LiaSimone is a recording artist, singer/songwriter, and performer from Detroit, Michigan. She is an artist entering the music industry with a unique style, rich voice, and an unmatched vision. She describes her artistry as having two distinct perspectives.
The “Lia” side of her consists of a heavy pop influence, which relies on dance, upbeat tempos, and custom-built visuals. In contrast, “Simone” has a more serious demeanor, enjoys expressing herself through R&B music, and explores dark, moody themes. Her music consists of Pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop and contains themes of self-awareness, women empowerment, and perseverance. LiaSimone found a strong passion for the performing aspect of music when she joined the Musical Theatre program in highschool. That taught her the importance of stage direction, costuming, lighting, & most importantly: putting on a whole show.
As a passionate musician and performing artist, LiaSimone independently released her debut EP “Mood” in the summer of 2018, learning the importance of owning and registering one’s own music. She directed and produced her first three music videos from her EP and began performing in multiple venues. LiaSimone is very involved in her craft, from casting to costuming and even editing. One of her main goals as an artist is to inspire young women and let them know that they are beautiful and worthy. She aspires to teach the importance of self-worth and feels her purpose is to connect people through music and instill confidence in those who need it.
LiaSimone has had radio interviews that consist of 105.9 Kiss FM, 910 AM Superstation, and Florida’s own WMRR Radio Show. She’s performed in the Woodward Dream Cruise, Hair Wars, Aretha Franklin Jazz Café, Detroit Hot Radio Showcase, and more.
She was also featured in Detroit’s Own, Angie Starr’s, singing competition as the spotlight artist. In addition, she was a part of 2020’s Arts, Beats & Eats — The Beats Go On music festival. In September of 2020, she released her latest single titled “Can’t Be Beat” and produced the accompanying music video, which was her largest independent project to date.
Tammy: What defines your swag as a music artist?
LiaSimone: Being confident, fearless, bold, and unapologetic defines my swag. It’s so important to believe in yourself and be your biggest cheerleader. In my art, I definitely like to practice going big or going home and expressing myself in ways people may not expect. I am the type of artist to stand behind what I believe in no matter what. Being unapologetic in my art has been my saving grace!
Tammy: What are you currently working on?
LiaSimone: I am currently working on a couple of performances coming up over the next month. I have a radio interview with 105.9 Kiss FM and have been invited to perform at Angie Starr’s Birthday Bash. I am also working on new music and aiming to release a new single by this fall!
Tammy: What was the last song you listened to at max volume?
LiaSimone: “Slowly Surely” by Jill Scott. I have been in my neo-soul bag for weeks now! It’s such a beautiful song with a great message, and I can’t stop repeating it!
Tammy: When you first decided to become a music artist, was there anything you were afraid of?
LiaSimone: When I first decided I wanted to sing and perform as a career, I actually had really bad stage fright! So, being afraid to sing in front of other people was challenging, and it took me YEARS to fully get over it. As I performed lead roles in Musical Theatre, I began to grow and become comfortable in my craft.
When I launched myself as an independent artist in 2017, I honestly felt on top of the world. I had an amazing support system backing me up, so I genuinely didn’t really feel afraid of anything. Everyone around me believed in my dream, and I believed in myself. (At that point, I was too excited to be afraid!)
Tammy: What qualities do you think anyone who wants to enter the music industry must have?
LiaSimone: I would have to say the top qualities are confidence, resilience, ambition, and patience. Although confidence seems like an easy one, I don’t just mean being confident in your looks or confident in your talents. You have to be confident in your GIFT and destiny. You have to feel like no matter what, you ARE going to make it, which is not always easy. Having resilience is a must because there will be a handful of rejections and people trying to convince you to stop chasing your dreams, but it’s so important to bounce back. Sometimes it will take you weeks (or even months), but you have to get up and keep going for it.
Ambition goes hand and hand with determination to me. It’s immensely important to have that ambitious spirit. You have to keep fighting, and making your dreams a priority every day. Lastly, patience would probably be close to the number one spot. Without patience, you’re most likely going to get down on yourself often when you do not see progress fast enough, but you have to keep believing in yourself. Period.
Tammy: What obstacles have you overcome that made you the woman that you are today?
LiaSimone: There have been multiple times I was put in positions as a young woman where I had to ensure that my voice was heard and the work put into my music wasn’t compromised. As an independent artist, you often have to complete many tasks while focusing on your music creation. Learning the industry and staying focused and accurate to my music while allowing myself to “breathe” have been challenging. Still, it has made me a stronger, more resilient, and determined woman.
Tammy: Please tell us about your latest music appearances and what you have coming up?
LiaSimone: Although I virtually performed in the Art, Beats & Eats Festival, I recently had my first in-person show in over a year at the Blue Finn, also known as Club Echelon! I was a part of Detroit Hot Radio’s Epic Nights series, which spotlight upcoming artists and performers. I did an R&B/Top 40 set with the band, costumed changed, and then came out with my background dancers for my original music. I also received a music performance award from Detroit Hot Radio at their latest award show! My next performance will be at the Young Entertainers of Detroit Night and Angie Starr’s (of 105.9 Kiss FM) birthday party.
Tammy: How can our readers keep up to date with you?
LiaSimone: Following my Facebook Page or Instagram is the best way to keep up with my musical journey. You can also subscribe to my YouTube Channel or find me on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music under “LiaSimone.”
-Tammy Reese | @tammyreesemedia
