Simon James on SoundBetter

High quality work at an affordable price

Hey! My name is Simon and I am based in Chicago, but will be studying music at New York University this coming fall. I am a singer/songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. I have been playing piano for 14 years and drums for 10. I taught myself music production, first in Cubase, then Ableton and Logic and have been doing it consistently for about 8 years now. I have also been singing and playing guitar for about 3 years and have independently released some of my own music on major platforms. This year I will begin studying music at New York University and building my career in New York City.

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Credits

Languages

English

3 Reviews

Endorse Simon James

by Yana B.
Verified
Simon killed it! I only had a partial song concept and he brought it to life. Super receptive to feedback and has fantastic ideas! Definitely recommend him!
by Sam B.
Verified
Simon smashed our job out of the park! Communication was seamless and he connected with the track from the get go. He was really easy to work with and captured all the emotion I was hoping for!
by Oly Castro
This kid is truly something else: has all the tools and talents to take your music to the next level just like he did for me. Very willing to work with you, open to and able to turn your ideas into reality, but you’d be foolish not to hear out his ideas too. All in all Simon is a ridiculously strong secret weapon to have in your arsenal, regardless of what you want to sound like he can make it happen.

Interview with Simon James

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: At the moment I am working on building my portfolio and my network.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I would say my strongest skill is my ability to adapt to any creative environment. Since I grew up with such a broad musical background, I pride myself on being able to put on different hats and play many different roles in a studio or live setting.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: The first thing I usually ask people is what type of music they like. I try to gauge what type of vibe they are going for before starting so I can understand their vision a little more. This way I can help them reach that vision more effectively. I also enjoy seeing how people's influences affect their own music.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: My style is influenced by many very different genres. My music generally sounds very pop-ish since I tend to use pop harmonies and textures, but I also draw lyrical and structural influence from Hip Hop. Sonically, I love to use a large range of sounds and include a lot of vocal layers and harmonies. I draw a lot of inspiration in arrangement from R&B music and Gospel. However I also like to experiment with newer elements like heavily edited vocal chops and dance rhythms.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I run a studio out of my garage. Most often, people come to me to record and mix vocals. I also produce a lot of tracks for local artists and help them with writing and arranging. I have helped many artists in my community to finish their first body of work and release their material on major streaming services.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I run a studio out of my garage. Most often, people come to me to record and mix vocals. I also produce a lot of tracks for local artists and help them with writing and arranging. I have helped many artists in my community to finish their first body of work and release their material on major streaming services.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: Born in Chicago, I grew up surrounded by a very musical extended family. From an early age, I studied classical piano and later took on the drums. As a child, I became more interested in the creative process and taught myself music production in several DAW's, picking up the guitar and some vocal/songwriting skills along the way. I have now been producing and making my own music for around 8 years.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: The biggest misconception is that I just "make beats". Beat making is a valuable skill set and I respect all beat makers, but I just think there is so much more than that to the creative process and that's something that a lot of non-musicians don't really understand.