Gabe Simon, the songwriter and producer best known for co-writing and co-producing Noah Kahan's last two albums, has spoken to Music Business Worldwide about the unlikely breaks that shaped his career. He initially expected a co-write on Dua Lipa's debut album to let him quit driving for Uber, but the track earned little money, teaching him a harsh lesson about songwriting economics before a solo song later licensed for an advert finally gave him financial stability.

The turning point came when Simon, close to giving up after three years of Uber driving alongside songwriting, wrote a despondent track called Tambourine for his solo project Mr. Gabriel, which was subsequently licensed for a Marshalls advert and earned a million dollars. Since then he has worked with artists including Dermot Kennedy, Lana Del Rey and James Bay, co-produced Kahan's 4x Platinum album Stick Season and his chart-topping follow-up The Great Divide, and launched his own co-publishing venture, Abide By The Vibe.