Stephen Simmons

Stephen Simmons was raised in the small town of Woodbury, Tennessee. His mother was a schoolteacher and his father held a factory job. In his family, they were the first generation that didn’t work the farm. As a songwriter and fifteen years as a Road Dog, Stephen’s vision has grown to entail more than just reflections of rural America. The songs on his recordings, deal with existential realities that are familiar to country and city dwellers alike: redemption, heartbreak, hangovers and the loneliness of the road. Stephen’s records (which were compared to everyone from Johnny Cash to Ryan Adams) combine virtuosic songcraft and musicianship with unparalleled artistic honesty. His work has been covered by Mojo Music, Uncut, and The Washington Post.

Simmons released his debut studio album, Last Call, in 2004. “Lay On The Tracks”, a standout track from Last Call, was a winner at the prestigious MerleFest Chris Austin Songwriting Competition. Last Call was praised by critics on both sides of the Atlantic, picked up and released by Rounder Europe Records; followed by three more Rounder Europe releases and extensive touring in Europe. As a Songwriter with Television credits (Sons of Anarchy) and as a steady road act (going on two decades in ten countries) Simmons continues to evolve as an artist. His most recent albums have been released in Europe on Germany’s premiere roots label; Blue Rose Records.


Studio Album Discography:

Last Call (2004 Locke Creek / 2007 Rounder Europe Records)
Drink Ring Jesus (2006 Locke Creek / 2007 Rounder Europe Records)
Something In Between (2007 Rounder Europe / 2008 Americana Records)
Girls (2009 Locke Creek)
The Big Show (2010 Lower 40 / Blue Rose)
Hearsay (2013 Lower 40)
What The Midnight Swallows Whole (2014 Locke Creek)
Silly, Sad & True (2014 Locke Creek)
A World Without (2016 Blue Rose)

Press:

"a singer-songwriter of marked depth and commitment, (he) recalls a more subdued Steve Earle, a more grounded Ryan Adams and any aggregation of three-named Texas troubadours you'd care to recall."
- -- Bill Friskics-Warren, THE NASHVILLE SCENE

"...not many singers achieve such a confident, full-bodied sound while delivering conversational confessions."
- — Geoffrey Himes , The Washington Post

"Vivid, intelligent and soulful."
- Rob Hughes, UNCUT (UK)

"...he's a Bible Belt barstool philosopher singing of sin and redemption. Intelligent, intense, and easy to like."
- – Sylvie Simmons, MOJO Music Magazine (UK)