Despite growing up in a fairly bohemian household, Emilie took her studies seriously and completed a degree in contemporary music. As a teenager, her musical tastes evolved to include pop and house. The budding young musician soon broadened her horizons even further, however, attending the Conservatoire et l'Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM), the French experimental music institute directed by composer Pierre Boulez up until 1992.

Drawing on these experiences and her multiple musical influences, Emilie began to think seriously about the idea of launching a professional singing career. In 2003, aged 23, she recorded a debut eponymous album which won rave reviews from the critics who hailed her as France’s answer to Iceland’s alternative pop princess Björk. (It turned out these comparisons were not entirely gratuitous, as Markus Dravs, one of Björk’s loyal collaborators, was actually involved in the final mix of Emilie’s album). Emilie’s pure, crystal – and, at times, almost childlike – vocals absolutely shone on this debut album which featured twelve perfectly-honed compositions.

Not surprisingly, the album went on to triumph at the “Victoires de la Musique” ceremony winning the award for Best Electronic Album of the Year. On her debut album, Emilie switched easily from French to English and even dared to record a cover of a Velvet Underground classic with Tim Keegan (lead singer with the group Departure Lounge, formerly renowned as vocalist for Kid Loco). "Femme Fatale" was perhaps an appropriate choice for pop’s young temptress. Other highlights of the album included an interesting adaptation of The Stooges’ "I Wanna Be Your Dog", "Flowers" (chosen as the first single release) and the superb "Graines d'étoiles" featuring Perry Blake.

Emilie’s electro-pop masterpiece, tinged with a streak of sentimentalism, won the previous unknown media coverage far beyond her wildest dreams.  What’s more, she was able to take full credit for her debut album, having largely written, composed and produced it herself. The album, originally released on 3 February 2003, proved such a hit that it was reissued a few months later (on 23 December) with four special bonus tracks including an English version of "Desert." Besides catapulting her to media attention, Emilie’s first album also impressed those in the film world and she was invited to compose the soundtrack for "La Marche de l'empereur" (Luc Jacquet’s documentary about Emperor penguins). The film proved to be a huge box-office hit worldwide and Emilie’s soundtrack went on general release in France on 10 January 2005.

The young singer, who had grown up steeped in the Mediterranean sun, managed to transpose her imagination to the polar ice caps – doubtless, her admiration for Björk helped here! The fifteen highly atmospheric songs on the soundtrack, all performed in English, fitted Jacquet’s film like a glove. In February 2006,

Emilie went on to triumph at the “Victoires de la Musique” ceremony once again, winning the award for Best Original Film/Television Soundtrack of the Year. "La Marche de l'empereur" proved to be a particularly big hit in the States and director Luc Jacquet even won an Oscar for best documentary. Unfortunately for Emilie, the film soundtrack was re-recorded for the American market and ended up featuring vocals by Alex Wurman instead. 

Meanwhile, Emilie was already busy preparing material for a second album. The young southerner had already honed her vocal skills on the live circuit with a number of concerts including an impressive performance at the Eurockéennes festival in Belfort in 2005 and another at Le Grand Rex, in Paris, where she appeared on stage with La Synfonietta orchestra, and percussion and keyboard-players from the Lyon orchestra.

She had also left her home in Montpellier to base herself in the French capital and had had a small home studio made to order there. When the time for her second album came, she was thus able to settle down to work in the peace and quiet of her own home, crafting her new melodies morning, noon and night.

As the title "Végétal" suggests, Emilie’s second album was based on a botanical theme, the opening track, "Alicia", introducing a bizarre hybrid protagonist who was half flower, half woman. The 50-minute album, featuring thirteen tracks, meandered through intricate herbaceous borders with songs such as "Fleur de saison", "Opium", "Dame de Lotus", "Rose hybride de The" and "En cendres." Emilie’s vocals were much in the same vein as on her debut album, but "Végétal" found her introducing new instruments such as flutes, percussion and cellos into her arrangements.

A number of experienced musicians such as Simon Edwards (who has played bass with the likes of Talk Talk, Beth Gibbons, and Alain Bashung) also contributed to the album and, once again, Markus Dravs helped out on the final mix. Switching between French and English (e.g. "Le Vieil Amant", "Swimming", "In The Lake") as easily as she had on her first album, Emilie served up a superbly coherent second opus which established her as a major new talent to be reckoned with.

Emilie hit the road again soon afterwards to promote songs from her new album. She appeared at a number of leading music festivals including Les Francofolies in Montreal (June) and Les Francofolies in La Rochelle (July), before heading off to Japan in August to play one concert in Osaka and another in Tokyo. On 19 September 2006, Mademoiselle Simon achieved a landmark moment in her career, performing at the legendary Olympia, in Paris, for the first time. Emilie pulled out all the stops on this occasion, calling on violins, ‘cellos, computer technology, an upside-down guitar - and a percussionist creating special effects swishing his hands in a washing-up bowl! Audio and video highlights of the show were recorded for a live CD/DVD.

At the end of September Emilie supported British rock band Placebo on their French tour, playing at major venues such as Le Zénith and Bercy stadium in Paris. After her stadium support act, the young French singer started looking to expand her career in the U.S. On 7 November 2006, a compilation of Emilie’s three French albums was released in the States where it was marketed as "The Flower Book." Emilie was soon boarding a plane to fly out and play her first concert in New York. As her backing band had been held up in France owing to visa problems, she ended up performing alone on stage with only her guitar and computer for company. Then, following in the footsteps of other French female stars (such as Camille and Keren Ann) who had tried to break into the American market, Emilie headed off to Los Angeles. With her record label presenting her as "a mix of Björk and Amélie Poulain", young Emilie soon carved out a place for herself on the U .S. scene in the "French chanteuse" department.

Emilie’s live CD/DVD, entitled simply "A l'Olympia", was released on 5 March 2007 and included a new bonus track ("Dame de Lotus") as well as an interesting cover of the Nirvana classic "Come as You Are." Later that same month, Emilie carried off her third ‘Victoire de la musique’ award when "Végétal" won the trophy for "best electro album of the year." With three albums and three prestigious ‘Victoire’ awards under her belt, Emilie appeared to have made it at the age of just 27! However, not content to sit back on her laurels, the young singer soon hit the road again, performing a series of dates across Iceland, Poland and Hungary. In May 2007, she flew out to play in Manila (the capital of the Philippines) and Hong Kong. After that, Emilie continued her globe-trotting tour, appearing in London in June, Australia in July and at the 19th edition of the Francofolies in Montreal in August.

Emilie, who claims she draws inspiration from her stage performances and her experiences on the road, admits she tends to put her songwriting on hold while she is on tour. But she manages to snatch a few spare moments to work in her beloved home studio when she can. She has a variety of projects on the go right now, including the soundtrack for Vera Belmon’s film "Survivre avec les loups" (due out on cinema screens in 2008).

On 15 September 2007, Emilie Simon performed her electronic pop at Paris’s prestigious Salle Pleyel, more usually the venue for classical music concerts. At the same time she worked on the ambient music for an aquarium display in Montpellier in the south of France. That same year she found herself falling in love with New York, and ended up moving there.

It was indeed the Big Apple that inspired her new album, "The Big Machine". Unusually for her, she started writing the songs accompanying herself on piano, rather than with her computer. It was only once she’d found the definitive form of the songs that she returned to her computer to add different sonic textures: 4/4 beats, cool brass sounds and metallic noises. The city of New York is reflected in the tone of this album, the English-language lyrics and a certain frenzy that is new to her music.

Before the French release of the album, New Yorkers were given a chance to hear Emilie Simon’s new songs at a small Manhattan venue where she had previously had residencies. The performances were experimental, with Emilie, a piano a computer and a few machines on stage. They were hugely successful, following a favourable review in the New Yorker magazine. "The Big Machine" was released in September 2009, and a tour kicked off in November. The singer performed at the Casino de Paris on 16 & 17 January 2010.

February 2010