#noahearp

Australian songsmith Noah Earp has released his new single The Raw and the Cooked, a broad, sweeping stroke of alternative folk-rock.  To accompany the single, Earp has released a self-made film clip that endears the viewer with its undeniable quirk.  The Raw and the Cooked is the first taste of Earp’s debut album Disinheritor, an enlightening collection of songs that demonstrates a rare ear for unexpected harmony.  

The Raw and the Cooked rambles comfortably across its three and a half minutes, generating a sprawling acoustic soundscape that lifts and inspires the listener.  Evoking thoughts of Father John Misty and Radiohead, the track nestles sweetly underneath Earp’s inimitable vocal, then climaxes in perfect chaos.  

Of the track, Earp says...

“The Raw and the Cooked is about a person who is trapped in a bad scene.  At first she seems really cynical, but actually the cynicism masks a certain naivete.  We all have this to some extent - nothing is too neat and nobody's perfect.  I liked the idea of a love song that wasn't…in the end this pretty love song fragments into a million pieces, because life is scary and chaotic.”

The clip for The Raw and the Cooked is lovingly homemade by Earp himself, and features charming characters, including Brisbane musician Laneous and band member Danny Cox, in iconic Melbourne scenes.  Affectionately tongue-in-cheek, the clip was inspired by several wasted hours spent watching extreme sports and skateboard tricks on YouTube.  

Earp laughs, “I thought it'd be cool to grab some GoPros and film an extremely untalented person making an absolute mockery of themselves and the sport.  I thought the album was serious enough…I have a habit of doing music videos myself.  It's not generally advised, but I like learning about filmmaking, and I'd rather learn about it by jumping in and giving it a shot.”

Earp’s debut album Disinheritor demonstrates the troubadour’s insatiable taste for poetics and symbolism, encompassed within a balanced acoustic/electronic environment.  The result is tender, suffused with melancholy, marked by Earp’s delicate vocal tone and unforeseen tunings that unsettle as much as they ease.   “It's a debut album... but the irony is it all comes across as a swan song.”

Disinheritor out and available now!

Noah was gracious enough to answer our #Q&A...

G’day we’re... Noah Earp.

What do you do… I write the songs.

The last song you listened to... Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘Da Mystery of Chessboxin’

The first record/cd/cassette you bought with your own money… It was either Oasis’ ‘What’s the Story Morning Glory’ or The Backstreet Boys. I’m really hoping it was the first one.

When in the studio you must have... A beanbag. Beanbags are good for creativity and they mysteriously let you seem friendly and a little stand-offish at the same time.

Your craziest fan moment... Mercifully I’m not a particularly good looking person, so I’ve been spared the really crazy ones. People only want to mail you pipe bombs if you’re a babe. I wait by the mailbox every day but nothing ever comes…

What song was a life changer for you... The earliest song I remember being really overwhelmed by as a kid was the old folk song ‘My Grandfather’s Clock’. It’s the one that ends with the line ‘but it stopped short/never to go again/when the old man died’. Something about that image still sends a shiver down my spine, no doubt it’s partly responsible for the morbid tendency of my songwriting.

What’s your fave Music Video and why... Not really a music video, but Dylan’s promo video for ‘Subterannean Homesick Blues’ is the coolest thing you can do without trying too hard. M.I.A’s ‘Born Free’ is pretty amazing too.

Who inspires you musically… Anyone who kept changing, and kept pushing the boundaries. People who did it without any recognition or applause are even more inspiring.

If I could put you on the stage with anyone artist who would it be (alive or dead, bearing mind we have the technology and knowing you can sing)… Hendrix, because there’s probably not a song in the world he couldn’t make better. Or maybe Dizzy Gillespie. I had a dream a few nights ago that Dizzy Gillespie did a ‘back from the dead’ comeback tour. He’d even learnt to rap while he was gone.

State one thing that most people don’t know about you… I killed a man in Reno, just to watch him die.

Favourite Ice-Cream (this is important)… Pistacchio gelati, of course.

Best advice for new and emerging artists… Don’t be a musician or an artist. Drop all your creative pursuits and get a job in finance. It’ll save you the heartache. You’ll thank me for this later. So will your mum. If, on the other hand, you’re gonna do it anyway, then congratulations, you don’t need my advice.

Have you ever made a mixtape for a friend… I used to make a few in high school. I also used to make them for long bus rides, trying to get the forward and return journeys to have really different vibes.

Favourite place to listen to music… The place is unimportant, but good speakers and company are essential. If you can get both of those on a tropical island paradise, you’re doing well.

What’s your musical discovery this year… Two big ones spring to mind: one was the Brazilian singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso, who I’ve been delving into the discography of, and the other is a set of recordings called ‘The Music of Armenia’, which is pretty much what it sounds like. Stunning, otherworldy music.

What's on the cards musically looking forward for you... What I’d like to do next is really expand my style of music making, take the songs from tightly written lyrical pieces into sprawling and expressive narrative collages. And try to bring in something from hip hop and Alexander Pushkin if I can.

How would you define success… I know I’m supposed to say something humble about being true to yourself or whatever, but actually, you can just define success by the number of luxury cars in your driveway and the size of your swimming pool. Like I said kids, get a job in finance!

Do you think that online social media is an important tool for musicians today… It’s an important tool, but it’s not as important as your instrument. It’s easy to get that priority the wrong way round.

What do you love about being a musician/singer-songwriter the most… Honestly, it’s the people. Musicians don’t always have the best reputation, but in my book they’re some of the friendliest, funniest, most intelligent and generous people I know.

Do you have a bucket list… I’d like to make a strange Frankenstein biopic of my life starring Tilda Swinton doing me as a young man (or woman! why not?), and Gene Hackman doing me as an old guy.

Watch the MV for The Raw And The Cooked here...

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