Biography
Having spent close to four decades establishing herself as a distinguished rock critic, Sylvie Simmons finally moved into the role of recording artist. Equipped with a ukulele and a softly smoldering vocal delivery, she crafts compact vignettes drawn from ordinary existence—marked by affection, loss, and the effort to maintain optimism—delivering them with an empathetic assurance that underscores both vulnerability and self-possession. Following years of chronicling fellow musicians, she issued her debut collection of original material, Sylvie, in 2014 under the guidance of Howe Gelb of Giant Sand; although physical setbacks postponed immediate follow-up sessions, her sophomore effort, Blue on Blue, appeared in 2020.
Born and raised in London, Simmons displayed an early fascination with music. She acquired a used guitar yet abandoned a school performance after an acute episode of stage fright, redirecting her energies toward written commentary while continuing to play and sing privately. During adolescence she contributed to British music periodicals, though she grew dissatisfied when routinely assigned lightweight, youth-market pop acts instead of the edgier, more demanding artists she favored.
In 1977 she departed London for Los Angeles. The relocation advanced her opportunities, securing a steady position with the U.K. weekly Sounds as its American correspondent and regular columnist. Beyond reporting on leading rock and pop figures of the era, she witnessed the emergence of the L.A. glam-metal scene and produced some of the first substantial features on Mötley Crüe and Guns N Roses. She also joined the staff of the British metal publication Kerrang, adopting the pen name Laura Canyon to avoid self-competition, and contributed regularly to the American magazine Creem while maintaining a syndicated Knight Ridder column.
Eventually her work appeared across nearly all prominent music outlets, among them Rolling Stone, Mojo, Harp, and Blender. Her first book, the 1995 Mötley Crüe biography Mötley Crüe: Lewd, Crude, and Rude, was followed by the short-story collection Too Weird for Ziggy, biographies of Neil Young and Serge Gainsbourg, and the widely praised 2012 volume I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen. While promoting the Cohen biography, Simmons carried a ukulele and performed several of his compositions during book events; the experience gradually diminished her reluctance to sing publicly. She later shared her own compositions with Howe Gelb, who urged her to persist, leading to 2013 sessions at Wavelab Studios in Tucson, Arizona. The resulting debut, Sylvie, was issued by Light in the Attic Records in November 2014.
Critics responded favorably, and she toured, including a 2015 appearance in Santiago, Chile, alongside guitarists Matias Cena and Diego Alorda. After the concert the three spontaneously recorded a six-song EP, Algo en Algo, at a friend’s studio in a single night; Simmons released it as a free download. In 2017 she returned to Tucson to resume work with Gelb, yet an accident on the first night caused multiple fractures and nerve damage that immobilized her left hand. Following extended rehabilitation she finished her second album in 2019; after entering a new arrangement with Compass Records, Blue on Blue reached the public in August 2020.
Born and raised in London, Simmons displayed an early fascination with music. She acquired a used guitar yet abandoned a school performance after an acute episode of stage fright, redirecting her energies toward written commentary while continuing to play and sing privately. During adolescence she contributed to British music periodicals, though she grew dissatisfied when routinely assigned lightweight, youth-market pop acts instead of the edgier, more demanding artists she favored.
In 1977 she departed London for Los Angeles. The relocation advanced her opportunities, securing a steady position with the U.K. weekly Sounds as its American correspondent and regular columnist. Beyond reporting on leading rock and pop figures of the era, she witnessed the emergence of the L.A. glam-metal scene and produced some of the first substantial features on Mötley Crüe and Guns N Roses. She also joined the staff of the British metal publication Kerrang, adopting the pen name Laura Canyon to avoid self-competition, and contributed regularly to the American magazine Creem while maintaining a syndicated Knight Ridder column.
Eventually her work appeared across nearly all prominent music outlets, among them Rolling Stone, Mojo, Harp, and Blender. Her first book, the 1995 Mötley Crüe biography Mötley Crüe: Lewd, Crude, and Rude, was followed by the short-story collection Too Weird for Ziggy, biographies of Neil Young and Serge Gainsbourg, and the widely praised 2012 volume I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen. While promoting the Cohen biography, Simmons carried a ukulele and performed several of his compositions during book events; the experience gradually diminished her reluctance to sing publicly. She later shared her own compositions with Howe Gelb, who urged her to persist, leading to 2013 sessions at Wavelab Studios in Tucson, Arizona. The resulting debut, Sylvie, was issued by Light in the Attic Records in November 2014.
Critics responded favorably, and she toured, including a 2015 appearance in Santiago, Chile, alongside guitarists Matias Cena and Diego Alorda. After the concert the three spontaneously recorded a six-song EP, Algo en Algo, at a friend’s studio in a single night; Simmons released it as a free download. In 2017 she returned to Tucson to resume work with Gelb, yet an accident on the first night caused multiple fractures and nerve damage that immobilized her left hand. Following extended rehabilitation she finished her second album in 2019; after entering a new arrangement with Compass Records, Blue on Blue reached the public in August 2020.
Albums
Singles
