Music
Press
"Simard channels a deft folk crooner with sensitivity … and a little bit of mischief." - Artswells Festival of All Things Art
Katie Moore keeps her Country-Folk crown while Folly and the Hunter shoot up from honourable mentions and the Barr Brothers and David Simard debut. And a hearty har-de-har to the 100+ people who voted for Canada as “Best Country.” - Montreal Mirror Magazine
"... thirteen tracks of witty words meet 70's Waitsian pop meet just enough quirk to keep a wide swath of listeners interested ... a stash of urban tales with a score of avant folk, country twang, desert disco and gypsy jazz as a bedrock. (4.1 / 5) " - Nightlife Magazine
"... thirteen tracks of witty words meet 70's Waitsian pop meet just enough quirk to keep a wide swath of listeners interested ... a stash of urban tales with a score of avant folk, country twang, desert disco and gypsy jazz as a bedrock. (4.1 / 5) " - Nightlife Magazine
"premier album autoproduit au calibre largement supérieur à la moyenne de ce que les labels endossent."
[a first-class self-produced album well above the average of what the labels are taking on.] - Voir Magazine
"premier album autoproduit au calibre largement supérieur à la moyenne de ce que les labels endossent."
[a first-class self-produced album well above the average of what the labels are taking on.] - Voir Magazine
"invokes music milieus from another era ... Simard blends old and new with a clarinet, Wurlitzer and euphonium to create contemporary ballads situated somewhere between country, folk and jazz. (7.5 / 10)" - Montreal Mirror Magazine
"The strong and vibrant tone de la Andrew Bird, married with folk from the dark shades of Elvis Perkins and Vandaveer." - Onda Rock (Italy)
"The strong and vibrant tone de la Andrew Bird, married with folk from the dark shades of Elvis Perkins and Vandaveer." - Onda Rock (Italy)
"David Simard è un cantautore e musicista canadese, la cui musica proviene dal passato e si proietta nel futuro. "
[David Simard is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician, whose music comes from the past and looks to the future.] - SoM (Italy)
"Le jeune homme originaire de Colombie-Britannique qui a élu domicile à Montréal devrait séduire le plus irréductible des Gaulois."
[The young man from British Columbia who has taken up residence in Montreal should win the most indomitable Gauls.] - BangBang
'"avant-garde” Canadian folk singer to be excited about ... a little folk, a little pop, a hint of jazz combined with a perfect indie touch' - Common Folk Music
"Un mélange de folk, de blues et de jazz tout ce qu’il y a de plus classique sur papier, mais d’un raffinement et d’une force notables, par ailleurs pourvu de sensibilités avant-gardistes."
[A mixture of folk, blues and jazz everything from classic on paper, but a notable refinement and strength equipped with avant-garde sensibilities.] - Nightlife Magazine
"Un mélange de folk, de blues et de jazz tout ce qu’il y a de plus classique sur papier, mais d’un raffinement et d’une force notables, par ailleurs pourvu de sensibilités avant-gardistes."
[A mixture of folk, blues and jazz everything from classic on paper, but a notable refinement and strength equipped with avant-garde sensibilities.] - Nightlife Magazine
Made the list for "Best Singer/Songwriter 2010". - Montreal Mirror Magazine
Made the list for "Best Country/Folk Act 2009". - Montreal Mirror Magazine
"Think Tim Buckley on a tear; Tim Hardin on a roll.” - The Peterborough Examiner
“David is one of my favourite artists; gifted, brilliant, and the 2007 Peterborough Folk Festival Emerging Artist.” - Peterborough Folk Festival
"Think Tim Buckley on a tear; Tim Hardin on a roll.” - The Peterborough Examiner
Discography
Slower, Lower - (October, 2011)
http://davidsimard.bandcamp.com/album/slower-lower
Wooded Places Single (June 2009)
Alleys Single (May 2009)
Doorways Single (December 2008)
The Morning Swimmer EP(2005)
Guests and Collaborations:
Brie Nielson & Her Othermen - "Picture Show" (2012)
Erin Lang & The Foundlings - "Between You and The Sea" (2012)
O'Mally - "O'Mally" (2008)
Photos
Bio
Described as an avant-garde folk-singer, David Simard is catching the attention of music lovers across Canada and abroad. Relentless touring and a wonderful festival response followed the release of his debut full-length, Slower, Lower, in October of 2011. Recorded by Daniel Gelinas at Studio Chocolat Chaud on the loudest street in Saint-Henri, a gritty, working class neighbourhood in South-West Montreal, it's a charmingly understated and intimate release. "a first-class self-produced album well above the average of what the labels are taking on." (Voir Magazine). The opening track, "Memory Box" was recently picked up by French actor/director, Yvan Attal, for use in his newest film "Do Not Disturb", featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg. With Simard's “contemporary ballads situated somewhere between country, folk and jazz" (Montreal Mirror), “Slower, Lower collects praise wherever he goes.” (BangBang).
Always a hard-working musician, Simard has logged more than seven cross-country tours in as many years. Not counting the new full-length, David Simard has released eight different EP's, singles, and collaborative works in the last decade. The most recent of these was a series of three singles: Doorways, Alleys, and Wooded Places. Alike to his performances, all three feel haunted, with soaring moments and dark passages throughout. Remarkably hand-made, and released independently, Simard has been touring throughout Canada with some wonderful material in tow.
In addition to his own project, Simard has collaborated with numerous other performers and has participated in a number of what are best described as multi-media spectacles. Teen Sleuth and the Freed Cyborg Choir (of Montreal Fringe Festival infamy), Brie Neilson and Her Other Men, and Erin Lang and the Foundlings are a few of the acts you may have seen him with. A prominent feature in Aleks Schurmer's wildly successful "Party Like It's 1699 - a post-modern baroque spectacle" and in Frances Adair McKenzie's "Tucked Up in the Mountains” showed an adaptable young artist. Performing alongside contortionist, Andréane Leclerc, and aerial acrobat, Shannon Gray, hints at the cabaret flair so regularly pointed out in his style.
David currently splits his time between Montreal and an abandoned mining town in Northern BC, where he is engaged in a writing project, collecting and translating regional history and folklore into modern folk songs. David Simard is currently booking Festivals and summer gigs for 2013. Please get in touch if you have an event to propose. It's going to be another busy year.
Links
