Mic Check with Mint Simon.

Written by Sarah Evangelista

On a sunny day in downtown Montreal, I met up with the city’s own Mint Simon to chat all things Osheaga, debut EP, and fashion trends.

Since our meet up was at 11:30 AM, our conversation started with morning routines - the perfect one being waking up at dawn and a good matcha. Simon asked me if I enjoyed the drink, which I answered with “I’m more of an iced coffee girl, but I could drink a matcha if I’m in the mood”.

We quickly discovered that our musical paths had something in common: they both began with musical theatre. That theatrical flair is still present in Simon’s work today, especially in music videos like “Some of Everything”—one of their first solo releases following 2021’s “Used For Love.”

Flash forward to now, their debut EP Chimera is released and it’s authentically them. I mentioned that the term “chimera” comes from the mythological creature that has the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a snake, then questioned if that was the origin of the title. This was responded agreeing, but mentioning how it was more so inspired by the scientific term and how it relates to their identity.

Lastly, we touched on Simon’s debut Osheaga performance as a solo artist (they’re playing Saturday !! Don’t miss out !!). They’re currently in the midst of self care, vocal exercises, and band practice before the special day. “It’s definitely a different feeling [playing a solo festival set], but it’ll help having Ballsy (ex-band member and current bass player/producer) play as well.” Having been at every Osheaga, Simon is looking forward to seeing Gigi Perez this year.

Despite a few technical glitches on my end, it was a joy catching up with an old friend. Full interview drops this September.