It doesn’t take but one listen to Harper Simon’s (son of Paul Simon) debut self-titled album to realize he’s got some issues and some pain. The 37 year-old songwriter/producer is just now getting around to releasing his debut self-titled album. That seems late for some but it’s really not a shocker that it took a little time for the son of a world class songwriter to get comfortable in his own skin. At the same time, Simon doesn’t shy away from his dad’s influence at all. Hell, why would he?

Simon and his all-star band will be at Off Broadway this Thursday. We talked to him last week and he had this to say…

How’s your current tour going?
It’s going great. We’re just getting dialed in and every show is getting better. There are some new players and they’re getting comfortable with the vibe. I have a really cool band and I love them. I have Greg Foreman who plays keys with Cat Power; Russell Simmons, the drummer for John Spencer Blues Explosion; Jeff Hill, on bass, from Rufus Wainwright’s band; and Mike Bloom of Rilo Kiley. He was a recommendation from Jenny Lewis.

You recorded this album with some true legends down in Nashville (Charlie McCoy – played on Bob Dylan’s “Blonde on Blonde,” Mike Leech – played bass on Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds,” Gene Chrisman – played with Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield, and producer Bob Johnston – Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen). How was the adjustment from playing with them, to going to your new touring band?
The truth is, it seems like right now I’m finally getting the sound that I envisioned all along. It was an interesting experience playing with so many different guests and trying to cultivate a sound. Now, in a way, this band is becoming more of the sound that I always had in my head.

Was there a sense of nervousness when you first stepped in the room and started playing with these Hall of Famers?
Yeah, I could have been very intimidated when I first got down to Nashville and I was meeting all those players for the first time. I mean, I really only knew their names’ from reading liner notes on records I grew up loving. That could have been intimidating but they were all such generous people and so supportive of me musically and personally.

Was it your idea to mix in more modern indie artists as well?
It was part of the concept of the production of the album really. It was my concept. It was my intention to mix up the players from generations… to record in Nashville with those guys and then to overdub my contemporaries. From Marc Ribot (Tom Waits), to Petra Haden, to Sean Lennon, to Steve Nieve (Elvis Costello).

You produced and co-produced this album. Were there any albums in particular that inspired you production-wise?
Sonically, I just kind of made a contemporary album. I didn’t go for a retro sound in terms of how I recorded the album. But, you know, they weren’t going for a retro sound when they recorded “Blonde on Blonde” either. They just tried to record a state of the art record for that time. But there were all sorts records that inspired me all the way around. I think the influences are pretty noticeable, you can probably tell just by listening to the album if you’re influenced by rock n’roll and psychedelic rock?

I noticed that you released the album on October 13, which is your father’s birthday. Deliberate, or sheer coincidence?
Yeah, that was just total coincidence actually. I don’t know, that was just the release date given to us?


Check out Harper Simon along with the Pernikoff Brothers this Thursday night at Off-Broadway.

Door: 8:30pm  - Show: 9pm
21 & Over: $12  - Under 21: $14