If you own a radio, chances are you have heard Eva Simons blaring from it at some point during the past five years.
The Dutch vocalist has scored monster hits, solo and alongside superstars such as will.i.am and Afrojack. Speaking from the Amsterdam home she shares with her husband, producer and frequent collaborator Sidney Samson (where she says they diplomatically “take turns” on the stereo), 31-year-old Simons looks back on her life and career highs.
Simons first found fame as lead singer of girl group Raffish, which emerged from Dutch reality-TV show, Popstars: The Rivals. Now she has come full circle – she is on the jury of the Netherlands's Idols.
“I’m on the other side now and it’s pretty, pretty intense, because I know how it feels to be on that spot. You really try hard not to hurt people – but if they’re really not good, you do have to tell them.”
She became an international hit in 2009 with her first single Silly Boy, which listeners originally mistook for Rihanna.
“It exploded like crazy – it got me a worldwide deal,” she recalls. “Immediately I was on this platform. After that I started working with all these DJs – it became really easy to get in contact with people, because they knew who I was.”
One of the first people she called was Afrojack.
"I'm always looking for new tunes and new vibes. I just contacted Afrojack and said, 'I like this bleepy thing you do – we should make a song'. We wrote [2010's] Take Over Control and my label thought it was rubbish. So Afrojack released it, and it became a massive hit."
Later that same year, she hit the UK No1 spot, featuring on will.i.am's This Is Love.
“Working with Will, we found out we were both supergeeks, he really likes to geek out in the studio – it’s really fun to work with him.”
In 2014 she married Samson, who has produced her last three singles – Celebrate the Rain, Policeman and Bludfire.
“We have studios next to each other so he always comes in like, ‘Hey, what you cooking? I think I can produce that’,” she says. “I’m a big fan of his – which is good, when you’re a fan of your own husband.”
• Eva Simons is to take the stage tomorrow at 6.40pm
