Brock Simpson

I was born in Montreal, spent a key part of my childhood in the San Fernando Valley, and returned to Toronto to begin high school. If my roots got a little fractured in the past, they're securely tangled now: my songs draw deeply on these particular places, and are inhabited by their indigenous characters.

This triad of hometowns also shaped my pantheon of music makers, which includes Brian Wilson, Quebecois chansonier Michel Rivard, and Toronto indie lights like Kurt Swinghammer. I synthesize these styles and genres in my own songs, reworking them to express my own experiences and emotions.

At first shy about singing, I began writing music and lyrics for musical theatre. I immersed myself in the classic pop songwriters of the twenties, thirties, and forties. This endeavour (or obsession) yielded five stage musicals and a feature film called "Fancy Dancing" (starring Jason Priestley and Dave Foley) for which I wrote the screenplay and original songs. It also gave me a true appreciation of lyrical and musical craftsmanship, of structural detail -- and of the song as an artform.

My work was further rewarded when many jazz, cabaret, and musical theatre artists began working my songs into their repertoires: Lori Cullen, Tracy Dawson, Kira Callaghan, Ciara Adams, Melissa Styliannou, Krista Sutton. But more and more I found myself wanting to be at the centre of my songs: so I started performing them.

I think I've developed a unique approach to the singer-songwriter format, which is enriched by my background in theatre and comedy. In addition to my classical songwriting education, I have a comfort level on stage that many singer-songwriters lack. I have been gratified by audiences' enthusiastic responses to my recent gigs. It seems my writing and performing have evolved to a point where I can really connect with people -- and move them. Nothing is more important.