A prog legend’s daughter and The Clash’s former bassist might seem like an unlikely pairing. Yet in 2023, Galen Ayers and Paul Simonon teamed up for Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day?, an album steeped in a laidback Mediterranean atmosphere reminiscent of Galen’s late father, Kevin Ayers. Produced by Tony Visconti and featuring guest appearances from Blur and Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn, the project took root in a Mallorcan fishing village where Simonon stayed during lockdown.

From Lockdown Creativity to Mallorca

The collaboration grew out of a shared return to normality after strict Covid lockdowns. Galen was coming back from Greece while Simonon returned to London from Spain, and both had been writing songs independently.

“We started chatting and realised we were in the same place,” Galen told Prog. “The fun thing, I think, is this third space that opens up in any good collaboration, because you’re being pushed in ways that you wouldn’t necessarily go if you were just alone.”

Simonon noted that the process required total honesty from the start, relying entirely on gut instinct. While Simonon initially headed to Mallorca to paint, he brought a guitar along as an alternative form of creative expression. Mallorca also served as Galen’s childhood home, where she lived with her dad, mum, and stepfather, attending local school and learning the Mallorquin dialect.

Two Different Worlds

Despite their distinct musical backgrounds—Simonon famously ending up playing bass after meeting Mick Jones at art college, while comparing his early days to Beatles bassist Stuart Sutcliffe—the pair found common ground. When asked if prog was ever on his radar, Simonon admitted that bands like Yes “knew too many chords” and didn’t speak to him. However, they bonded over early Syd Barrett albums and European artists like Jacques Dutronc.

Galen initially rebelled against a life in music after touring with her father and witnessing the heavy human cost of the lifestyle. Holding two master’s degrees, she pursued academics before returning to songwriting naturally. Growing up, her household was constantly filled with progressive musicians, including avant-garde figures like Daevid Allen and Robert Fripp serving as babysitters. Reflecting on those circles, Galen joked about running into King Crimson’s Fripp years later: “I sometimes dread the get-togethers. It’s either ‘Your dad owes me money!’ or ‘Your dad slept with my wife!’… But it’s always said with a smile.”