Unsung Hero - Simon Drake

[Tom Tom Audio]

When did you last buy a Naim Label release? If you have not heard some of the brilliant talent being signed to the Naim Label recently, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Pylo, Empirical and Sons of Kemet to name but a few, have all been signed by Label Director Simon Drake who has revolutionised the label's output over the last few years.

Music is in Simon Drake’s blood. Before joining Naim Label, he graduated from Commercial Music at Bath Spa University with first class honours. A multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer in his own right, Simon founded the award-winning Naim Edge and Naim Jazz record labels, has signed many critically acclaimed, multi-award winning artists and launched one of the UK’s first high-definition music download stores. In 2012, Simon was named one of '30 Under 30' rising stars as part of the UK government's ‘Make It In Great Britain’ campaign. He also sits on the BPI Young Executive Board (music industry body and host of the Brit Awards).

“Naim’s philosophy is one of uncompromising quality. I feel that quality is as much creative as it is technical. Naim’s desire to discover and promote new music is driven by that creative quality and the increasing need to give people something a little bit different. We’ve always been brave in sticking to what we think sounds the best, and in promoting deserving talent of all forms that would otherwise suffer from categorisation or preconceptions in an unforgiving  post-digital age for music. The first question we ask ourselves is ‘can they pull it off live?’, increasingly so as it becomes easy to fake talent with studio trickery. Supreme talent will always shine brightest in the flesh and great hi fi aims to reproduce that sensation. Naim is built for music lovers first and foremost, and with Naim Label I wholeheartedly hope we have something for everybody.”

Simon Drake, Naim Label Director.