Simon Elijah

Simon Elijah was born in Ithaca, New York, in 2007. He was raised in the hamlet of Burnt Hills, NY where he started to play guitar at age 11. As he grew into himself, he often felt an outsider in a small town, and took comfort in writing songs about the people and places that surrounded him. His parents introduced him to folk music by greats such as Pete Seeger, John Prine and Peter, Paul and Mary at a young age and these artists have always been a core inspiration for him.

During his high school years, Simon honed his skills by playing in multiple cover bands with friends and hosting occasional livestream concerts. Simon first performed his original music live at open mic nights at the legendary Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs. He became a regular, and started to get gigs at coffee shops, restaurants, farmer’s markets and other small listening rooms. In 2024, he began to take his music career more seriously after a song he wrote – about a local low railroad bridge with which trucks frequently collide – went viral on Facebook and gained local media coverage. He released his first album, Fly Out, on his eighteenth birthday in 2025. This self-proclaimed coming-of-age album was recorded and produced in his childhood home, an 1840s Gothic farmhouse, using the same Yamaha dreadnought he learned to play on and a couple of microphones he borrowed from his school. 

In his music, Simon blends the powerful simplicity of earlier folk icons with a soaring lyricism inspired by contemporary greats such as Brandi Carlile and Jason Isbell. The result is an emerging talent who offers listeners an array of songs that are timeless, catchy, and deeply felt. His live performances are generously seasoned with humor and audience participation. Simon is known to take audiences on an emotional roller coaster that causes them to laugh, cry, dance and contemplate. Simon is a hard-working independent artist who remains passionate about all aspects of his music career. He does his own booking, promotion, social media and merchandising. He is also an experienced audio engineer who has produced music and live shows for fellow artists on top of his own two records. 

Nature has always been a shaping force for Simon’s music and perspective in the world. He is an avid outdoor explorer who enjoys hiking, cycling, and pretty much everything that involves an adventure. Simon is also a distance runner who ran cross country in high school and now enjoys longer road races. Simon is a passionate advocate for peace, LGBTQ+ rights, the environment and other humanitarian issues. 

Currently a freshman at Wesleyan University, Simon plans to major in Education Studies and Sociology, but he has enjoyed classes in a wide variety of subjects ranging from sculpture to gender studies. He works for the school as a live sound engineer with the student run group Sound Co-Op. His sophomore album, Nameless, was recorded and produced at Wesleyan’s Red Feather Studios with the help of many talented classmates. It features a full-band Americana sound, while still retaining Folk roots and a vivid storytelling sensibility. Nameless is scheduled for release in May 2026.