Can you tell us about your musical background and how you got started in music?
I’ve played music my whole life—grew up playing in church and my uncle was in a blues band. And so my dad played guitar. So they’d always give me their older instruments and just all their stuff that’s broken. And then I would play with it and I kind of like got into music that way.
Then I moved to Santa Barbara and one of my friends had a music studio in there on like a field in a plastic shed and I would just sit in there and kind of watch them make music. Eventually, I started picking up on it and started making my own stuff.
I was writing and producing for other people, but they didn’t really like my ideas, or they wouldn’t implement them how I thought they should. So then I just started making my own music.
I started posting it on TikTok for six months, like three times a day. I bought myself a new phone and I was like, “Okay, if I buy myself this phone—it was like the new iPhone 13— I will post on TikTok three times a day for a year.” So that was my promise to myself, and then after about six months of doing that, I finally had a song do well on there—so, I guess that’s how I started really making the music that I am right now.
Would you say social media has played a big role in elevating your music career?
Oh, for sure. I mean, it’s a huge, free, viral marketing tool and you can’t really get that type of reach anywhere else.
What do you typically share on social media? Do you plug your songs or share a variety of things?
Yeah, I try to do a combo of everything. I can always tell when somebody is just marketing a song, so I try not to do that. I try my best to invite whoever’s watching into the feeling, mood, or message I’m trying to say through the song and then just let them be the judge if they like it or not.
I’ve also taken YouTube more seriously this past year, so I vlog a lot and I’ve been trying to share more behind-the-scenes, my world, and my process with my content—and I’ve seen some cool results from that. That’s probably catered more towards my true fans, rather than the casual person on TikTok. But, I’ve really enjoyed doing that because I’d rather be able to give my fans more insight into what’s going on. I feel like people appreciate that, too. It’s more fun for me and it feels a little more sustainable because I’m just filming what I’m doing, rather than sitting there trying to think of a caption for two hours.
You saw success and growth on TikTok, with one of your more emotional songs gaining popularity. Then, over the summer, you released a more upbeat track under the “heartbreak house” genre. What’s the direction of your new EP?
I’ve historically made all these deeper, heavy songs. But, since I live near LA, it was summertime and sunny, which was not the vibe of my usual music. So I was like, “Dude, I just want to make something you can dance to.” And a lot of my friends I’ve been working with are in the house music space, so I’ve been influenced by that lately.
I wanted my summer side quest to involve making a house song that also made sense with the rest of my catalog. I posted a video about it, kind of jokingly, and then it blew up. So, I had to actually finish the song, which was pretty fun and led to other opportunities, like ending up on Spotify playlists for New Music Friday. I also did my first DJ set with Coca-Cola.
I’m a producer at heart and make a lot of music for other people, plus I love dance music. But I also love what I normally make, so I’m figuring out how to do both as my music career progresses and how to make them work together. I hate to use Fred Again as an example, but he blends so many genres seamlessly.
This EP is a bit more on the sad and chill side, but we’ll also have some other Heartbreak House music coming out. I also released another one with my friends, Forester, back in November—and that was kind of like Heartbreak House part two.
Are there any other genres that you’d like to experiment with?
Oh, yeah. Like I said, I produce everything— rap, country, house, EDM, whatever. So, I have all of these production influences, and my song “Nothing Worse Than Always Having You” which came out last spring—that one’s a little more indie-folk vibes.
I love country, like Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan. Some of the songs on this EP—they’re not country, but it’s a little more folky with my production elements to it.
Do you have any dream collaborations that you want to pursue?
I’d love to work with Illenium, and Jon Bellion is one of my big inspirations. Chelsea Cutler would also be awesome.
Let’s talk about the tour you just finished. Who did you tour with, and what were some of the key stops you hit?
I toured with Hayd, who makes similar music to me—chill, heartbreak pop. The tour was insane. It was basically my first time leaving the States, and our first stop was Europe. We did a Europe and Asia tour, hitting London, Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam. It was amazing to explore all those cities and drive around Europe.
It was also the first time—aside from a few one-off shows in LA—that I got to share my music with my fans. I think it was in Berlin, I was sitting there, singing my song “floorboards,” and everyone was singing it with me. It was such a surreal moment to go from having most of my fans interact with me on social media to being in the same room with them.
What has your live performance history been like so far?
I’ve only done a few opening shows in LA, along with a DJ set with Coca-Cola, which was a similar thing. I was opening up for another artist—and that’s pretty much it. So, this tour was like jumping right into the deep end. And it was a big learning experience, for sure.
What is the biggest lesson that you learned while on tour?
Just to be 100 percent rehearsed before you leave, because you sometimes have like, five seconds for soundcheck. And something always goes wrong, so find a way to foolproof your setup and probably don’t take yourself so seriously.
The shows where I just was like, “Whatever happens, happens,” were the best ones because it was just me in the room with everyone singing along. No pressure. Just chilling. Just vibes.
What was your favorite stop? Any particular stops that felt really special?
Yeah, I really enjoyed Berlin. Amsterdam was also great. All of the venues in Europe were super unique.
I have some amazing superfans in London, and I got to meet a few of them, which was really cool. I always respond to everyone’s DMs and messages, so it was awesome to meet people I’ve literally been talking to for two years.
People even made and brought me gifts and candy—I just felt very loved on that tour.
How did you end up on this tour?
One of my friends was friends with Hayd, and Hayd was looking for help putting everything together for the tour.
My friend connected us. We hung out a few times and ended up clicking—it was a vibe. It was all super random because I didn’t really know Hayd, and then we just went and traveled the world together. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing.
You mentioned you hadn’t done a ton of live performances—how were you preparing for your shows at the start of the tour versus how you changed things near the end of the tour?
I would come in with my set list, knowing what keys and things were in. Then, every night I was like, “Okay, I didn’t like how that song transitioned into the next one.” So, I’d flip or change them or take out a bridge.
It was pretty flexible and each night, I’d lean into how the crowd was responding. Sometimes, the song you want to play next is not what the crowd needs at that moment—so, being flexible was a big tip for me to learn.
The set has to match the vibe and the energy of the room, and that’s a true skill.
It’s not easy, especially when you’re wearing these in-ear monitors where you literally can’t hear anything. You have to really be perceptive with your eyes and see how people are feeling.
I’m sure it can be difficult to come in with a tentative game plan and then have to switch things up on the go, too.
Yeah, and as an opener, half the people don’t know who you are, so you have to win them over.
Do you see that as an advantage or a disadvantage?
Oh, definitely an advantage. It’s almost like a game, kind of like a sport. I’m like, “How many people can I get to come say hi to me afterward?”
Honestly, that’s another skill— being an opener that can sell the crowd. Depending on how many openers there are, people can get impatient.
Yeah, I’ve played shows in the past where I was the first of three openers—and that was brutal. For those shows, I think I started around 6 P.M., and there was almost nobody there, you know?
Do you have hopes or goals of playing at a music festival one day?
Yeah, 100 percent. I’d love to play a few of them, if possible.
With Heartbreak House, I envisioned being able to play an intimate show for 300 people, but also have the opportunity to perform at a festival. I could play a festival in the style of Fred Again, or with a band, you know? It offers a diverse live show experience where you never know what you’re going to get.
Do you have any other big goals for 2025?
Yeah, probably looking to do another opener run, and then ideally do my own tour in the fall.
Not sure if that’s going to be in the U.S., or if we’re going to do Europe and Asia again—but that’s what we’re shooting for once we release this EP. Sometimes, I have trouble focusing on 50 different things at once.
What were you doing before you launched your music career?
I don’t know, man. I don’t know. Just vibing? Vibing, just trying to figure it out.
That’s fair. Nobody really knows what they’re doing, anyway.
The one thing I’ve learned the past year or two, doing music full time, is no one actually knows what they’re doing. Throw darts at the board and one of them lands. It’s comforting, in a way—you can give people and yourself a little more grace.
What’s a piece of advice you would give to somebody who wants to start their own music career?
Two things: First, it’s cliché, but consistency is literally the only thing that separates you from everyone else. There are so many people who are more talented than me musically and should be way more popular—but they don’t post or create consistently.
Second, just do what you think is cool instead of trying to copy others. As a producer, I initially tried to make all my music sound like my favorite artists, but it just ended up sounding like a Jon Bellion song. It didn’t feel unique.
Do what sounds cool to you and don’t compare yourself. Use people you admire as references and motivation, but throw your own paint at the wall and see what you can create.
With the things I’ve put out that people resonate with, I often think, “Really? You liked that part?” It takes me by surprise. Sometimes, you might think a part is stupid, but then you get to see it from a third-person perspective and appreciate its beauty.
Check out Noah’s latest single, “set us on fire”—available now.
