Simon Imrei

“Singer/songwriter, podcast/radio presenter, supporter of local independent music, attempted comedian & lover of the ampersand..."

Growing up on the Mornington Peninsula, singer/songwriter Simon Imrei spent his childhood riding in the back of cars along tree-lined roads and through quiet towns listening to the catchy choruses and the pop sensibility of 80s/90s radio. At home, it was his parents’ record collection which paired the storytelling of Paul Simon and James Taylor with the bluesy guitar playing of Jimi Hendrix and Santana. It wasn’t until a family Christmas watching his uncle play Buddy Rich rudiments on his drumkit, that Simon discovered his love for rhythm. This underlying aspect of movement and groove has underpinned his guitar playing and songwriting ever since.

More recently over the last 15 years, Simon has kept a steady roster of live shows across the country, bringing his mix of blues/roots and folk-inspired songs to life onstage, blending looped beats with layered riffs, harmonies and honest storytelling. In amongst duties as a touring band member for the likes of 'The Basics’, ‘A Whale Called Phoenix' and others, Simon regular returned to his own material, releasing two EP's and two full-length albums including the 2019 EP, 'Older', and the 2018 two-part album, 'The Sum of Scenes'.

Throughout his career recording and performing music, Simon has also fostered and pursued a long-standing passion for supporting grassroots talent, organising regional showcase gigs, creating a hugely successful Open Mic Night at Side Street Lounge (Mordialloc) and hosting a community radio program on 88.3 Southern FM, regularly giving airplay to upcoming local independent artists. It was during the early days of his radio experience that Simon began to include light-hearted comedy sketches and satire into his shows, pairing with longtime friends to create the two programs, ‘The Pubcast’ (a weekly podcast recorded live from a mystery pub location) and ‘The Offbeat Arvo’ (a weekly comedy/variety radio show).

With the onset of COVID-19 and lockdown iso gigs in early 2020, Simon moved his efforts online, creating his own unique live stream events with ‘TUNESday’, a weekly themed Facebook Live virtual gig (Tuesdays from 8pm) and ‘The Offbeat Evening’, a monthly Instagram Live show with 'strange but true' news, live trivia, skits & other general silliness (on the 1st Wednesday of each month from 7:30pm).

For the latest news, gig details and info about live stream shows & virtual concerts, visit www.simonimrei.com.