Originally from the Faroe Islands, Thor Simonsen and his family immigrated to Canada (Iqaluit, Nunavut) when he was just seven years old.
The son of a jazz and classical musician, Thor had been a prolific songwriter and rapper since childhood. At the age of 11, Thor began making beats and compositions on the computer. By 14, he was recording his friends and producing full-length pop, rock, and hip-hop albums. At the same time, he began making music videos, doing graphic design, and writing grant proposals.
At 17, after growing up in the Inuit culture, Thor returned to his native Faroe Islands to learn the Faroese language and strengthen his own culture. During this time, he released his first solo album, Territorial, which was nominated for a Planet Award in 2006. The album received mixed reviews, but it led to Thor becoming a songwriter and guest rapper in the pop group FAROE5. Within long, Thor was an active, full-time member of the group, touring around the Faroe Islands.
In 2012, Thor returned to Nunavut to work a normal job. There, he began in earnest to begin producing artists and gearing up for a professional career in music.
In 2016, he began production on the Juno Award nominated album, Sedna, with Inuit artist Kelly Fraser. Thor and Kelly also created Nunavut Hitmakerz, a series of workshops travelling to remote communities around the territory, teaching song-writing and music production skills, and donating recording studios to each community.
In 2017, Thor released his sophomore album, Territorial, which gathered a strong, local following. Thor continued to discover and produce albums for upcoming Inuit artists, including Aasiva, Angela Amarualik, the pop-collective, Ajungi, and many more. At the same time, he created Hitmakerz, a record label dedicated to developing Nunavut artists, creating world-class pop music, and putting Canada – with its cool northern sound – back on the musical world map.
Thor currently lives in Iqaluit with his wife and young son.