For the live shows I've been making the most of some outstanding Sydney Musos. 19 year old freak, Mike Avenaim has been playing drums for alot of my gigs(he played on three tracks of the album) and my old mate George Bruggmans from 'Jeremy Edwards and the dust Radio band' fills in when Mike is AWOL; My Producer..string arranger and man most responsible for my album getting finished, Lindsay Rimes has been beating out the bass lines. The most eligable bachelor in Sydney, Dave Anthony is kind enough to swap between acoustic guitar and piano depending on which instument I feel like playing on any given song.
On the recording currently up here, Gordon Rytmeister played drums on all of them. Matt(bunny) Cornel played bass on 'city talks' and 'goodbye', Linsay Rimes played Electric guitar on all th tracks, bv's and bass and rhodes on 'someone else'. Craig laird did some additional guitar on 'someone else'. all the strings were played by the 'Palm Court Orchestra' and Vanessa Kelly sang backing vocals on 'someone else'.
I played all the piano and acoustic guitars, harp on 'goodbye' and bass and rhodes on 'superman'
Influences
Cat Stevens, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Neil Finn, Tim Finn, The Beatles, Kate Bush, Paul Simon, Biily Joel, U2, Powder Finger, Iva Davies, Tori Amos, Elton John, Ross Wilson, The Eagles, The Police, Aretha Franklin.
Sounds Like
There's a little 'Crowded House' in there. 'Train' with more pop. 'John Mayer ' with more rock!
Some people say they can hear the Billy Joel influence.
Who do you think I sound like?
ASA(AUSTRALIAN SONGWRITER ASSOCIATION) 'SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR' 2007'-
MUSICOZ 'APRA SONGWRITERS AWARD' WINNER 2007-
MUSICOZ 'BEST POP ARTIST' NOMINEE 2007-
PARK CITY MUSIC FILM FESTIVAL GOLD PRIZE WINNER 2008 'Yesterday Was A Lie'-
My Album 'Between The Noise' is now available right here. Just go to my website
www.simonshapiro.com.au
In a few weeks it will be up on itunes as well.
What a year 2007 has been.
'Songwriter of the year' at the esteemed ASA(Australian Songwriters Association) Awards.
Winner of the 'APRA(Australian Performers Rights Association) Songwriters Award' at MusicOz.
Winner of Pop category in the 'Song Of the Year Contest(Internationally acclaimed) for September.
Ok, so there are only a few things I'd like people who stumble accross my page to know.
Firstly that every one of my 'top friends' is someone that i know, someone i've worked with, someone i respect, care about, believe in, etc...You get the idea. These are all good people who are doing their thing, doing it from the heart and doing it well!!
Secondly, i'm not trying to grab my fifteen minutes of fame from this crazy biz. i really am just trying to be myself. Expressing myself through these little songs. If someone else happens to get what i'm about that's just great. Even if people completly missunderstand me but hear something in one of my songs that speaks to them, I'm pretty happy.
For me it comes down to making a connection. It doesn't have to be the connection I intended to make. I've happily given up expecting particular reactions. I feel like my job is to nurrish my ideas with every ounce of my paternal instinct and then send them out into the world to live their own life.
And songs do have lives. Some are sung by thousands of voices, heard on airwaves, blasted through speakers, performed by many and to many, whilst others are never sung by the masses, seldum heard on a radio or movie soundtrack, rarely if ever performed on a big stage. I don't believe that a famous song is automatically better than a song that is unknown.
Is a famous person a better person than one who is not? I hope you didn't answer yes!
Of course they are not better or worse. Thet just have different stories, different lives. Like songs. They just have different stories and lives.
So i hope my songs have interesting and successful lives. May they be sung and heard and played and loved. i wish the same for other music makers who are doing there own thing with passion, love and integrity.
THAT IS THE END OF MY LITTLE SERMUN!!!!!!!!!!
So I've been back home, which is Sydney, for over a year, after spending four months in L.A recording with my band Jeapster. I had an amazing time over there and the plan is to return early next year to do more recording and gigging.
Every song on my album is one that was born from genuine inspiration. I made sure to avoid any song that I wrote to be a 'hit', which was where my head was at for way too long.
I had this rather sad obsession with trying to write a 'hit' that didn't yeald any hits, ironically.
So I really do have nothing to lose by finally embracing the real me and just going for it.
The results will be available soon!!!!!
A bit about me... I do my own thing, which this site is about. I've been writing songs since I was 8. I don't remember making a decision to be a muso. I just saw someone playing a guitar on TV and knew that I was supposed to do that. I could never understand the lyrics people were singing so I made up my own. That's how I got started.
No matter what else Im doing, somewhere in my mind a new song is playing. I try to tell a story in every song I write. Not that I'm preaching morals to anyone. I'm just describing the world as I see it.
hey simon can you activate the add button so i can add one of your aweosme songs, if this was released it could be record of the year1 i love your songs as i have told you several times, they all tell a story.
Simon!!! how are ya man? Wish you were over here, played my first Nashville show the other night:-)Sat on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry last night:-) speak soon Linds
Shiiiii... You are my God. i want you to know that you and only you have made me who I am. Thank you for being my mentor in Life, Love, and Everything in between!! I wish you were a girl.. or I was a girl.. or we both were gay. XOXOX
nice bucket on the head last night! I have to admit, I also realised the other week when they had you wearing those sexy shorts that I have know you for how many years now (?) & I have never before seen your knees... most disturbing!
Let me know when you have some more gig time & the happenings with the EP launch. Need another dose of those dulcet pipes & to hear how the festival performances in the States went.
just wanted to tell you i think that first song you did at jackson mountain, the untitled one, - was amazing. a real universal smash. i dug your set. peace.
Seeing im only your 9th bestie now, i thought i'd better leave you a comment telling you how amazing i think you are!!!!! Simon! Your amazing!!! Hopefully this will lead to moving up in the ranks of your top friends. Fingers crossed!!! Only jokin! he he! I really do think your amazing!!!!!!! Speak soon. x
