April's Song of the Month
Mary Simon's "Tempted"
March's Song Of The Month
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Mary Simon Who: Mary Simon What: "Organic urban pop" Where: Toronto, ON To Contact: P.O. Box 183, Station B, Toronto, ON M5T 2W1 (905) 510-0099, fenixgirl@hotmail.com, www.marysimon.com. Mary Simon started out singing in Saskatchewan in a college band called Jackets Like These, before returning to Toronto to launch her solo career. Her debut CD, Before I Fall, is a promising beginning indeed. Often drawing comparisons to the likes of Lisa Loeb and Natalie Merchant, Simon's singing is sweet and confident, vulnerable and vibrant, with a style and a delivery that sounds effortless and charming. And the quality of her songwriting suggests that she won't be kept off the charts for long. The exquisitely lovely "Turn Me" is a particularly strong track, with the kind of breezy chorus that will play through your head over and over. "I try to be honest and vulnerable," Simon says of her approach to songwriting. "I think my best songs are the ones where I'm brutally honest with my emotions. I think that's really important in songwriting, for people to really gravitate towards your music and your lyrics." The gravitating has begun. "Turn Me" placed second in Toronto radio station Mix 99.9's 2001 annual songwriting contest, while the lead-off track, "Tempted", was one of 10 finalists in the ASCAP Foundation's Lilith Fair Songwriting Contest, which drew more than 2,000 entries from the USA and Canada. She was the only Canadian finalist. She's also made appearances on Canada A.M. and Open Mike With Mike Bullard. Hopefully this is only the beginning. Before I Fall is a tantalizing debut from a rising talent.
