A singer-songwriter from London’s Camden Town, Simeon names Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morisette, and Ella Fitzgerald as her biggest inspirations, drawing from her combined influences to create her distinctively folky, bluesy, country-soul amalgamation. An enemy of dichotomy, her music is soft and vulnerable while packing a punch at the same time.
Growing up in a house full of actors and music lovers, Simeon’s colorfully loud upbringing fuelled her passion for music. Simeon says that she likes to live her life as if she is the main character in a rom-com movie, this shines through on the track where she uses her lyrics as a script and her voice as the cast, making you feel as if you are watching a movie play out throughout the song.
January 2019 saw the release of her debut self released single, Wild Woman. A country-rock feminist anthem and predecessor of the debut EP ‘Manic Pixie Dreams’, which crosses genres from folk, country, blues, and soul, tied together with a strong acoustic guitar and a powerhouse of a voice.
Last month, Simeon released yet another feminist anthem ‘A Hundred Lovers’ which will also feature on her upcoming new EP ‘Make It Romantic’, out later this year.
Who inspired you to make music?
I don’t know where the inspiration came from specifically, it was always just kind of floating in the ether for me. I grew up in a musical household and my dad says that he used to sing to me while I was in the womb so it seemed fated.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
I have always been alive in the time of the internet so I don’t feel super qualified to answer that question because it’s all I’ve ever known. People like to romanticize the past – including myself, I always think about how cool it would be to be alive in the 60s but then I remember it would probably be really racist – so I can’t really comment on the impact of the internet in a way that’s meaningful
Have you got a ritual of sorts when making music?
Not really! I make music everywhere – in my room is where I get most of the bulk done as I have my guitar and my own space, but I come up with ideas on walks, on the tube, in bars, on the phone, and then I write little bits down and record little ideas and eventually they all come together
How would you describe your music?
I used to describe it as if Joni Mitchell and Alanis Morisette had a baby, and I forgot I used to describe it that way until a woman came up to me after a show a few weeks ago and said exactly that to me, and I was amazed. Now I describe it as a bluesy-country-soul amalgamation
What’s next for you?
My EP, Make It Romantic comes out in August, and then I have a launch show in Kings Cross at The Lexington on August 22nd, and then I’m supporting Lady Nade on her UK tour in October
What are your top two favorite songs of all time? Why those songs?
This is a really cruel question for someone who loves so many different genres of music and I really can’t answer it. I know what I like but when I’m not 100% set on something I’m really indecisive. I don’t have a favorite ice cream flavor either because I like so many.
What was the last series you watched on TV?
I’m a bit late to it but I just started the final season of Killing Eve
What do you think the greatest invention has been?
Probably the wheel
Do you have any lucky items, objects, or traditions?
Nothing really specifically lucky in that way, but whenever I see a turtle I count it as a sign I’m on the right path or where I’m supposed to be
If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?
Should I still be putting into my pension or are we all gonna die from climate change before I need it?
If you had to describe yourself as a flavor, what would it be?
Salted caramel – it’s the perfect balance of sweet and savory, and a little bit fancy but not posh
Simeon shares her latest single ‘Make It Romantic’, out everywhere now. The track is taken from her upcoming EP of the same name, set for release this August. She also announces a London headline show on 22 August at The Lexington. Ticket info here https://www.wegottickets.com/event/549350
Epically cinematic in its sound, ‘Make It Romantic’ wouldn’t be out of place as a soundtrack to the scene in a rom-com in which the two love interests leave each other for the last time. Simeon says, “They’re standing on a bridge, it’s raining, they walk in opposite directions, he turns to watch her leave one final time. Inspired by the last time I saw a man I dated briefly – I knew I would never see him again and as he walked right and I walked left I remember thinking to myself, “don’t turn around but he’s 100% looking back at you now as you go.
The song explores the nuances of my femininity and the vulnerability of sharing that maybe you’re not completely all put together, and maybe if you were staying we could accept each other as our full selves but if we’re never going to see each other again then please paint me as the most wonderful person you’ve ever met, and don’t you dare tell anyone that sometimes I feel like I’ve lost my mind.”