SIFI Radio | Team
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Mike Simon | Artist & Founder
Growing up just outside of Chicago, Mike Simon had the good fortune of being witness to many great musicians. Whether it was being exposed to Maxwell Street blues performers at an early age, or growing up during the alternative rock era, Chicago provided a rich musical environment to develop in. “I remember my folks taking me down to the City as a kid and exposing me to incredible live street performers.
My parents had a huge vinyl collection and I spent most of my time as a kid playing literally listening to hundreds of records in my spare time. I was lucky to have young parents that grew up in the 60’s and were passionate about Rock, Blues and Folk music. My Dad is a Beatles fanatic, so John Lennon had a big impact on me. I was taken by the Beatles sound for sure but also was heavily influenced by The Who, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young and Phil Ochs. One of my earliest memories of music and when I really started paying attention to the sound of records, was when I first heard Led Zeppelin II. I remember listening to songs like Ramble On and What is and What Should Never Be and being completely blown away by the production and sound of that record. I remember just getting completely lost in the sound of that record. There was something about the way everything fit together, and to me, it was instantly apparent that the sound of that record was just as important as the material and performances.”
Mike began playing guitar and singing at 6 and was performing in front of large audiences by 10 years old and for the next several years developed himself as a singer, guitar player and songwriter.
Interested in becoming a commercial pilot Mike studied Aviation in college and earned his commercial pilot’s license as well as instructor licenses but due to an over saturation in the aviation market and a lack of job opportunities, he turned his focus back to music and through a series of events ended up teaching guitar and developed The Music Teachers Network which helped thousands of musicians find work teaching kids across the U.S.
Mike knew early on that he was going to have to develop himself as a producer. He set out to fuse his craft for writing and performing original material with the mastery of music production and mixing technique. Reflecting on his journey Mike explains, “I learned by osmosis and trial & error.” I would hang around recording studios and watch sessions of other artists. I learned the gear and I learned the techniques that professional engineers were using. Music production is a spooky science. I’ve literally owned every piece of gear imaginable and sold each one. I’ve had to learn how to play both parts (The musician and the producer/engineer)
Recording With Eddie Kramer
In 2019 an opportunity arose to work with Eddie Kramer (Engineer for Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin & the Rolling Stones to name a few). which became a full circle moment. After attending a one-week engineering seminar in France, Eddie agreed to come to Seattle to lend his talents and perspectives to Mike’s music. Out of those sessions came 10 singles that would become Mike’s inaugural album.