Harper Simon Didn't Learn Songwriting From His Dad

If you have the opportunity to call in the big guns on your debut album, why resist? That's exactly what Harper Simon, son of Paul Simon, did for his country-tinged eponymous collection of folk rock.

While his voice faintly recalls his father's at times, he's gone a different route in the cast he's surrounded himself with. He brought in the Bird and the Bee's Inara George for backing vocals on 'The Shine,' Joan as Policewoman contributes some viola, and Sean Lennon plays drums on 'The Audit.' But the accomplished session musicians that he tapped from Nashville -- pianist Hargus 'Pig' Robbins, legendary pedal steel player Lloyd Green (the Byrds, the Monkees) and producer Bob Johnston (Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash) -- highlight the sound that Simon captures.

While he certainly has plenty of musical connections thanks to his lineage, don't think that Harper credits his dad, who also appears on the album, for helping hone his musical chops. "I didn't learn songwriting from him," Simon tells Spinner. "We've had some conversations over the years about process. But I think everyone needs to learn those lessons themselves. There's only so much someone can teach someone else. The kind that I'm interested in is about a personal journey. I suppose you can teach somebody the fundamentals of formulaic songwriting."

Simon has spent the last several years fleshing out the songs that make up his record, but the 37-year-old's project has been gestating since his early 20s. "There are compositional moments in the record, musical ideas that I had that I wasn't able to realize," he says.

'Harper Simon' is out now on Tulsi Records and his fall tour begins Oct. 30 in New York.