Nashvillian Stephen Simmons was raised in the small town of Woodbury, Tennessee. His mother was a schoolteacher and his father held a factory job. In his family, they were the first generation that didn’t work the farm. As a songwriter and twenty years as a ‘road dog,’ Stephen’s vision has grown to entail more than just reflections of rural America. The songs on his recordings deal with existential realities that are familiar to country and city dwellers alike: sin, redemption, heartbreak, hangovers and the loneliness of the road. Stephen’s records (which were compared to everyone from Johnny Cash to Ryan Adams) combine virtuosic songcraft and musicianship with unparalleled artistic honesty. His work has been covered by Mojo Music, Uncut, and The Washington Post. Simmons released his debut studio album, Last Call, in 2004, which was praised by critics on both sides of the Atlantic, ultimately leading to record deals with Rounder Europe Records and Blue Rose Records and extensive touring in Europe. As a Songwriter and as a steady road act (over 1,000 shows in ten countries) Simmon’s continues to evolve as an artist. His twelth studio album, Hunch, is set to release in 2025.
Press:
“a singer-songwriter of marked depth and commitment, (he) recalls a more subdued Steve Earle, a more grounded Ryan Adams and any aggregation of three-named Texas troubadours you’d care to recall.”
- – Bill Friskics-Warren, THE NASHVILLE SCENE
“…not many singers achieve such a confident, full-bodied sound while delivering conversational confessions.”
- — Geoffrey Himes , The Washington Post
“Vivid, intelligent and soulful.”
- Rob Hughes, UNCUT (UK)
“…he’s a Bible Belt barstool philosopher singing of sin and redemption. Intelligent, intense, and easy to like.”
- – Sylvie Simmons, MOJO Music Magazine (UK)