Meet Simon Jay | Music Producer & Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Simon Jay and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Simon, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I started playing music when I was 4, and learning music at the same time as I was learning to speak, I really came to learn that music is another form of communication. I feel like I have a lifetime’s worth of creative tools to really express the human experience in music.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Since I began my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with artists in all stages of their career. I think all of the artists that have longevity in the industry have discarded the mentality that “once I have this I’ll be happy.” All of them have understood that this is a lifelong process of growing and changing. I definitely had that mentality when I started. I always thought “once I can make a living off music I’ll be happy” or “once I work on a project that wins a Grammy I’ll be happy”. And after I accomplished each of those things, I realized that I was chronically unhappy. That was my biggest challenge, it truly enjoying the process and enjoying the struggle, because they will give you the gift of the ability to overcome them.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m based in Los Angeles, but lately I’ve been doing writing retreats in Nashville. I feel like I’m more of the friend who’s visiting than the one showing people around. But I’ve really come to enjoy the southern hospitality here and doing sessions in all of the different studios here. They all have rich history and some of the greatest records of all time were made there. It’s been a big change, but I pride myself in being able to work anywhere.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shoutout my creative/admin team who work every day to make sure music can be made at the highest degree, not only creatively, but also that the music can get out there and our artists can get paid for their work that they create. I’d also like to recognize music educators of all kinds. My ability and expression in music has been honed in for over 27 years from incredible music educators, from band directors to piano teachers. I owe everything to them.

Website: www.chaptersmusic.com

Instagram: @simon_chapters

Twitter: @simon_chapters

Image Credits
John Galbraith, Bren Calton