Simon Jela

Berlin-based alternative pop artist Simon Jela fusing the soul of timeless rock with modern pop finesse. His voice stands out with its warmth and rich precise tone. It’s both soothing and powerful, leaving listeners captivated from the first moment.

Feels like an intimate late-night confession - still danceable as f***!

Simon Jela is a Berlin-based artist fusing the soul of timeless rock with modern pop finesse. His voice stands out with its warmth and rich precise tone. It’s both soothing and powerful

Imagine a musical séance where Harry Styles, The Weeknd, and the legendary spirits of Toto, Chicago, and Santana come together—Simon Jela’s sound is what they’d leave behind. In 2023, the winner of the Hessian MKK Cultural Award made the move to Berlin—not to chase clichés, but to carve his own path. Fueled by the city’s rich history, diverse music scene, and boundless creative energy, he set out to push his artistry further through bold collaborations and fearless experimentation.

Like Berlin itself, Simon Jela’s music is layered, full of contrasts, and bursting with life. His songs are an emotional kaleidoscope—reckless energy and carefree euphoria collide with moments of vulnerability and introspective stillness. He weaves memories of love lost and nights fading into darkness with electrifying beats, capturing the feeling of dancing through the city’s streets, only to lose yourself in the pulse of its legendary clubs.


A soundtrack for sleepless nights, intense desires and moments that touch you between the lines. An EP like the last ray of sunshine before the cold season. Just one sip of Simon Jela’s ‘Tequila’ and you find yourself dancing into the warm morning hours at the beach bar.

[LISTEN HERE: https://ffm.to/tequila-ep](https://ffm.to/tequila-ep)

Whether summer, autumn, winter, or spring – with his EP ‘Tequila’ Simon Jela mixes the perfect cocktail for every season. Summer heat, autumn melancholy, and the thrill of spring – sometimes light and carefree, sometimes deep and melancholic – the five songs on the EP capture the full cycle of the seasons. Each track is a moment to savor, like the freshness of a spring morning, the ease of a summer day, the contemplation of an autumn evening, or the depth of a winter night. ‘Tequila’ isn’t just a summer hit; it’s a musical journey that celebrates all facets of life. On November 29, this journey reaches its peak – intense, moving, and full of unexpected twists.

Tastes like sea salt and lemon, sounds like dancing, and leaves a bittersweet aftertaste of summer nights that pass all too quickly. With his latest track ‘Tequila’ Simon Jela also serves us his new EP ‘Tequila’ – a musical cocktail that not only gets your hips moving but also takes your soul on a journey. Not pop from stiff genre boxes – ‘Tequila’ is the soundtrack for anyone floating between self-discovery, longing, and the fleeting magic of life. Five tracks that flow and fuse as passionately as a hot dance at a sweaty beach party, except now the dance floor is your living room – or maybe your heart.

The title track is called ‘Tequila’ and is inspired by the rhythms of Carlos Santana. Don’t think of the dim corner bar but rather a tropical beach bar, with the sun just setting and the Latin-infused rhythms so seductive that you forget your daily worries – or at least let them go for a moment. It’s about the play between closeness and distance, capturing fleeting moments, the desire that comes and goes as naturally as the tides. It is a song that brings summer, seduction, and passion – not grand love, but perhaps a sweet night of intense closeness. Ryan Nasci (Harry Styles, Portugal. The Man, The Head And The Heart, Bülow, Lykke Li) in LA, USA, gave the song a unique touch in production, and newcomer Christoph Oswald in Mannheim, Germany, produced it to feel like the rhythm of a crowded dance floor, inevitably pulling you into motion.

But ‘Tequila’ is more than just a hot summer track for cold winter days. On his EP, Simon Jela effortlessly merges pop, R\&B, rock, Latin beats, and dance, revealing a different side of himself in each of the five tracks. Sometimes introspective and gentle, sometimes energetic and captivating.

Whether you’re searching for summer in the winter or getting lost in the heartfelt lyrics – this EP makes you feel on the same wavelength as the artist. Because Simon stays true to himself: ‘Music is my safe space to express my thoughts and feelings unfiltered.’ And you can feel that. In every note, every beat, every word. And as a little bonus, there’s an unreleased track, ‘Light It Up,’ which will grab you in its own way…

Ready for a taste of summer in winter?
‘Tequila’ is waiting for you!


"Tequila" EP

About

This is the story of a debut. Simon Jela’s debut. And his greatest strength? Absolute authenticity.

[LISTEN HERE: https://ffm.to/simonjela\_safeplace](https://ffm.to/simonjela_safeplace)

Do what feels right, not what’s trending. That’s Simon Jela's only rule and the foundation of everything he creates. Let others chase the hype—Simon Jela stays true to himself.

Simon Jela doesn’t just love music; he **lives** it. Growing up in a rock-infused household somewhere in the Hessian province near Frankfurt, he had an early introduction to the greats. His dad’s record collection? Way cooler than LEGO. By the age of 23, he had already built a deep-rooted love for rock and pop, shaped by legends like The Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, and classic rock icons like Chicago and Toto.

Yes, you read that right—**Toto** is one of the most defining musical influences in his life. And no, not in a "let’s ironically end our DJ set with *Africa* like every hipster out there" kind of way. **Simon Jela takes music seriously—and Toto even more so.**

But his sound isn’t stuck in the past. Artists like Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles (back in his One Direction days) fascinate him, and oh boy—what this guy does with his passion for music is something else. His understanding of sound and music history doesn’t result in some clever, over-intellectualized pastiche. Instead, he creates **intuitive, English-language pop with an effortless lightness**—songs that let you lose yourself and find yourself at the same time. **Pop that feels like the voice of a good friend.**

### **The Debut EP: "Safe Place"**

This year marks the release of his debut EP. Written with—swear, this isn’t a cliché, it just fits—his whole heart. Recorded with friends. Featuring lyrics that reflect **his unique perspective on life.** The name? **"Safe Place"** Perfectly fitting.

These are deeply personal songs right out of a safe place of a songwriter who **digs deeper**—both musically and lyrically—than what you might expect from pop music. This is an artist who never wanted to be shaped into a marketable pop product at some music school. **He just naturally hits the right note—the one that resonates with his listeners.** A guy who refuses to give up on his dream. A guy whose music **will** leave a mark.

And this? This is just the beginning.

Alright then, let’s hear it!

### **The First Notes**

Warm piano, a little guitar—nothing more.

*"You know my past
Don’t care about that"*

*"If It Was On Me"*—mature, fragile, honest.
And the crazy part? This was the first song Simon Jela ever wrote. **How is that even possible?**

Simon just shrugs. He had watched a documentary about his favorite artist at the time—and suddenly, nothing made more sense than this: **he had to start writing his own music.** There was no other option.

From that moment on, the songs just kept flowing. He could already fill entire albums—but let’s take it slow. \*\*No rush.\*\*There’s always time for double albums, live recordings, and Christmas specials later. For now, these **five** tracks on his debut EP **speak for themselves.**

### **A Journey Through the EP**

The EP oesn’t just sound introspective—it **is.** After all, how can you understand others if you don’t even understand yourself? So Simon turns inward. **The result? Honest, moving, raw.** Writing pop lyrics without clichés? Not easy. But he pulls it off.

His songs explore sadness, but they aren’t necessarily dressed in minor chords.

*"I know panic attacks. I know shitty phases. But what’s the point of making an unbearably dark song out of it?"* he says.

For him, the real comfort lies in showing people that they aren’t alone. That it’s **okay** to not have a picture-perfect Instagram life. Editing out emotions with Photoshop? **Simon Jela doesn’t offer that.**

Musically, "In My Mind" delivers far more than just delicately played piano. Take *Chances*—the way it kicks in with that **crunchy, raw** energy. This isn’t just some songwriter strumming on a barstool. **This has power.** A blend of pop and folk wrapped in a **timeless rock aesthetic**—a sound that confidently stands on its own.

### **Songs That Leave a Mark**

*"Imprudent Things"* is a reality check.
*"Love finds a way? Love always leads to a happy ending?"*
Yeah… tell that to a youth counselor at church camp. **Love is a battlefield.** And in this song, it’s all about expectations, disappointment, and—most importantly—the realization that **none of us are free from making mistakes.**

Authenticity and openness make this song **an emotional spectacle.** It starts with an intimate acoustic guitar, drawing you in—before unleashing a soaring, orchestral explosion. **Peak-climax pop.**

Then there’s **"Too Dark to See."**
Simon’s most personal story. A contemporary ballad about **not always being the friend you wish you could be.** You realize too late what someone truly needed from you during a tough time. And yet, in close relationships, **you have to be there for each other.**

*"I will never give up on you."*

The fifth and final track? **"Safe Place."** Emotional lyrics, lively instrumentals, and a touch of one of Simon’s all-time favorite bands—**Toto.** This song **captures that butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling**—the hesitation, the excitement, the **"should I… or shouldn’t I?"** And at its core, a simple truth: **you don’t have to be perfect.**

A song about **the beauty of having someone who makes you feel safe.**

### **And So It Begins...**

All clear so far? Or do I need to spell it out that there’s no Christmas album in the works?

No, you got that, right?

Okay, but maybe this little twist is still worth mentioning: The artist whose documentary set Simon Jela on his path, the one who made him realize that he **had** to start writing music?

**Drumroll...**

**Ed Sheeran.**

Wouldn’t have expected to be grateful to that guy, but…
**here we are.**

***

**Text by Linus Volkmann**


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Feels like an intimate late-night confession - still danceable as f***!

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"Tequila" EP

"Safe Place" EP