Noah Noah very ready for Off Axis showcase

Inverness's second Off Axis showcase at the Tooth and Claw this Saturday sees Edinburgh chamber-pop quartet Noah Noah headline the bill. We caught up with the band's frontman Fraser Fulton to talk the showcase, the band, their new single Satellites, and their upcoming slot at XpoNorth...

Hi Fraser, thanks for answering these! Are you looking forward to coming back up north for the Off Axis showcase?

We certainly are! Inverness has become one of our all time favorite places to go to and last year we played there five times. We are absolutely buzzing to be back (it’s been a while) as Inverness audiences are always up for it. We have had some crazy shows at Mad Hatter’s, but this will be our first time at the Tooth and Claw. Thanks to Off Axis for making that possible.

So talk me through how you got involved with the Off Axis touring network? How has it helped you with getting gigs, sorting out shows, etc?

I first heard about Off Axis through my work with Wide Days and Off The Record. Derick and Jeff were both attending one of the events last year and after a quick conversation we signed right up. Our first show was at English music festival Kendal Calling which normally would have been a hard booking to land. We had an incredible time and have gone on to organise multiple gig swaps and programme full tours using the Off Axis network.This has made financing a self promoted tours possible and we have made some cracking friends along the way.

You’re playing alongside Ruth Gillies and Dylan Tierney – have you had the pleasure of listening to/playing alongside them before? What can we expect?

I was really pleased to hear Ruth was playing with us! I’m good pals with both her and her manager Gary, and as a result have had the pleasure of seeing her perform with Ocean Code a good few times now. They also played with Noah Noah last year and we are really looking forward to seeing her perform solo.

Dylan’s music was new to me, but after checking out his material, I am really looking forward to his set! There is a real wealth of talent from the highlands, and it is class for a Lowland band such as ourselves to play alongside these acts.

Audiences can expect a night of great music at the Tooth and Claw. Both Ruth and Dylan are smashing songwriters and I have no doubt they will deliver incredible performances.

Noah Noah have been busy of course – after what sounds like an utterly hectic 2017, you’ve already got so much in for this year! New single Satellites just came out last month – how have you found people have responded to your new music?

We have been going through a bit of a change musically so it has been really encouraging to hear so much positive feedback for Satellites. With another session video set for release this Friday and official singles planned for later in the year, it is really cool to know that people like the ‘new sound’. We have gone for a more organic approach with these songs and in general have moved towards a more rock n roll vibe. Live shows are really energetic now and we are pleased that we have managed this transition while still sounding like ourselves – well, hopefully!

You’re also back at XpoNorth again this year – are you looking forward to that? How was your showcase slot last year?

We can’t wait to get back to Xpo. As mentioned, Inverness is one of our favorite places to play and last year’s XpoNorth was such a brilliant experience.

Our set last year was great fun. We performed at Mad Hatter’s and it was a really busy show but we had essentially a new line-up and we were still feeling our way a little bit. I think this year we are a lot more sure of what we are doing and have a bunch of new songs. We really can’t wait.

So what can folk expect from you at the Off Axis and the Xpo showcases? How would you describe yourselves to new audiences?

It’s always so hard to describe yourself! I would say that we are a rock band but have been described as ‘chamber pop’ in the past, elements of which are totally true.

People can expect lots of new songs and a super energetic show. We have been working hard to make the set as exciting as possible and are really looking forward to playing in Inverness again. With such great supports, it’s definitely going to be a smashing night!

After these shows, what plans have you got for the rest of the year? New music, more festivals?

Well, sadly we can’t announce any of our summer shows yet….but I promise there are some real corkers to be announced, including some great festivals...stay tuned!

As for new music, we have been working away for months on new music and will be making our debut release of 2018 in July. More details to follow...

Noah Noah headline the Off Axis showcase at the Tooth and Claw, Inverness on Saturday night. Doors open at 7.30pm – click here for tickets.

Tweet Kyle: @spp_kwalker

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