Bio

According to Simon Walls, “Every song has a story and every note has something to say.”

This singer, songwriter and multi-instumentalist started his career in Montreal in 2004 with a goal of writing and recording some rock/acoustic/good feeling music. His first full length album, “Don’t ask your eyes what the end looks like,” was recorded in May 2007. Combining passion and talent, Simon produced and recorded all of the instuments and vocals on the album in collaboration with Studio Sixième Sens and Clodia Boyer.

As an emerging artist on the Canadian musical scene, Simon is also a young entrepreneur. In 2007, he raised the money and recorded his first album “Don’t ask your eyes what the end looks like” while he was the music teacher for the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation. 2008 was marked with the crossing of Spain by foot (1050 km) and the shooting for his music video “Things I will give up”. Simon also played in many cities across Quebec and Ontario, gave interviews for radios and local newspapers and was invited by Musique Plus to have a half hour tv show with him. This year, Simon organized his “Ontario Tour Winter and Spring 09 and many shows across Quebec. He is now recording his second album under the label “Grail Records”, division of “The Machine Group Inc.”.

Simon Walls’ story by Stephanie Ann Kelly

Simon Walls was sitting in music class when he heard the news.  He looked up to see his two best friends crying at the doorway. As they spoke to him, his body went numb and his mind went blank. When he heard about Yannik, his world stopped. He lost a friend to suicide, and gained a new outlook on life.

A few weeks later, Simon learned about Katimavik.

“It’s just weird how things are put in your way,” he said.

He spent the next seven months traveling across the country with other students, volunteering at schools, hospitals and camps. It was here that Walls discovered he wanted to be a musician and here where he read a book that would add another twist to his unpredictable life.

While traveling, Simon read The Pilgrimage, a story about a man who walked across Spain.  He became inspired and saw an opportunity to give his life a deeper meaning.

“I’ve always been seeking that kind of stuff. I used to do a lot of Tai-chi and meditation to try to get something I couldn’t find. I even read the bible to find a path to follow,” he said.

One morning, Simon woke up with a large red spot on his throat. He had mono and was sleeping for 22 hours a day. While sick, Simon had a peculiar dream.

“I dreamt of me, walking somewhere, I didn’t know where at this time, and I had a video-camera, filming everything around me, every detail possible,” he said.

When he woke up, he bought a video-camera, quit his job and booked a plane ticket. Five years later, he was playing music in Spain. In five weeks, he walked 1050km.

In January 2009, Simon sat alone in his apartment. He had an idea. He went to the store and bought the biggest Canadian map he could find. As he tacked it on his living room wall, he made his decision. Simon Walls would walk across the third biggest nation in the world.  He will perform his music and spread word about the non-profit organization, Free the Children.

What began in a classroom turned into a dream that has surpassed borders and inspired a man to appreciate life.

“I feel sad to know that sometimes, it takes death to wake you up,” he said.