Contents

Cultural Quarterly
(November 2011)

Interview on MTM Radio
(Kyla Wight November 2011)

Mention in Eastbourne Gazette
(December 22 2011)

Interview with Jennie Lees of www.strayfm.com
October 2011

BN1 Magazine
(Andrew Nicholls September 2011)

MTM Radio Feature of Facebook
(Radio Mention)

Audio Rokit
(Interview September 2011)

Student Quarterly November 2011
(Mention of Facebook Song)
"it's a well written piece of music, both instrumentally and vocally, that somehow keeps your attention and in a way makes you think; someone might be watching YOUR Facebook, and it might be Simon! Brilliant.

Interview
(M Rachailov August 2011)

"Connecting With An Audience Online"
(M Rachailov November 2011)

Back to the press kit

"I have come across some exceptional talent, but a particular artist that stands out above them all is Simon Smith. Calling himself a multimedia artist Simon writes, makes music, takes photos, and paints. He is a man whose talents are only exceeded by his likeable character."
Andrew Nicholls BN1 Magazine September 2011 [Read More]

Interview with Jennie Lees of www.strayfm.com October 2011

Interview with Simon Mark Smith on Jennie Lees Sunday Session on Stray FM by simonmarksmith  

Festive single children's charity

Published on Thursday 22 December 2011 15:48 in the Eastbourne Gazette

A SINGER from Eastbourne has released a single for charity in the run up to Christmas.

Simon Mark Smith has written and performed a new Christmas single called Christmas Day, which is available to be downloaded.

Seventy per cent of the profits are being donated directly to the Tree of Hope Children's Charity based in Bexhill.

The song is sung by Simon together with Rebecca Burge with additional backing by Katouche Goll and her sister.

The Tree of Hope has provided help to Katouche over a number of years.

Katouche was diagnosed with spastic diplegia at birth, a form of cerebral palsy which affects her lower limbs which means she need constant mobility support.

Her mother Ngaio Goll said, “Katouche also had Erbs Palsy which affected her whole right arm. Her movement of the arm as well as her sensitivity to temperature and pain was severely reduced. She suffered burns and had surgery to her hand as a result.

“Thankfully, this is now minimised. She has full use of the arm and hand, although it is larger than her left arm and hand.

“She needs ongoing Conductive Education at the Peto Institute in Budapest, Hungary, and surgical intervention, to correct her feet, to loosen and lengthen muscles and correct her posture.”

A spokesperson for the Tree of Hope Children's Charity said, “We are over the moon to have such a talent recording a song to raise money on our behalf.

“We think it is a great song that is really meaningful and the money raised will really help change sick children's lives here in the UK.

“Not only is it a great song but it's for a great cause and we encourage everyone to go to iTunes and CDBaby to purchase their copy for only 99p.”

The song has already generated advance interest from Simon Mark Smith's fan base.

It was released last Friday and Simon says he hopes it will be a big success with its mixture of melody and meaningful lyrics.

Further details are available at http://www.treeofhope.org.uk/index.php?page=a-song-for-christmas

http://simonmarksmith.com/wordpress/christmas-song/

http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/local-news/festive_single_children_s_charity_1_3360796

During my ten months meeting local bands I have come across some exceptional talent, but a particular
artist that stands out above them all is Simon Smith. Calling himself a multimedia artist Simon writes,
makes music, takes photos, and paints. He is a man whose talents are only exceeded by his likeable
character. We met up with the man behind the music, and he had this to say.

Many of our readers are unfortunate enough to have not heard much about you; tell us about
yourself.

Simon Smith: I'm Simon Mark Smith. I'm a multimedia artist. I work as a recording artist, painter, writer,
and photographer. I've been writing songs since 1989, this is my second album. I kind of moved away
from making albums to just putting my music on line in order to build up a following. I've now got over
80,000 followers and a lot have asked for me to bring out a CD, which I guess is a compliment seeing
as most of my songs are available for free from my website. Some people prefer the higher quality or
convenience of CDs and others want to support my work which is very touching.

I often work with Steve Dumelo now. He's a multi instrumental musician, singer, engineer, producer
and film maker. When we go out he's a bit wayward and I have to rein him in, whereas in the studio
it's the other way around.

What's your sound?

SS: I try not to pin my work down to a style however ultimately the range and tone of my voice and
the instruments we have at our disposal as well as the limits of our abilities kind of create a style,
but if you want to pin me down on this it's very melodic, there's a lot of time spent not only on sound
quality but also honing the music. We mix modern rhythms and sounds with older values such as
meaningful lyrics, musicality, and feelings. People we're often associated with include: Bruce
Springsteen, Mark Knopfler, Leonard Cohen, David Gray, REM, U2, Spankox, Dylan, Ron Sexsmith,
Roxy Music and Robbie Robertson.

You have an album coming out soon; what can you tell us about it?

SS: Nearly all my work is about a multi-layered approach to life, so each song takes a situation and looks
at a process many of us will encounter, whether it's the attempt to keep hold of someone we're losing,
letting go, healing, yearning , meeting people on the Internet, feeling lust, feeling pain, scientific understanding
vs emotional experience, searching for a romantic illusion, how society tries to hide what we're really like, and
a whole lot more. There's more to life than boy meets girl, and that's my approach to song writing.

Most artists have favourite songs on their releases, what are yours?

SS: Facebook ; this is one of our most commercial songs, lots of people like it and it kind of captures a bit of
the Zeitgeist right now. It also has a dark side to it, kind of you don't really know who's on the other end of a
profile till you meet them. It's meant to be funny as well, and a little bit sad, the way we can fall in love so easily
with people we don't know.  In The Middle Of The Night: I've often had that feeling, a restless feeling in the middle
of the night, where I don't know if I want to run away from everything, just get in my car and go, well this song is a
bit about that feeling. But it's also about how intense we can feel then, the middle of the night can feel a long way
from everywhere and everyone. My songs normally try to look at things from odd angles, I don't really have any
answers but I wanted people to know that they are amongst lots of other people asking similar questions.

Last time I checked you had over 80,000 fans on Facebook which is more than many well-established
bands. You managed that while remaining unsigned; what do record deals mean to you?

SS: The world is starting to feel the effect of technology on business, as with all change there are those who cling
on to the past, but ultimately change happens. So the point we're at at the moment is one where many of the things
record companies offered to artists are no longer viable. Studio time has now been replaced by people having their
own home studios, which might not be as good as proper ones, but they can do the job. Distribution is now being
catered for on the Internet, so that now leaves mentoring and development, publicity and marketing, and administrative
tasks. With social networking a lot of people are finding their way to their audience and for some that can be a big
enough one to actually get a living from. So unless a record label is going to pour a lot of money in to marketing an
artist one has to ask whether it's worth an artist going near a company. Some companies offer fantastic support and
guidance, but again you also hear of the opposite.

Who should listen to your music?

SS: I think my work will appeal to people who know what it's like to have loved and lost, who think and feel about life,
who love to feel the music they listen to, who want to feel connected to others. I hope that in some way I can help
people feel less alone at times.

By Andrew Nicholls

To download the image of this article click here

The original article was at this location:
http://www.bn1magazine.co.uk/frontpage-featured-articles/37-articles/382-simon-smith-interview

How did you get to hear of Audio Rokit?

A friend told me about it, so I thought I'd check it out. Many artists complain that they shouldn't have to spend time promoting themselves or networking but unless they're rich enough to pay someone else to do it then IMO it's a good idea to explore every avenue.

Aside from Audio Rokit, what other methods do you use to get your music heard?

We use social networking mainly. People seem to spread our links. It kind of escalates when we put out new free tracks or videos.

So far we've got around 82,000 followers. We're just about to do a 3 month publicity campaign using traditional methods, but see it as a limited exercise. The internet and social networking feels less limited.

What do you find most challenging about the music industry?

“You got to be in it to win It” and “You're not coming in here looking like that”, spring to mind.  At one point DJs had more freedom. Now it feels like the industry is so closed that the only option for most artists to get any recognition is via the Internet. I mean how many new artists do major labels promote each year? The answer is probably in the 10's, yet there are so many niche areas out there that aren't catered for by the major labels.

I feel like it's as if showing you're financially viable isn't enough, and in most industries it would be. If you go to the supermarket they don't just stock the best sellers, they give you a choice.

What music are you working on currently?

We always try to have something on the boil and plans in the pipeline. We have so many approaches to creating a song which in their own ways influence the direction of it. The song we're working on now came from jamming and then assembling the ideas. It's subject matter came from people talking on social networks about losing themselves in a relationship. Stylistically it has a leaning towards Chris Isaak's music.

What advice would you give other musicians?

Don't listen to me… However if you did I'd say: Do you want to have a real life audience? If so, spend as much time promoting as you do creating. Try to get honest opinions from other people and use the feedback to see if it's what you think too, continuously look for ways of improving. Work continuously, and love doing what you're doing, that way, even if you don't get the breaks you'd like, at least you've had fun. Finally, have a genuine relationship with your audience, engage with them as you would anyone and don't be pushy.

What is the best gig you have played and why?

I don't do much gigging now, I did do quite a few years of it, but now I see myself more as a recording artist. After a few years of gigging things just clicked in to place so most of the gigs then became enjoyable, The Union Chapel, the Blackheath Concert Halls, The Bottom Line, The Half Moon, The Orange, and even The While Hart Fulham all had their charm.

A gig is about the connection through the music, the dialogue, the movement of all concerned. I learned early on to always stay connected to an audience, none of that turning my back and having a laugh with the band… It's all about connection.

If you could hear and see anyone play live right now who would it be and why?

Leonard Cohen, firstly because I've never seen him live and secondly because I love his music and equally I'd love to see Bruce Springsteen because of his rapport with the audience.

How are you finding Audio Rokit?

I've had a few enquiries and we'll see where they lead. If I make a million I'll take Audio Rokit out for lunch, somewhere cheap though, so don't get too excited! Seriously though, if you don't try these things out how will you make connections? It's better to be out there connecting with others, you never know where they'll lead.

Who or what are your biggest influences to you and your music?

Mark Knopfler, The The, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Isaak, Bob Dylan, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Elvis, and many, many more!

Get connected with Simon Mark Smith

audiorokit.co.uk/simon-mark-smith
Facebook Page
Music Page
My general website

Image of this article

Link to the article

An Interview with Simon Mark Smith August 2011

M. Rachailov

“I hope it's the work” he says and laughs. “Although personality can play a part in what interests people about an artist, I imagine most artists would like to feel their work had played some part in the process”. Indeed his work has something about it. With vocals in the vein of Springsteen, Knopfler, Cohen, and REM he's also incorporated dance rhythms that give a modern feel to a style that might have appeared as retro had they not been incorporated. "I like the combination of old and new, it's a kind of reaction against the typical attitudes you tend to meet from both the young and old that cause such unnecessary divisions, it's an attempt to show the value of both their worlds." Much of his work is about trying to understand what's going on both around and inside of us and that combined with lyrics that will sometimes make you laugh and sometimes touch you to the core, it's no wonder that so many people have linked up with him.

There's something else about what's going on here that's capturing people's attention and that's the people power behind this artist. There's no company in the background pouring money in to this project. It's just people, passing on his website or Facebook page to each other. Simon is one of the older new kids on the block and has his own take on what's going on. “Before social networking took off, an artist was still at the mercy of record companies. Even with home studios, or on line distribution, or Myspace, it was still near enough impossible to get off the ground but it's Social Networking that is the final part of the jigsaw. It allows real communication and involvement between artists and followers and, within this process engagement takes place in both directions. Instead of artists becoming untouchable and consequently isolated they are now very much connected with their audience and back to being part of “the community”. This is new territory and it's going to change the whole landscape of the music industry”.

Simon's own musical history follows a similar path to many. Critical acclaim, but no support from the record industry, so it's no wonder he's a keen advocate of the New Musical World Order. With over 300 recordings under his belt, he's proved he's got staying power but it's when you see that he's also a published photographer and writer (Microsoft even paid a five figure sum for one of his poems), occasional film maker and, on top of that he's still painting, it's then that you begin to get a sense of the energy behind this man. “I don't sleep much” he jokes, and it's true (he mainly works through the night) and when it's time to pay the bills, he's also gone out in the day and earned his crust. On top of that he gives most of his songs away for free, charging only for premium membership of his website and his CDs.

His latest album, entitled “Wonderful Life”, a title that's more about how life fills us with wonder, as in questions rather than joy, is currently available for $15 (around £8) inc p&p (worldwide) OR for the deluxe version it's £10 inc p&p to the UK.. Both CDs have 19 tracks but different running orderas and booklets. If you're not sure, do as Simon says, “just download them for free from my website and see what you think."

If you want to see what all the fuss is about go to www.simonsdiary.com or www.simonmarksmith.com and be prepared to be surprised by what you'll find there.

M. R. 2011

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MTM Radio Feature of Facebook

MAXING THE MIX with KYLA WIGHT 21-09-11 FULL by kylawight  

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An Interview with Simon Mark Smith "Connecting With An Audience Online"

Whilst the Arab Spring turns in to the Arab Winter, the Internet continues to erode the multi-national conglomerates structures we've grown used to being under the control of . Meanwhile the record industry becomes far narrower than ever so it's no surprse that recording artists such as Simon Mark Smith are beginning to harness followings hitherto unattainable without record label intervention.

“Not only that” says Simon “but now when something goes on the Internet it may remain there, ready to be discovered and engaged with way beyond the shelf lives of products on the high street, what's more, once found, a chain reaction of connectivity occurs that wouldn't have been possible previously. This Long Tail shelf life will have a profound effect on how markets and products connect.”

Simon has been promoting his music for just over a year primarily focusing on Facebook as a platform through which to engage with his audience, and in that time he's hooked up with over 95,000 followers. When he puts a message on his page 95,000 people potentially get to hear what he has to say, and what's more, for him it's free!

So what's it all about Simon?

“It's about a lot of issues from how good the work is to what kind of branding is going on, but most importantly it's about a genuine dialogue going on between audience and artist, it takes commitment and time but aside from building up a following it's a deeply enriching experience to have that kind of communication going on.”

On the 28 th November 2011 Simon will be releasing a 19 track album entitled “Wonderful Life” which can only be bought via his website (£10 inc P&P), once again Simon is defiant. “Why sell primarily through i-tunes or CD baby and lose the potential connection with someone who likes my work?”

On top of that, figure this in to the equation: Most of Simon's songs can be downloaded for free, so why would anyone buy his CD?

“Because like most of us, people like to support artists they have an affinity with. Most people can download songs for free anyway so I felt I might as well just let people have it from me rather than from pirate websites which could also put those very people who like my work at risk. The payback is, people will link up and keep in contact. On top of my CD sales there's my membership site which for either Free or $10/year offers premium services and in time there will be merchandise for sale too. So if people want to help support what I do, there are still plenty of channels available ”

Simon is also a painter, writer, photographer and occasional film maker so each of these disciplines has led to further promotional opportunities, for instance if he writes a blog people may get to listen to his music or view some of his art works whilst there and conversely those who come to his music page will often end up looking at his art works. In a year's time how many more people will he have linked up to, and what earning potential lies behind such followings?

Using an estimate of just 1% of the following spending £10 per year one can see that fan bases approaching the hundreds of thousands may well offer lucrative incomes, especially to individuals. With the Internet's ability to offer “long tail” connection then these followings may well reach the millions for many artists in time.

I'll let Simon have the last word:

“We don't go to a supermarket and expect only to be offered the most popular products that the shop offers, which coincidently is the only product offered. Yet that's precisely what the music industry is up to, so it's no wonder that both buyers and sellers are meeting on the Internet to trade and engage. It's not always about making the most profit possible, sometimes even a small profit is enough.”

For more information go to www.simonmarksmith.com

Press Pack www.simonmarksmith.com/epk

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Simonmarksmith

M.Rachailov November 2011

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Contact details

Email: admin@simonmarksmith.com

www.simonmarksmith.com

See artwork, writing and other creations at www.simonsdiary.com

Or you can link up with him on the following networks:

Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Myspace ~ Reverbnation

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