Simon Joyner is a renowned American singer-songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska who has released albums on independent labels since the early 1990s. His earliest records were influential signposts of the Lo-Fi and home-taping movement which also produced contemporaries like Smog, Lou Barlow, Will Oldham and the Mountain Goats. He is now widely regarded as one of the great songwriters of our time. Gillian Welch calls him her favorite poet and Kevin Morby and Conor Oberst both claim him as a major influence with Bright Eyes also recording covers of Joyner’s songs “Burn Rubber” and “Double Joe.”

Despite often being described as a songwriter’s songwriter, Joyner has soared under the radar for over thirty years. His storytelling has been compared to Leonard Cohen, Townes Van Zandt, Lou Reed, and Bob Dylan. Over the course of 19 albums his career is hard to pin down as he’s followed a mercurial path, never content to make the same record twice.

QUOTES:

“Omaha has given us the reigning heir to Henry Miller’s dark emotional mirror, Townes Van Zandt’s three-chord moan, and Lou Reed’s warehouse minimalism: his name is Simon Joyner.” — Gillian Welch

“Pound for pound Simon Joyner is my favorite lyricist of all time. He has shades of all the greats (Van Zandt, Cohen, Dylan) but exists in a space all his own … He truly is an American songwriting treasure. It is my hope that more people will discover his music and share in the unique joy that it brings.” — Conor Oberst

“Simon’s always been a secret handshake amongst me and my peers. He’s a pioneer. He’s helped pave the way for many people, myself included. He’s an artist in its purest form–for his only concern is crafting a perfect song–which he’s done time and time again.” —Kevin Morby

“Joyner has been chipping away at the subtle absurdities of life since 1991, his rambling balladeering usually garnering comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt. He also shares a wry approach to self-reflection with modern practitioners like Mark Kozalek, Bill Callahan and the late David Berman.” – MOJO