Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our listeners to some deserving up and coming artists/bands. They have made an impact on us for all of the right reasons, We think they kick ass and we hope you do too! Today we’d like to shine the spotlight on Alt-Folk artist Simon Russell, who recently released his debut EP Art By You via Sony Music Sweden.
With a crisp folk sound, Russell has crafted a musically adventurous EP that is warm, yet raw and full of grace. Hear it at your favorite streaming platform here: Simon Russell – Art By You presave (sonymusicfans.com)
When asked about his songs, Russell explains, the song “Down, is a frustrated,emotional and raw song, about politics and oppression. It also touches on hierarchies, weapon laws, the patriarchy, and racism”. “What You Wrote” “Is a song about mental health, about trying to move on from the dark thoughts that whispers lies to you, about letting go of a bad place and remembering that there is a home somewhere out there where you can feel safe.” Lastly on the EP is the song “The Boxer,” An acoustic interpretation of Simon & Garfunkel’s classic.
With roots in England, Ireland and Sweden, Russell was born and raised in Härnösand, a small coastal town in the north of Sweden. Throughout his youth he discovered music and a fascination for art, photography and writing. He paved the way for his early global success using TikTok as a way to connect with like-minded people and listeners and has garnered over 30 million views, and over 50k followers.
With a foot in genres such as indie, alt-folk, folk, and blues his powerful yet emotional voice and poetic lyrics bring honesty and rawness to his music.
We sat down with Simon for a short but fun Q&A session.
Every superhero and villain have an origin and an artist is no different. Well, minus the radioactive spiders and secret government experiments. What’s the origin of Simon Russell?
My mum and dad introduced the world of music to me at an early age. My dad has played the guitar and piano throughout my childhood; mind you, he’s an amateur, but he has always talked about and shown music with such a genuine and warm feeling. And for me, some sort of vulnerability towards music has come from that.
I have heard stories from my mum about me being way too loud as a child. It was probably just because I’m almost deaf in one ear (a story for another time) but my mum did often say “that boy should do something with his voice when he grows up”. And luckily, here we are.
I started playing piano at an early age and later guitar as well. I think I was around ten when I watched the film Moulin Rouge for the first time and as I recall, that was the starting point of me wanting to sing. The film Ray, about Ray Charles’s life, kept the ball rolling. And one of the first albums I got was “It’s Time” by Michael Bublé and I believe that album got me into singing too.
Tell us about your debut EP Art By You. What were the writing and recording processes like, where did the name of the LP come from?
I have been working on this EP for about a year, so it’s some sort of bittersweet feeling towards finally releasing it. The process has had its ups and downs for sure, but I think that it´s supposed to be like that sometimes. It is a good thing to go through these valleys and mountains to be able to learn what works for you and what doesn’t. I think I have learned a great deal in this process, things I didn´t know before and also choices and things I would do differently if I had the chance. It’s part of it all, I guess, to grow as you go.
The writing part is my favorite thing in the music process, I absolutely love to dive deep into words and melodies. I think it’s lovely to sit alone with the guitar or piano and just write. Perhaps with a cup of tea or a beer as my only company.
This is all quite new for me, with interviews and the promoting side of all this, and as of now I’m keeping some things for myself and the story of the title of the EP is one of those things.
How has music, your own and from other artists impacted your life?
I think that question is way too big to be answered shortly… I believe that music shapes us all in some ways. My music for example has been a direct channel to my memories and feelings and it has been important in many ways for me to be able to write these songs and to feel what I needed to feel when I wrote them. As for music in general… Music is the greatest psychologist, the greatest teacher, and the greatest friend if we are willing to look closely. You can find comfort in music in so many different ways.
We have been told that music is just one of the art forms in your repertoire. Can you share with us some information about your other creative outlets?
My mum has always been taking photos. She has a lot of photo albums on a crooked shelf in her bedroom with numbers on all of them which marks the beginning of when she started developing photos and putting them in these albums. Growing up and seeing her love of photography and her love of capturing moments in time has influenced my love for it as well. I love to take photos and make movies. I love to try to notice things with a camera that I wouldn´t usually notice otherwise.
I’ve been around art in many ways in my childhood as well. My mum and dad have both been having their projects with all kinds of art, but mainly my dad used to love to paint. I am not a painter myself, but I do love art and aesthetical projects.
My love for writing, poetry, and lyrics, comes in part from my brother. He used to write poetry when he was younger, and I remember that I thought it was lovely and it was something I wanted to do too. I got him a typewriter once, but when he moved to another city and didn’t take the typewriter with him, I stole it back and it’s been with me ever since.
If you could pick one or two music icons to jam or perform with, who would you pick?
That’s a hard one… One of my favorite artists is Phoebe Bridgers, so to be able to play with her would be a dream come true. Bon Iver/Justin Vernon is my second choice. He has been one of my biggest inspirations.
How does nature inspire your art?
I grew up on a small island in the north part of Sweden and the closeness to nature and mainly the sea has been important in my life. When I have water around me, especially the ocean, I don’t feel trapped as I can do in some cities.
I’ve always been drawn to the power of the wild. I want to be outside if it’s a storm, I want to be able to see and feel the power that nature holds. I find comfort in it. It can make me feel calm, fragile, and small, but it can also make me feel feral, unbreakable, and mighty. I think my music, in some ways, has been affected by that.
If your music were a cocktail what would be in it?
Anything that keeps you warm.
Connect online with Simon Russell:
