On July 21st, 2022, Richard Simeonoff will release his new EP, Listen to This, and today he shares the lead single and music video for ‘CIA.’ Written at the tail end of production on last year's debut LP, Oh Well, the song has been a favorite of Simeonoff’s live shows since. With an unreliable narrator and allusions to space men, junkies, and special agents, ‘CIA,’ takes you for a ride through the psyche of a man who might have a couple of screws loose, or maybe he is telling the truth.
Directed by Coco Aramaki, with Miles Burnett behind the camera, and edited by Hamilton Boyce, the video was shot on location at Seattle’s famed honky tonk, The Little Red Hen. A staple of the music scene, and a throwback to a time when dancing was how we interacted, the Hen set the perfect backdrop to the pulsing rhythm of the song. Drinking, dancing, and government agents…a recipe for a good time.
Richard Simeonoff is an Americana songwriter based in Seattle, WA. After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2015, Simeonoff has gone from open mics to playing some of Seattle’s best venues. Along the way, he has released two EPs: 2019’s Another Round and 2021’s Torch Songs. 2022 saw him release his first full-length, Oh Well, to a sold-out release show at Conor Byrne. Follow Richard Simeonoff on Instagram @RichardSimeonoff
CIA
Director: Coco Aramaki
Director of Photography: Miles Burnett
Producer: Danny Hahn
Editor: Hamilton Boyce
Wardrobe: Brenna Carlson
Line Producer: Clayton Ryan
Recorded at Way Out Studios
Producer, Engineer, and Mixer: Trevor Spencer
Vocals & Acoustic Guitar: Richard Simeonoff
Drums: Mike Bayer
Bass & Guitar: Jon Faryar
Keys: David Davila
Mastered by Ed Brooks at Resonant Mastering