Emilie Simon French singer, songwriter and composer Date of Birth: 17.07.1978 Country: France

Biography of Émilie Simon

Émilie Simon is a French singer, songwriter, and composer whose music is often compared to that of Björk and Kate Bush. Born on July 17, 1978, she grew up in Montpellier, France, and attended the Lycée Clemenceau. She studied music at the local conservatory for seven years and went on to pursue musicology at the University of Montpellier-III Paul Valéry and the Sorbonne University in Paris. She specialized in the study of electronic music at IRCAM, the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics and Music, where she obtained a degree in contemporary music.

In 2003, Émilie Simon released her debut album, self-titled "Émilie Simon," which was warmly received by critics and achieved commercial success. The album remained in the French charts for over three years, breaking records. Two songs from the album, "Désert" and "Flowers," were made into music videos, with the English version of "Désert" using the same visuals as the French version. The album was reissued in other countries with additional tracks.

Émilie Simon continued to perform and record in the United States, releasing her first American album, "The Flower Book," in November 2006. This was followed by a short tour in New York and Los Angeles. In April 2007, she released her second American album, "The March of the Empress," and her third, "The Big Machine," was released in 2009. During the recording of "The Big Machine," Émilie was approached by producer Luc Jacquet, who asked her to create the soundtrack for his documentary film "La Marche de l'empereur" ("March of the Penguins"). The soundtrack was released as her second album and earned her a second "Victoire de la Musique" award in 2006.

In 2006, Émilie Simon released her third album, "Végétal," which incorporated sounds from the world of plants. The album featured elements of rock music, as seen in tracks like "Fleur de Saison," where Émilie played the electric guitar. However, the album maintained her dedication to electronic music and showcased her sincere, soft, and beautiful vocals. Multiple singles from the album were accompanied by music videos, and the album had three different covers.

Later in 2006, Émilie Simon's compilation album "The Flower Book" was released in the United States and Canada, featuring material from her first three albums. Her first official single in America was "Rose hybride de thé" from the album "Végétal," while the song "Désert" was released on vinyl in the United States.

In 2007, she released her first live album, "À l'Olympia," which featured recordings from her September 19, 2006 concert, as well as a cover of Nirvana's "Come as You Are." Émilie Simon also wrote the soundtrack for the film "Survivre avec les loups" ("Surviving with Wolves") based on the book by Belgian writer Misha Defonseca.

In September 2009, Émilie Simon released her fourth album, "The Big Machine," which was mainly in English and leaned towards pop music. Her fifth album, "Franky Knight," was released in December 2011, followed by her most recent album, "Mue," in March 2014.