Images Courtesy Of Robert Nunez
Noah Salem is an independent bedroom pop artist currently residing in Los Angeles, California. He released his debut EP, Pocket, which has garnered over eight hundred thousand streams since it’s release in 2018.
Due to coronavirus, the interview below was held through Instagram direct message. Some of the content has been edited to fit a conversation format.
Hey Noah how have you been doing recently?
That’s so exciting! Can we expect any new music from you soon?
NS: With everything going on, maybe not but I’ve been working on the album for awhile so hopefully that’s done soon.
Yeah, it definitely is a weird time with COVID, police brutality, and protesting all making headlines at the same time. Has the craziness of the past couple of months affected your songwriting?
NS: Oh yeah for sure, but I feel like some of the issues being discussed now already resemble some of the topics I cover in the new album. I decided with this one to talk more about my own personal battles with things.
How has your sound developed since the release of your debut album, Pocket?
NS: It’s definitely gone in a more polished direction. I am focused a lot more on how it’s recorded and putting a lot more effort into my music ideas.
I can’t wait to see what you end up putting out. How have your recording techniques changed over the years?
NS: Right now, I mostly have been working on instrumentals more than anything and using new equipment! On the last album, I didn’t really have demos cause that was just the final version, but now I’m doing revisions and all types of stuff when working on a track.
I’m excited to hear the outcome of your work. Do you plan on doing anything with the demos? A “Noah Salem demos and rarities” tape would be dope.
NS: I’ve thought about that before! I’ve always wanted to do a demo album. On my last album, I made a demo tape for myself to look back on but it’s not public. Maybe someday I’ll try it for sure.
Well, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Before we sign off, is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?
NS: Make more space in the indie pop/punk/garage/lo-fi scenes for black artists. I’ve been a big fan of a lot of promoters and independent labels coming from OC and LA that elevate these genres but can’t continue to ignore the lack of black representation on rosters and blog spots. I know a good handful of POC artists that don’t just make alternative R&B or Bedroom Pop that could make the rosters for some of these shows, yet, I still see such a small amount. We need to find and discover them too! If you have a platform to elevate artists then why not try to search for a more diverse group of individuals as well? It sucks that it took all of this movement shit and chaos for certain labels and magazines to reach out to black artists that didn’t fit the stereotype/black artists in general. We need to push these walls, these genres aren’t supposed to be exclusive, leave that for the pop teenybopper shit. Indie is supposed to be inclusive of those different faces and ideas.
I totally agree with you Noah. I know I said we were going to sign off, but I want to dig a little deeper into this topic. What steps do you think must be taken to even out the playing field for black and white musicians?
NS: In terms of what steps to take, I feel like people that are self-aware enough to realize they aren’t representing a certain demographic, should reach out to their peers/online more. Plenty of venues, labels, and magazines focus on a crowd or group that they are familiar with and just network through them but if we want equal representation and to encourage DIY/Indie artists, then digging outside of your circle should be necessary. That’s what this is all about!
I think you hit it on the nail by saying that a lot of people focus on groups that they’re familiar with. I have seen that continuously through my work in journalism over the past couple of years. I’ve been trying to do my part by discovering and putting a spotlight on more artists of color. Do you have any recommendations for brown, black, and indigenous artists?
NS: Artists like Shormey, Asiatica, Carter Ace, Satchy, Sam Truth, Kiiingsley, Spencer, William Corduroy, Zuluca (Anaiah Lei), and Ray Newlan
