For the live shows I've been making the most of some outstanding Australian Musos. 21 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, Bob Dylan, 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, Credence, Irving Berlin, Joe Jackson, Queen, Ray Charles.
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
It is up on itunes as well. CDBaby, Amazon and more.
2009 has started on a great note. I am off to L.A for a 2 month tour which includes finishing my album for side project KisTone. John Fiedls(Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brother etc) is mixing two songs and the mastering will be done at Capitol records.
I have several shows over there including The House Of Blues and the Cape May singer..songwriter festival, and plan to shoot 2 video clips.
Last year was a cracker. I performed over 30 spots on TV and got to do some big stadium gigs which was great. I won the POP category of the ASA awards for song I wrote with Vanessa Kelly and Lindsay Rimes. Together we also won the award for best live performance.
'City Talks' was heard in cinemas around the U.S on 'Yesterday Was A Lie' which clened up over 20 film festival awards.
What a year 2007 was.
'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.
simon my man im loving the tracks so much...cant stop listening to them haha..we just put a couple new tracks up ourselves...recorded them at alberts :)... let me know what you think of the singing...love you.. Mark.
Hey Simon, how you doing? I know we only met briefly like aaaages ago if you remember? Anyways, it's so good to hear your stuff! Great songs,superb vocal range. Wow!
Trusting 2009 has been good so far & wishing you only the very best for the rest of the year!
gday!
If u r interested in listening to the songs on our album before we play the RISING TIDE FESTIVAL w/ British India, there are signed copies available from:
www. stoneparade. com/paypal
cheers!!
greg
Just thought we'd say hi and see if your free on Sat Oct 17 as we're playing at the Gaelic Club in Surry Hills. It should be a great show. You can get tix plus heaps of other cool signed merch direct from the band at www. stoneparade. com/paypal
Sam Hawksley will be Launching his new self titled album at Bennett's Lane Jazz Club on Sunday 30th of November, entry is $20 and you receive a copy of his new album included with the entry fee. Fans - this is an official CD Launch, Sam will be performing two sets with full band so contact me ASAP to secure your ticket on either Mbl: 0431 834 811 or Email:musogalore@hotmail.com, tickets really are limited.
Great to meet you at the ASA's last Thursday. I thought "You Should Know" wa a real stand-out at the awards. Congrats on your success and I look forward to hearing some more of your work in the near future.
Hello matey, congratulations for our win at A.S.A awards...you were awesome......i think we've created some really great stuff together...very proud to be sharing it with you & linds! :)
hey simon. great meeting u last night & congrats on picking up a few awards. hope to bump into you round sydney sometime soon+perhaps collaborate on a few tracks. cheers ben@happenstance
Hello Friend! If you would, please email me the email adress you use most frequently, we'd like to sign u up on our monthly newsletter. ...and. . . . There are prizes!!!!!!!!!!! Talk to you soon Dirt & Earthyvibes
