Keaton Simons

Keaton Simons' debut album Currently showcases introspective blues-inflected songwriting that reveals almost nothing about the extensive range of his musical skills and prior background. Growing up in the Los Angeles region as a child, Simons displayed an instinctive talent for instruments and committed to a music career before reaching his mid-teens. He helped establish the jazz-leaning ensemble Nobody Knows, took on performances throughout the metro area, and eventually entered the local hip-hop circuit as a supporting player for Tré Hardson of Pharcyde and Kim Hill of Black Eyed Peas.

The sudden end of Nobody Knows, triggered by the passing of one member, prompted Simons to reevaluate his path, leading him to enroll in music and composition studies at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.

After completing his degree, he returned to Los Angeles equipped with fresh perspective, expanded musical knowledge, and original compositions, resuming work with Tré while adding sessions alongside N'Dea Davenport and Snoop Dogg to his credits. Amid these engagements he assembled a group and began presenting his own material at local venues. His initial significant opportunity arrived when he was commissioned to write material for the film Mercy Streets, which starred his stepfather, actor Eric Roberts. Simons compiled those compositions into a demo that attracted interest from Maverick Records.

Securing a contract allowed him to cut additional tracks and release the EP Currently in April 2004. That same summer he prepared his first full-length project, Exes and Whys, which included productions by the Matrix of Avril Lavigne fame, yet the album was ultimately shelved following Warner Bros.' assumption of complete authority over Maverick after an intense dispute that year. The ensuing corporate restructuring left Simons and his agreement caught in the transition. Persisting independently, he later aligned with CBS and collaborated with producer Dave Bianco on the 2008 release Can You Hear Me. Placement on the network proved advantageous, as multiple selections from that album appeared in its popular series Numb3rs and NCIS.