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Hi Steve, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Thank you very much! I’ve been really well, thanks. Staying healthy. Feeling good about the new album!
Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Either Way”?
That song is about making the choice to work at something. Results won’t come if you sleep the day away. Either way, you have to make a choice. Even if you have doubts or fears because it’s an uphill battle, you have to face the mountain and climb!
Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?
Not one in particular, it’s just a feeling I have when I don’t get something done because of an internal excuse. Feeling achievement is a better state of mind to be in at the end of a night.
How was the filming process and experience behind the video?
The video came from the actual basic recording sessions at Studio65 with Chris Furst producing. Many stills were candids taken by Jordan Hedlund, who also plays piano on the record. I shot some video footage on an iphone for fun and decided to use it in the video. We had a blast recording the record. I’ve always loved pictures of musicians at the studios where and when the music actually got cut. I wanted to show us doing that very thing.
The single comes off your new album Dreamland – what’s the story behind the title?
I found I had a group of songs that had a common thread about sleeping, dreaming, waking up, etc. Dreams have always interested me. In the title track, I tried to explain some of the wild things that happen in that state: Flying, backwards moving clocks, the twisting and distortion of time, and also how if feels when you’re waking from a dream, where the two worlds blend for an instant. Pretty wild.
How was the recording and writing process?
I write the songs myself, usually on my 12-string. I’ll make sure it’s something I’m happy with. If the song feels like it could be better, I’ll re-write sections. I try not to get married to a progression or melody just because it happened as a first idea. Then I put them in chart form for the musicians. The chart will include chords, melody, and dynamic markings for which I have my own little homemade method in Finale. All the players I work with are really good readers with great ears. I love hearing their interpretation and how they add their musical thumbprints to the songs. The recording process is pretty typical. We’ll rehearse the songs as a band and get them to gel. Then, we go into the studio. At that point, something better usually happens, like a different part or lick or something. I love recording full band.
What is it about the 70s and 80s that you find so fascinating?
Well, some of the artists from those eras had an influence on my writing. I think the first time I heard a 12-string guitar was on a song called Crazy Circles by Bad Company. I knew there was something different about that sound than from a 6-string acoustic. And, those British post-modern bands of the ‘80s had such great dissonant melodies, but they sounded so good the way the notes were juxtaposed against the chords they used! I like the mixture of layers of guitar sounds and synth licks they had, too.
Where did you find the inspiration for the songs and lyrics?
Anywhere they existed! Ha! Well, I’m always looking. Some are from real experience, but some come from scenarios I imagine. For this record, they range anywhere from going to a party with a friend who has too much to drink (It’s All Gone Wrong), to having a perfect first date (Wake Up With You), to breaking up with someone over the phone (No More to Say), to a fan watching his favorite singer move away to find fame (Rising Fast), to wondering how so many people are able to wake up early in the morning (Left Behind).
What else is happening next in Steve Noonan’s world?
I’m always working on the next batch of tunes, so I’ve got that. I have a custom acoustic 12-string guitar being built. It’s going to look pretty rad. It’s in blue burst with a custom logo in the pick guard. Whoo! I’m also looking to play more shows in the coming year once things get back to normal again.
