Ted is originally from Newfoundland, but currently calls Dartmouth, Nova Scotia home.
Get To Know Ted Simmons
His youth in Newfoundland was the start of his vagabond journey, it was spent traversing the island in a single engine airplane with his father, going into the wilderness, exploring, fishing, camping, and just generally being out there, up in the air. He learned how to live going from place to place carrying very little and needing even less.
He has traveled to and lived in, many other parts of the world. “I looked beyond where I was from and saw something bigger at a very early age”. He traveled to America on his for the first time when he was just thirteen years old. That was the first time he experienced New York City; it changed him forever.
It was the sounds and stories of the South that captured his imagination as a child. “The first time I heard blues music, I wasn’t very old, and had no idea what any of it meant, but it captivated me”. From Blues to Country, Folk to Rock and Roll, and RandB to Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, and with influences like Muddy Waters, Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and The Band, with powerful, poignant, pretty and sometimes politically driven lyrics Ted has created a diversity of songs that cover the spectrum of the Americana experience. His lyrics range from topical social commentary to fun and humorously ridiculous tales, to the poetry of love, loss, loneliness, and longing.
When not working as a singer/songwriter, he enjoys spending time with his family, fishing with his son, swimming in the ocean, and working in his garden.
How would you describe your music?
I would describe my music as Americana (mostly) in every sense of the concept. My songs cover a lot of ground, some blues, some country, some folk, some southern gospel, and even a little bit of RandB. I also mix in a little indie rock and some regular old rock and roll. My work is very lyrically driven; poetic, emotional, and political. Songs about love and heartache, songs about the downtrodden and forgotten, songs about injustice, and then sometimes, songs that are witty and funny, about humorous situations and people.
What about your music is rebellious, unconventional, or unusual?
I make a lot of songs that are radical and intended to be a commentary on things that I perceive to be injustice, inequality, or serious societal problems that are not being addressed. The title track of my new album is a prime example, Dark and Dirty World, which is a collection of songs meant to tell a complete story of a character searching for happiness, acceptance and a secure place in the world, as well as coping with grief and hardship in a sometimes humorous or satirical way, in the vein of Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks/Slow Train Coming, Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever/Wildflowers, or Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run/Ghost of Tom Joad. There are two overall recurring themes. First, is the displacement of the working class and the corruption and greed that has spawned the current climate of popular unrest. Second is the emotional struggle that accompanies a failed relationship and a longing for love, companionship, and a sense of belonging that is seemingly out of reach.
What would you be doing right now if it weren’t for your music career?
I would own a bar on a beach somewhere warm, that has live music, cold beer and serves bbq.
What is your favorite song to perform?
My favorite song to perform is a song from my new album, Dark and Dirty World, it’s called Rainy Day April, and I like performing it for two reasons, one, it is a fast-moving classic blues rock jam that is easy to play but with a lot of guts, great rhythm section and lead guitar parts, it’s fun to play loud and loose. Two, I like the lyrics, they are very tongue and cheek, a little provocative, and easy to sing.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
I would like to see commercial radio put more thought into the music they play and open their playlists more to up and coming, new, or unsigned artists. In other words, actually, take an interest in music instead of using it to sell ad space.
Who are your top two favorite artists of all time? Why those artists?
I would say right off the bat #1 Bob Dylan, his influence on my music, my thinking about the world, and my perception of myself has been profound. He is by far the greatest living songwriter and more importantly one of the greatest artists in history. I always wonder when people answer a question like this why they don’t list Bob Dylan as #1, if I was a basketball player, my hero would be Michael Jordan, the greatest, that’s what I would aspire to. When I write, I can only hope to even come close to the mark that Bob Dylan has set.
Picking #2 is a bit more difficult because there is sort of Bob Dylan and everyone else, but I would have to go with Tom Petty. People forget that when Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers first started there was no appetite for straight up Rock and Roll, everything was about disco or AM soft rock, Tom Petty really helped bring back the excitement and energy of Rock and Roll for a whole new generation. Then there is his songwriting, his style of writing was the perfect combination of hooky kind of choruses with verses that left a lot up to your imagination, a true master.
Are you planning any videos for your music?
Actually, I recently released a DIY video for the song Dark and Dirty World. It was a DIY project I worked on with my son, it’s available on YouTube. I am currently planning to make a video for track 2 from the album, a song called Susanna, which is an easy listening kind of boozy romp, a departure from the angst and political fury of Dark and Dirty World. My goal for this video is to make it more like a story type of video, with sets, actors and a real director.
Would you have any advice for would-be artists or songwriters wanting to follow you?
Despite what popular culture seems to propagate, the music business is a long game. There are very few people at the top and the odds of you getting there are slim to none, be honest with yourself about that, because, the most important thing you have to do, is not practicing, networking, playing shows, or make social media posts, it is to never give up. You will hear no 100 more times than yes, easily, but the goal is not to be someone it is to do something, keep creating, keep learning, and keep moving forward inch by inch.
If you were to write an autobiography, what would the title be?
I already have it picked out, it’s called I Manage, it’s a loose collection of stories about my life, some sections on life advice, and a section called Folk Singer 101, where I offer some basic tips, like don’t play an out of tune guitar, and don’t ask the audience how they are doing, nobody wants to hear that.
Are you a valuable asset on a Pub Quiz team?
Invaluable is a better term, I have a head full of useless knowledge unless I am on a Quiz team.
If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?
Don’t go to business school, follow your dream and be a singer/songwriter, I don’t know if I would be any further ahead, but I would have definitely wasted a lot less time.
Ted‘s latest album, Dark and Dirty World, is available now.
“Dark and Dirty World is a collection of songs meant to tell a complete story of a character searching for happiness, acceptance and a secure place in the world, as well as coping with grief and hardship in a sometimes humorous or satirical way.” – Ted Simmons
You can find out more about Ted Simmons and his new album on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, Bandcamp and Apple Music.
