Peter Simón has soul. There is no doubt about it. As a performer he is a man possessed, fully engaged and captivating, yet accessible and connectional. -American Thrift
Born with a busted lung on Christmas day, Peter Simón entered the world at a fighting weight of 2.2 Pounds. Three years later, he could be found reaching for the family piano keys, knocking out timeless classics such as Mary had a little lamb for all to hear. From this point forward, it was clear that music would always be an obsession in his life, relentlessly offering lessons in timing, melodic phrasing and harmony. Early musical influences were found in various places; from the soulful voice of his father singing Joe Cocker ballads at the piano or learning to match and raise the pitch of the hum of his parents Dodge Caravan on family trips. “Music has always been present in my life.”, he recalls. “As far as I can remember, a melody or rhythm develops in time with every important conversation and event that I’ve experienced.”
In later years, Peter began to play at local venues, and eventually started a quasi Bluegrass band. But it wasn’t until he spent six months overseas, till he found his voice. Looking back, he cites this drastic change which pushed him to unabashedly explore his talent for songwriting. “There was a real sense of liberation I found in Salamanca. Losing myself in a completely new culture and language only helped me realize the passion I held for writing and performing.” Before long, Peter went from busking on the streets, to playing local venues and eventually receiving an invitation to play for the Spanish Red Cross’ International Festival.
“As far as I can remember, a melody or rhythm develops in time with every important conversation and event that I’ve experienced.”
Returning back home in June of 2005, he arrived just in time to embrace the musical richness of south Louisiana, and also to experience the hardship of Hurricane Katrina. Relying on his passion as therapy, Simón penned “Crescent city”; his most honest work to date, expressing his anger at the governments failure to support and save the lives of people “45 minutes away”. A couple years later, he would be invited to perform his song at the Williamsburg Songwriting Contest in New York – making it to the second round. Since this time, Peter has collaborated with many talented musicians across the country, and will release his first solo album “This Side Alone” on December 1, 2011. The album will be a collection of songs written solely by the singer-songwriter, and will be available on all major online music sites.
