Like his father (plus UFOs): Q&A with rock prince Simon Collins

By Laura Davis

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 | 8:51 p.m.

“A lot is happening in my life.”

So says this week’s Hard Rock Café Strip headliner, Simon Collins.

Collins, son of music legend Phil Collins, is coming to Las Vegas for a five-show stint on the tail end of his first U.S. tour promoting 2009’s "U-Catastrophe," which he describes as “the best thing I’ve done so far.” While yet to stop for a breather, Collins says he’s already getting to work on a new project with a full band and planning on putting out an album later this year.

While Collins was born into the music industry — and previously has released two albums, one through WEA Records in Germany and the other on his personal label Lightyears Music Ltd. — he is a relatively new face in the states. The Sun caught up with the soft-rock heir to find out more about the artist and what audiences can expect this week.

You recorded a version of Genesis’, song “Keep it Dark.” Why did you pick this song from your dad’s extensive catalogue? Will you be playing it live at the Vegas shows?

I love the content. I’m very much into space, for a lack of a better word, and I’ve always had a connection to the lyrics. It’s about a man that gets abducted by aliens. (Laughs.) It’s a very cool song. It kind of got lost in the shuffle, and I wanted to bring it back up and give it some life. We’re going to be playing it, most definitely.

You recorded "U-Catastrophe" here in town. How did you like Vegas?

That’s right, with Kevin Churko. His son is very talented, and his band, [Modern Science], is going to be opening up for us on Saturday. To be honest, I was a homebody. I spent most of my time just working everyday. We drove to see Hoover Dam; I really wanted to go check that out. It was impressive. You go in the elevator to the underground tunnels, and you feel like you’re in an old school James Bond film or something.

You have a blog on your MySpace page where you mention experiencing ET spacecraft sightings, including in the “wide open Nevada skies.” Was that here in Las Vegas when you were recording?

No, you can’t see anything in Vegas with all the lights. I was playing Burning Man — it’s pretty close to Area 51 — and it’s almost become cliché to say, “Yeah I saw UFOs near Burning Man.” I’ve seen a similar thing up here in [British Columbia]. It’s almost become commonplace. Usually, people have at least one experience. Whether it’s valid or not, it’s the fact that people are opening their eyes to the fact that there might be more than meets the eye.

Does that idea influence your music a lot?

I like to write about slightly esoteric topics. … When I sing about these things in my music, it’s a leap of faith. … It’s all about presenting ideas as opposed to saying, “This is it!” So I’m very careful with that, because I could be totally wrong.

You sing and play drums. What will you primarily be doing at the Hard Rock Café?

I’m definitely going to be screaming my lungs out, but I will be behind the drums on a lot of songs, like “The Big Bang,” which [on "U-Catastrophe"] is a drum battle between my dad and I. These shows it’s going to be my drummer, Rob Chursinoff, and I doing the drum battle. It’s a lot of fun, a lot of hopping about, musical chairs kind of thing.

How do you think your sound compares to your father’s?

My first album I was trying to get as far away as possible from any comparisons; I went fully electronic. But there’s been moments when I’m in the studio listening to a vocal track back and it’s like, “Wow, holy (expletive), that sounds like my dad singing that!” I grew up on tour and playing drums practicing to Genesis records, so you know I’ve got a similar drumming style. I just realized the more music I make the further I’m going to get from that. I knew what I was getting into. The glass is definitely half full, and if anything, it’s a compliment. By the end of the day people make a bigger deal out of it than I do. He’s just my dad and he makes amazing music — I’m a big fan.”

Do you think the name has helped or hurt you?

It’s a tough call. If I was to step into the music industry with a different name, without my background, with the same talent, I feel like I might be close to where I am. But I can’t deny the fact that I’ve been given a lot of opportunity because of the name. It’s my name that got my foot in the door, but it’s my talent that kept me in the room. … It has setbacks, but really at the end of the day, I wouldn’t want it any other way. He’s my dad and I’m proud of my name.

Originally published at LasVegasWeekly.com.