Ally Baran & Connell Simkin Watt On Marianas/Nickelback Concerts Behind The Scenes, Being Blind In Music & More

This episode is a little different.

Jonathan is joined by his son, Connell Simkin Watt, and Connell's girlfriend, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Ally, for a conversation about songwriting, music school, and launching a career in today's music industry.

Ally shares the story behind her upcoming debut single "Rabbit Hole," how a dream inspired the song, and what it's been like developing her sound while studying music in Toronto. She also opens up about pursuing music as a visually impaired artist and the impact she hopes her work will have.

The conversation also covers:

The story behind Connell's unusual name

Growing up around the music business

Jonathan's memories of choosing "Call Me Maybe" as Carly Rae Jepsen's breakthrough single

Nickelback concerts, TIFF, and backstage stories

Musical influences including Radiohead, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Fionn, Marianas Trench, and more

Advice for emerging artists

Subscribe to I Hate Simkin for bi-weekly deep dives into iconic Canadian music stories, behind-the-scenes label moments, and artist's career turning points. Likes, comments, and feedback help massively — thank you for supporting the show.