Feisty Alberta native Kym Simon has a personality as vast as the prairies and musical potential as high as the Rocky Mountains. A dynamo onstage and off, she has an intriguing, unique voice, a natural charm, and a delightful wit about her. With years of experience under her belt, Simon has evolved into a singing and songwriting sensation, spearheading the creative charge by writing or co-writing all five tracks from her forthcoming EP, Mirror, which was released the 29th of January.
Mirror follows on the heels of If You Stole My Heart, released in 2000, and 2007’s Priority, both of which were recorded in Nashville. For this latest release Simon chose to work closer to home, laying down tracks at Calgary’s MCC Recording Studios under the watchful eye of veteran producer Johnny Gasperic.
“We have the same energy level and we both love to talk, so the communication and vibe in the studio was amazing. And the biggest thing was he let me be creative; he wasn’t running roughshod over the sessions. He was patient and let me do my thing and then went back over the material to try and make it better. It was the best experience I have had in a studio,” said Simon.
When you listen to Kym’s music, you find it hard to believe that the vivacious and confident singer started off as a painfully shy young lady. Kym explains, “My grandparents were in a local dance band that played all the community halls and events in the area, and my parents also played in a band. Every family get-together meant sing-alongs and everybody had to get up and do their own number. So I was surrounded by music and always encouraged to play and sing.” Some of Kym’s earliest influences were Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, and Martina McBride, all vocalists known for their passion, power, and memorable performances.
Mirror opens with the fun, up-tempo love song, “Come On Back”, which finds Kym singing about hanging on to the one she loves. She decides that she’s not going to let him walk out of her life. “Myself To Blame” is a tongue-in-cheek look at the walk of shame, only this time from a woman’s point of view. The narrator finds herself waking up next to a stranger after a one-night-stand, wondering how she always manages to wind up there, and realizing that she really only has herself to blame. She toys between sneaking out and staying to see what happens. Who knows? It could end up being the love of her life… Or it could be another mistake.
Kym co-wrote “Mirror” with four students from her Songbirds music education class, which she started in 2009 and which coaches people of all ages in voice, guitar, piano, and the rudiments of songwriting. The song delves into the difficulties many people have with self-steem. This wonderful song is a standout on this record. The record closes out with “Good Man”, a beautiful song about finding that special someone and falling in love. The track celebrates the man in her life, who’s her best friend and someone who totally understands her. We all hope to find the kind of man in this song.
When I first heard this EP, I was struck with the thought that Kym Simon’s voice and music resembles that of American country singer Jo Dee Messina. They both have a unique quality about their voice, one that can’t really be described. Whatever it is, I like it and it helps them stand out. The EP has a contemporary pop country sound to it, much like Messina’s music. It’s an enjoyable, solid EP. So have a listen!
Originally posted here.
