Justin Simison and Pushing Atlantic are taking over the world, you just don’t know it yet. With their crafty songwriting, lethal hooks and impeccable musicianship, it’s only a matter of time.
Simison, a native of Massachusetts, has been writing songs in Arizona and performing as a solo artist since 2001. Music was always a secondary priority for Simison however, more like a hobby than a career. Sometime in the beginning of 2003, after a number of failed “real world” jobs, Simison realized that it was music and music alone that would make him truly happy. Things would have to change.
Over the course of the past two years, seemingly out of nowhere, Simison’s vocal and songwriting abilities have literally exploded. After inadvertently meeting Nate Larson, a talented all-around musician with a magical knack for harmony, Simison knew right away that he was no longer a solo artist. More recently, the band has moved to Phoenix and found some new partners in crime; Keli Fleck on upright bass, Danielle Cooke on keyboard, Jesse Yarbrough on drums, Elliot Ventimiglia on tenor saxophone, and longtime collaborator Darin Bergman on percussion.
With an entertaining and at times unbearably comical live performance, Simison explains that he has never been happier playing music and promises that a recording is in the works. “The sky is truly the limit with this band, I really believe that,” said Simison. “Our goal is to write catchy, focused pop songs that borrow a little something from every genre of music imaginable, whether it be jazz, rock, punk, country, techno, Motown, hip-hop, folk, R&B, the list literally goes on forever. We’re going to throw it all in a blender, hit the ‘liquify’ button and see what happens.”