Andy Simon

Andy Simon is not who you think he is. If you heard his music described as “folk- rock,” and you knew that this singer-songwriter’s first album was a “solo-acoustic effort,” you might expect to meet a gentle soul ready to play some sweet tunes about pretty girls with damaged psyches.

But Simon is up to much more than that. The lyrics of this sharp-tongued, New Jersey native and former stand-up comedian, can display a candor that is right on the edge of crude. But just when you think that’s all there is, Simon will turn around and disarm you with deep insight or a song of romantic sincerity, like the perennial favorite, “Dream Guest.”
An honest, interactive performance style makes Simon’s live shows feel like a gathering of old friends, setting newcomers as much at ease as his core of loyal fans.

Simon has been in bands since attending college in Boston and cut his teeth on the L.A. music scene as a founding member of the four-piece band, “Ceramic Buddha.” Upon parting ways, Simon began to sculpt a solo career. His performances at such L.A. haunts as The Rainbow Room and The Joint, as well as venues in Phoenix and Tempe, AZ, regularly fill those rooms, where he merges his music with a theatrical experience that uplifts and enlightens his audience, not with volume and pyrotechnics, but with dialogue, intelligent lyrics and audience involvement.

In his self-released debut CD, "Glimpse," released on his label, SongSketches, Simon captivates listeners with a simple formula: voice and acoustic guitar. With sharp lyrics and his adept performance on acoustic guitar, the strength of his craft as a songwriter becomes clear. His easy, authentic performance personality is captured in this live recording of one-takes with no overdubs. For his CD Release party, Simon, who is always striving to give his audience something new, rented out America’s first fully solar-powered alternative performance space, Venice’s Electric Lodge. Throughout the evening, audience members had the opportunity to decide what songs will be performed by pulling rune stones that corresponded with specific Simon compositions, which then culminated in “a reading of the room. At the end of the evening, we had a map of the shared energy and emotion that transpired. A true co-collaboration!”
Most recently, Simon has contributed a cut on “OasisAcoustic, Vol.35-An Essential Music Library for the Acoustic Music Programmer,” a newly released compilation, where he is being exposed to the radio formats that cater specifically to what he does.
Already developing material that will appear on his next album, Simon is cultivating collaborative relationships that will result in ensemble performances and recordings.

Simon’s songs and shows attract a discriminating audience who support entertainment that speaks to their generation and beliefs. Not your typical club-crawlers, Simon's fans are looking for something more than your typical show, and this artist delivers with humor, insight and entertainment.