OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS with Simon Jermyn

Simon Jermyn is a guitarist, electric bassist, composer, and educator involved with a variety of projects and bands, including Smiodair, Wood River, Roamer, his own band Obsany, solo performances & many more. IMC's Louis Scully caught up with him ahead of Smiodair’s performance at The Bank at The Digital Hub on November 28th.

LS Hi Simon. So, how long have you been ‘doing the music’? Do you remember a specific moment or point in time when you developed an interest in jazz and improvisation?

SJ I started guitar lessons when I was 7. My 2nd class teacher gave group lessons after school. I started getting into jazz doing a summer workshop taught by Mike Nielsen at Newpark Music Centre when I was 15.

LS What have you been listening to throughout 2026?

SJ I’ve been listening to lots of stuff. New albums by friends, including Waterbodies by Charlotte Greve, soon to be released, Melancholic Jog by Tommy Crane and Sifters w/ Jeremy Viner, Kate Gentile and Marc Ducret. Also some Alice Coltrane, Ellen Arkbro and Johann Graden, Immanuel Wilkins, Erroll Garner, Defeated Sanity, MF Doom, Max Roach, Paul Motian, Venetian Snares, Allan Holdsworth, Jonathon Maron, Martin Hayes, Kate Bush, Ryuchi Sakamoto, many other things I’m forgetting.

LS You have lived in a variety of locations beyond Ireland. Can you tell us a bit about your travels, and particularly setting yourself up in a new city, finding new musical partnerships etc?

SJ Aside from Ireland, I’ve lived in the Netherlands, Iceland, New York and Berlin so I’ve lived away from Ireland for 24 years in total. I lived in NYC for 11 years and have been in Berlin for 6. I think the scene I’m part of is spread out and very international so I’ve always met musicians through mutual friends, gotten together to play informally, and then that’s led to gigs, tours, recordings etc.

LS In terms of your taste and musical inspiration, do you find it evolving as time goes by, or do you have a foundation from which you find constant stimulation? Do you find creative inspiration from sources beyond music?

SJ I think it’s always evolving but there are core things that always remain. I am interested in lots of stuff outside of music too, everything affects everything else probably. I like cats, dogs, reading, films, food, walks, all the usual stuff.

LS You have performed at many wonderful venues and festivals around the world, such as the Village Vanguard, The Stone and Winter Jazz Fest… any particular highlights or fond memories you might share?

SJ Yes, I’m very glad to have had some really nice opportunities. Playing at the Village Vanguard with Jim Black’s band was a real highlight. Jim is a musical hero of mine. I sometimes sub in Aaron Parks band, Little Big. I got to play a tour in China with them which was great. Playing a session at Lee Konitz’ apartment in NY once was an amazing experience also. I played a tour in Belgium some years ago with drummer Lander Gyselinck’s trio with Chris Speed where we played some of Chris’s tunes from his band Yeah No, which was a big thing for me. Playing with Smiodair is extremely fun!

LS You have a PhD from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. Does your academic background influence your approach to improvisation?

SJ I don’t think that experience in academia influences how I approach music, more the other way round. I did my PhD at Ulster University and it was a good opportunity to discuss some things about music and the instrument I was very focused on at the time, the 6 string electric bass, in lots of detail, both technically and philosophically. I really enjoy and am interested in process. Way more than the finished product or whatever the goal starts out as being.

LS You've played with some fascinating musicians. What do you look for in a musical collaborator, and what do you think makes for a fruitful musical partnership?

SJ People who listen and are curious, are good at what they do, are nice to be around and have a sense of urgency. I recently started teaching at the HKB in Bern, Switzerland so I’ve been thinking about this kind of thing a lot.

LS What are you currently working towards, musically? Are there particular projects, ideas or directions that you're especially excited about exploring over the next few years?

SJ Trying to be a better bassist and guitarist, trying to write more music. Recording with Smiodair! Getting some other recordings out that aren’t released yet – 2 bands I play guitar in with bassist Phil Donkin, a Luke Marantz quartet record, Sun-Mi Hong’s Noctilume album, a live duo album with singer Zuza Jasinska..

LS What can the audience expect on Nov 28, when Smiodair perform at The Bank?

SJ New compositions, grooves and soundscapes, lots of interaction. The rest of the band Dave Smith, Robin Fincker and Laura Jurd are amazing musicians, really inspiring to work with. They all lead and are side people in tonnes of other bands. I’m really delighted to get to play with them and bring this band to Dublin.

Smiodair play The Bank at The Digital Hub, November 28.

Tickets on sale now.