Simon Elijah

Hi Friends,

I’m trying to not freeze my fingers off as I sit in my dorm room with a fuzzy blanket on my lap typing out this email. I’m glad to be back on campus after Winter break, but dorm life requires compromises — and unfortunately, both of my roommates insist on keeping their fans on even when the tempurature outside is below zero. At least I have a large supply of tea and plenty of blankets to keep me warm. While many are nervously awaiting and prepping for tomorrow’s snow storm, I take great comfort in the fact that I am no longer responsible for clearing snow (at least for the next four years!) I started a new set of classes this semester and I’m especially looking forward to a Children’s Educational Media class that happens to be taught by my advisor, as well as Sculpture II.

In darker news, I’m sure everyone has seen the atrocities being committed by ICE in Minnesota and around the country. It’s a scary time in our country for immigrants especially, but really for all Ameridans. Just as always, it’s crucial that we stand together, stay strong, and keep fighting violence and tyranny. I ask that everyone reading this email tries their best to do something small to further the cause of justice and peace in our country and around the world. Yesterday, I attended a rally in New Haven with around thirty other Wesleyan students as well as students from Yale and residents of New Haven. The locals came out and protested New Haven style: with protest signs made out of pizza boxes! If attending a rally isn't for you, consider donating to support a good cause or even checking in on a friend. My favorite speaker at the protest reminded me that we were all there because we know a better future is possible. That future starts with all of us.

On the music front, there are lots of big announcements on the way, but you’re gonna have to wait just a little longer to hear what I’ve been working on. If you're impatient and want the announcements sooner, please consider supporting my work financially by joining my patreon. For as little as $1 per month, you gain access to all sorts of behind-the-scenes and exclusive content, as well as my patreon-only instagram account where I post regular updates. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to see two incredible live music performances so far this year! Neko Case at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall was an enchanting and unforgettable night. After this show, I was inspired to go back and listen to every single one of her albums. Her voice is truly one of a kind and her lyrics are cryptic yet captivating. I highly recommend you check her out if you’re not already a fan. 

Last June, I was home alone for a week and I got super into a small indie band from LA called Cheekface. They are certainly very different from everything else I listen to, but I think that’s why I found their music so refreshing. Back in October, they announced a show in Brooklyn and I impulsively bought a ticket for myself hoping I could convince a friend to join me and buy their own ticket. Unfortunately, the show sold out in two days and I was stuck going to the show by myself. I did not regret my decision one bit and had an absolute blast seeing Cheekface at Zone One, a small venue near Bushwick. If you think you’d like catchy, unserious, nerdy and mildly political pop songs, I’d recommend giving them a listen. They live on the musical spectrum half way in between Das Racist and They Might Be Giants. I enjoyed staying the night at a friend’s house and immersing myself in the spontaneity of city life for a day.

As I plan for the summer, I’m continuing to search for house concert hosts as well as beds to sleep on up and down the east coast. If you’re interested in hosting an intimate performance for you and your friends in your very own living room, check out this form or respond to this email. 

A random side note: Can Opener Bridge tee shirts will be back in stock soon! Please let me know if you want one! I know a bunch of people wanted them, but they sold out and I didn't get a chance to re-order them until now.

Once again, I’m attaching a brief annotated photo dump from the last couple months so you can see what I’ve been up to! As always, I'd love to hear from you too and I will read and reply to every single person who responds to this email. Thank you all for your continued support and I wish everyone a warm and cozy winter.

All the best,

Simon

Recording electric guitar with Xander Starobin

NERFA 2025

A memorable open mic night at Colony in Woodstock, NY

A new t-shirt design!

Me enjoying a fancy pistachio croissant after (barely) making it to my Greyhound back from NYC

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My debut album, Fly Out, is out today on all streaming platforms. What a way to celebrate my 18th birthday! 

I have wanted to release an album for so long now. I remember thinking about it long before I even started playing guitar! A couple years ago, I remember dreaming up the concept of a “coming of age album” while I was bored in PE class. 

Last summer, I couldn't help but notice that my 18th birthday was on a Friday, which happens to be the best day of the week to release music. In August of 2024, armed with a one week audio production class, a few borrowed microphones and a student discount Pro Tool subscription, I set out record Fly Out.

I had no idea what I was doing at first, but song by song, I learned how to record and mix my music. It was not an easy process. Each song took hours and it was aggravating, frustrating and boring. Not to mention the joyful but sometimes tedious process of writing the songs.

The last couple months have been some of the hardest, best, happiest, darkest, most interesting and most influential months of my life. During the process of making the album, I constantly felt that I was outgrowing my old songs; my old self. I tried as hard as I could to capture the fleeting emotions that changed every single day, along with the world around me.

I think that the first two tracks on the album sum the whole thing up pretty well. In “Childhood Home,” I wrote about my connection to my hometown and how it still feels like home even though I am a completely different person than I was. On the second song, “Get Lost,” I am frustrated, fed up, and ready to move on. These songs seem contradictory to each other, but they are both true. I want to stay here, I want to stay young, I want to freeze time and be this way forever, but I also want to leave. I long for adventure and I long for what lies ahead. Fly Out got its name from this line in “Get lost:”

“When the time comes for me to fly out, I know what it's gonna be like. I'm gonna play my music heavy and loud as we drive into a brand new night”

I hope that everyone, regardless of age or background finds something meaningful to them in these songs. 

I want to thank everybody who has made this thing happen. I want to thank my mastering engineer, Eric Ayotte, my graphic designer, Jacob Cummins, and my friend Rob Wintsch who has been extremely helpful with my newsletter and my website. Thank you to my mom, Emily Rieffel, who co-wrote some of the songs on the album. 

I want to thank all of my musical inspirations, Pete Seeger, John Prine, Woodie Guthrie, Loudon Wainwright III, Cheryl Wheeler, The Mountain Goats, Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Mary Gauthier, Jason Isbell and Brandi Carlile, just to name a few. Thank you to everybody else who inspires me to keep making art. Also, Thank you to Caffe Lena and everyone involved with their open mics; that is where I first performed.

Thank you to Dana Nemec, Jason Nemec and Main Street Studio for hosting my album release show!

Thank you to my family and friends for all their support and thank you to anyone else who I forgot to thank! I could not have done this alone.

Enjoy the album, 

Simon Elijah

The show will be livestreamed! It starts at 7 PM EST. Access is $5 or free for Patreon members. See the link below!

Livestream

"Poughkeepsie," the second single from “Fly Out” is out now on all streaming platforms! Poughkeepsie is my personal favorite song off the album. 

For my college essay, I wrote liner notes for four songs from Fly Out (I got in!) Here is what I wrote about “Poughkeepsie:”

The graying hair of my grandparents is proof of time passing. On the train, headed south along the Hudson River to go help Grandma and Grandpa, I’m spotting eagles as they glide down-river. Like the fledgling eagles I observe, I have flown away from the nest, but can swoop back swiftly; I can be there for my grandparents when they need me. “Any time, anywhere – Call me, I’ll be there,” as my Grandfather has always reminded me. I type the lyric on my phone, eager to share it, realizing that my grandparents won’t always be around to hear it. As most songs do, this one begins with my own emotions and insights, but when I share it, the song flies out into the world for others to discover. This process of formative release has helped me realize that so many struggles are universal. Everyone’s grandparents grow older. Music connects us to a collective truth, a shared catharsis.

Listen to Poughkeepsie on Spotify

Listen on Apple Music

Listen on YouTube

“Poughkeepsie” was written, performed and recorded by Simon Elijah Rieffel.

Mastering Engineer: Eric Ayotte

Album Cover: Jaxson Dannible

I am exited to announce that the first single off my upcoming album, “Fly Out” is available on all streaming platforms. The music video is up on my YouTube Channel!

9,632 is a song I wrote while I was backpacking at Philmont Scout Ranch in Northern New Mexico.  

“It’s a sweltering summer afternoon on the trail at Philmont Scout Ranch in the high desert of New Mexico. Black burn scars streak the sides of trees and the heat is vicious. Backpacking food is dry and tasteless and I miss my family. A glimpse of hope appears in the form of a single bar of cell phone reception to call home. “I’m 9632 feet up high. The journey here was tough, but I can almost touch the sky. The wind up here is brutal and I feel so very small, so won’t you please pick up the phone and take my call? As I rest on jagged rocks, I pull out my small Rite-in-the-Rain notebook and scribble down these four lines. I keep them in my head as I trudge through the barren forest. ”

Song Credits: 

All Instruments and vocals: Simon Elijah Rieffel

Lyrics: Simon Elijah Rieffel

Produced by: Simon Elijah Rieffel

Mastering Engineer: Eric Ayotte

Music Video:

Edited and produced by: Simon Elijah Rieffel

Video Footage Recorded by: Shawn Giamalis, Jakob Brucker, Corin Gordon, Sara Garrand, Carl Stapley, and Daniil Magdalin

“Can Opener Bridge” is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Youtube Music, or wherever you listen. Check it out! Music video is also available!

Pre Order Bridge T Shirts - The deadline is June 13th! 

Watch the Music Video!

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Thanks to all those who helped in the creation of the music video! It took many hours, but it was well worth it. 

Lyrics: Simon Elijah Rieffel and Emily Rieffel 

Music: Simon Elijah Rieffel 

Camera Crew: Tarrin Kuehner, Caleb McGrath, John Rieffel, and Simon Elijah Rieffel 

Editing and Production: Benjamin Jewell

Production Assistance: Simon Elijah Rieffel 

Graphics: Zoe Faden

Special Thanks: Kassandra Paull and Crazy Carl (bridge skeleton), Andrew Wildrick, Matthew Mascelli, and Spartan Studios

Can Opener Bridge t-shirt Pre-orders are available now! Shirts will be available late June to Early July. Make sure to fill out this form in order to reserve a shirt in your size! The price is $20, and $5 from every shirt goes to support CAPTAIN Community Human Services, a Capital Region organization working to help people in need. The design, made by Zoe Faden is a reference to the lyric “maybe we should paint it hot pink, with a set of glowing teeth!”

“Can Opener Bridge” is set to release officially on June 7th! This song is inspired by the frequent truck collisions with Glenville, NY's Glenridge Road Railroad Bridge, and the efforts the town has made to stop them. A “Folksy ditty”, Can Opener Bridge serves as a public service announcement for trucks passing through the town of Glenville. Look for it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, iTunes, or whatever platform you use. A music video will also be released on Simon's YouTube channel.