Otherside Sessions: simon a.

The latest Otherside Sessions features London-based singer, songwriter, rapper and producer, simon a.

Otherside Sessions goes behind the studio door to capture live performances from emerging artists. simon a. is filmed in Studio 22 at Pirate Dalston.

Get To Know

simon a.'s music draws inspiration from R&B, soul, hip hop, house and even classical music – all of it tied together with his distinct voice that's equal parts Frank Ocean and James Blake.

His raw lyricism doesn't come from any set writing process, sometimes emerging from a single word or title:

"It [the writing process] can really vary from song to song, sometimes it begins with a repeated phrase or melody that just takes on form and theme as I find connections between words. Sometimes even just the title can spark the theme of a song, because sometimes I might even come up with a title first.

Ultimately I like to make songs that have a deeper implication for the listener, if they're willing to hear me out."

The Cost Of Emerging

Making a living doesn't land very high on simon a.'s list when it comes to objectives for his music:

"I think that music seems to be a very hard profession to sustain full-time unless you're already decently established. When you start looking at it as a means of survival it stifles the energy you put into it, I think."

Fortunately, simon a. is multi-talented. As well as it being economically efficient, he points to the freedom that comes with being a one-man band:

"There's something about being able to do it whenever I want that makes me enjoy music more, especially since I'm doing a lot of the things myself."

simon a,'s independence normally stretches to making his own music videos as well:

"Filming the Otherside Sessions was a blast! I don't mind performing for the camera at all since I often make my own music videos so I'm very used to it, but it was nice to not necessarily think about what the camera was doing this time around."

Simon a. will continue to release singles throughout the year so stay tuned via Instagram if you enjoyed 'Badland'.

Apply to play Otherside Sessions here.

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