SHIMEON Biog
Simon Peter Sutherland (Hebrew: Shimeon) was born in 1973. His mother Joyce Sutherland, a powerful gospel singer and his father Alec, a lay preacher encouraged Simon to pursue his gifts at an early age within the field of music, faith and entertainment. His atmospheric childhood reverberating with the sounds of everything from acoustic guitars, Country music, pop, easy listening to folk. Music was part of Shimeon's entire childhood and he taught himself how to play guitar when he was 11 years old and learned by listening to gospel, Country, folk music and 60's beat music. His style grew stronger and he soon performed live and formed his first band '22 Strings' and composed music and lyrics. Shimeon found comparisons difficult and his ideas of music did not comply with current music trends and so he developed, what many consider a unique style of his own, yet not unlike his early influences. Shimeon tributes great songwriters by saying, “Without such musicians and songwriters, I would never have been remotely interested in either listening to music or composing music”.
In 1997 while experimenting with Latin American and Spanish musicians, Shimeon decided to pursue his music as a solo artist and produced a large amount of music between 1997-2002. In 2008 Shimeon released his debut album 'Masquerade' and this album was re-released in 2010 with the new title 'Dusty Old Soul'. This album was also released with the album 'Behind The Soomer Sun 'revived' through Rockdown Records, for whom Shimeon also produced and was the multi-instrumentalist on the debut album '10 Songs' by Sean Martin.
Shimeon also produced and written the debut release 'My Heavens in the Sky' for his mother and country singer'Joyce Sutherland'.
Shimeon is also an accredited Theologian and his album 'Dusty Old Soul' reflects deep theological and gospel themes.
Shimeon is currently recording a new album.
Shimeon is not only a songerwriter and multi-instrumentalist, but he is an honest craftsman, a poet and tunesmith and a lover of truth, justice, gospel, honesty and the dignity that lies beneath integrity. His compositions go beyond beautiful music, and cry out for the goodness in the reformed man, the desired honesty and plain truth so painfully to the point. Somewhere beneath the integrity of words and composition you know that every last syllable is steeped in sincerity.
“Shimeon’s work is clearly unique” Amos Madra, DJ
Christian Lamitschka Interview with Shimeon May 2010
Ch.L.: Country Music has many new fans in Europe, who may be hearing about you for the first time. How would you describe yourself and the music you play to someone whose never seen or heard you before.
Answer: I am a songwriter and a musician with a deep dedication to song writing and the creation of music with depth and vitality, animation and truth! Much of my music has a country flavour to it, yet at the same time, rhythmic and acoustic, and not limited by a certain era or genre. The word eclectic comes to mind.
Ch.L.: What's your latest CD and how's it doing?
Answer: My latest album is called ‘Behind The Soomer Sun ‘Revived‘ and is released by Rockdown Records, who also released another record I produced this year, a certain Sean Martin EP named, Constantly. So there are two new releases out at the moment, and both are doing just fine with me. People like what I am doing.
Ch.L.: How did you choose the title for the CD, is there a story behind it?
Answer: Well, I came up with the title ‘Behind The Soomer Sun‘ a long time ago, way back in 1997. I had a vivid and slightly more wild imagination in those days and I wanted a title that went beyond the apparent, much like the music. The title ‘Soomer Sun‘ wouldn‘t leave me alone and eventually found its way to becoming Behind The Soomer Sun. Its a kind of play on words which extracts the meaning of an expedition from one place to another, from what we see to what we don‘t see. The title within this context is what the songs are all about, they are filled with mixed emotions and expressions. That‘s what the album is about and the title too. Its about something that we all see from time to time, but is often out of reach.
Ch.L.: Please tell us about the songs on your album.
Answer: Well firstly, I write all the songs myself. Many of them are simple love songs about the fight for inner freedom and finding freedom and the reflections of lost love and the memory that is reluctant to go. Most if not all of my songs on this album are filled with this theme and much simplicity, and freeness. I like simplicity and freedom, and since I have no song writing guidelines or rules to follow, my songs are free. Once the doorway to a great melody begins to open there is no telling where both I and it could end up.
Ch.L.: How much creative control do you have over your music?
Answer: I have absolute control over my music. I play all the instruments myself and the arrangements too. I‘m a kind of one man band, and producer. I‘ve been given the ability to do that and I like to work alone, however, I can‘t be a one man band in concert. So rather than play dull acoustic shows, I have a band who work with me and they replicate live what I do in the studio, and take it to the stage. Then the creative control leaps into performance and freedom takes the music to another level. I love hearing the band play my music live before an audience.
Ch.L.: What's unique about you that differentiates you from other artists?
Answer: Well, all people are unique and different from each other in one way or another, but I guess what Shimeon is all about is honest, simple song writing. I often understate my recordings so that the songs themselves stand out above standard commercial production. Its all about a song with me and maybe not much else? So I guess, if there is anything unique about me that differentiates me from other artists, it could be my honesty in song writing and my lack of desire to be liked or accepted. I do what I do and if people like it, that’s fine with me, but not, that’s ok too!
Ch.L.: When you get time off, how do you like to relax?
Answer: Well, one thing about me is that life is not all about music. I have a private life. If people listen to my lyrics they will know exactly how I like to relax. I have said many things in my songs and when I have finished my work I have much more to do. I set aside much time in life to think and listen, its not all about career and the need to be listened too. I do many things in life, I love to read and study, write and debate. I like to listen to people and they have much to say. Life has so many options open to us all but few find them.
Ch.L.: What can your fans expect to see when they see you in concert?
Answer: Oh, a good show. Its loud sounding and ready, the music and the visual take first place at my shows, and I simply do what I do, I don‘t tell jokes or anything like that… The lights dim, I step out onto the dimly lit stage and do what I do and the band plays and then I just become a member of the band and when we‘ve finished we collect the gear, and I go on home or onto the next town and the next show.
SHIMEON BBC interview
Who is in the band?
"I, Shimeon, play guitars, write the songs and am the main vocalist. I also play everything else on recordings. Tim Fisher plays drums on live performance. Various players play bass guitar. Joyce Sutherland is the backing vocalist on records and live performances."
What type of music do you play?
"Well, this is influenced by genres such as country, blues, folk and pop. It is also influenced by 60’s rhythm and blues, and retro and contemporary rock and Americana. All sorts of music really…
"It has to be lyrical too. I love poetry and prose, spirituality, philosophy, theology and the most controversial of all ideology - love.
"I write about the Biblical proclamation of who God is, I declare this in song. I am happy with the current songs because I am saying what I want to say."
What’s the Shimeon story?
"I began writing songs and thinking seriously about life and existence at an early age. I wrote songs while I was with the band, 22 Strings.
"Since then, I have been a lone soul. 22 Strings played hard and often. We achieved a lot considering our lack of understanding about how the industry operates. We were naive then and too nice, I think!"
How are things going?
"I am happy with who I am. I am comfortable with what I am doing and I am definitely wiser and more realistic about the industry and what it has to offer.
"Spiritually, I am a grown up person. I have my beliefs and I feel confident enough in my relationship with God to express them. I plan to release my album and, with commitment and faith as my guide, I will achieve what I want to achieve.
"What that is, I am not sure really - I expect everything and nothing. I have no expectations and I have high goals simultaneously. Who knows? My goals change with the moon and the sun."
BBC 09/07/2008
