Simon Kearney

Simon Kearney (born March 28, 1996) is a singer-songwriter from L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec in Quebec. He is the creator of the term pop'n'roll, a term he uses to define his music.
He released a first 4-song EP in 2013. His first album, "La vie en mauve", produced by Antoine Gratton, was released in 2015. In 2018, Kearney released the single «C’pas les raisons qui manquent». This song climbed to #30 on the Broadcast Data Systems (BDS) Top 100 and to #15 on the BDS Pop-Rock Charts. In January 2019, Simon Kearney launches the album "Maison Ouverte" under the Sphère Musique label.
Kearney participated in the Festival d'été de Québec Summer Festival in 2015, 2016 and 2019.
== Career ==
=== His beginnings ===
At the age of 4, his parents sat him down in front of a piano. At 5 years old, they enrolled him in guitar lessons. Afterwards, Kearney has seized every opportunity to perform on a stage.
He started acting, appeared in commercials and even participated in plays. After a few years, he began writing his songs and participating in various competitions. He made his real debut at the Secondaire en spectacle contest, where he reached the provincial level. He then participated in the Cabaret Festif! de la relève. In 2011, at 14 years old, he climbs to third place in the competition «Je joue de la guitare» broadcasted on the TV show Belle et Bum on the Télé-Québec network. This is when the record label Sphère Musique first discovered Kearney.
After that, he decided to perfect his writing skills in Petite-Vallée, Quebec with Patrice Michaud.
=== His inspirations ===
Simon Kearney is inspired by Quebec and international music. He likes the music of Prince (musician), Beck and Bruno Mars. According to him, artists from elsewhere allow themselves a great deal of extravagance, which he loves and tries to reproduce through his albums and his shows.
On the Quebec side, he likes the repertoires of Jean Leloup, Dédé Fortin, Vincent Vallières, Karkwa and Fred Fortin. The group Les Trois Accords also acts as an inspiration, especially with the song “Le bureau du médecin”. For Kearney, this is the perfect example to talk about a serious subject with a certain lightness.
=== Collaborations ===
With his first album, ``La vie en mauve", Simon Kearney toured across Quebec. He was on a double stage with Philippe Brach (revelation of the year at the ADISQ Gala in 2015). Kearney was also the opening act for Pascale Picard Band|Pascale Picard. He has also been a guitarist-accompanist for Vincent Vallières, Patrice Michaud, Hubert Lenoir, Jérôme 50 and Pascale Picard.
=== EP: Eponyme ===
This 4 song EP, produced by Antoine Gratton, is the first work in which Simon Kearney presents his compositions. Released on October 22, 2013, this rock-style EP made known the single "Laisse-moi pas tomber".
=== First album: "La vie en mauve" ===
"La vie en mauve" was also produced by Antoine Gratton. Gratton is a true mentor for Kearney. He also accompanies him on the Keyboard instrument|keyboard during his shows. The voice of Camille Poliquin (Milk & Bone) can be recognized on the songs "Chaminao" and "J’aurai dû la tuer".
=== Second album: "Maison ouverte" ===
“Maison ouverte” has an eclectic style, which Simon Kearney calls pop’n’roll. On this album, the artist has managed to combine different genres: Rock music|rock, Pop music|pop, synthesizer, Electronic music|electronic sounds and Bass instrument amplification|bass. For this album, Kearney first developed his lyrics rather than his melodies. He then set the tone for the melodies with the bass. 
The songs are a portrait of his generation: a quest for self-affirmation. Different themes are addressed, such as desire, heartbreak, friendships and ambition. The pieces and melodies spread the artist’s joie de vivre and humour.
The album features several collaborations, such as Marc Chartrain (musician for Patrice Michaud) on production and arrangements, Carl Marotte|Carl Mayotte on bass, Alex McMahon on synthesizers and percussion, and Pascale Picard and Marianne Poirier on back vocals.
Le Devoir gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, mentioning the artist's rebellious aspect.
== Multi-instrumentalist ==
Simon Kearney entered the universe of music with the piano and guitar. He also masters Drum kit|drums, bass, synthesizers, banjo, harmonica and accordion.
== The pop’n’roll ==
Simon Kearney describes his music as pop’n’roll. This style is a mix of groove, soul, rock’n'roll and sounds directly borrowed from the 80s and the pop of the 90s. 
== Discography ==
* EP (EP, 2013)
* La vie en mauve (2015)
* Maison Ouverte (2019)
Category:1996 births
Category:Singers
Category:Songwriters