by kristen case
photo by tyler krippaehne
Noah Levine is a versatile musician. Known for his creative lyricism and distinctive melodies, Noah is stepping in writing for himself and the honesty he shares in his music with his new single “Bacteria.” In our new interview he discusses the creative process and inspiration behind the song.
Congratulations on your newest single “Bacteria.” Can you tell us a little about where the inspiration for this song came from?
Noah: “Thank you so much. This song is so special to me. I feel like it’s one of the first songs where I’ve allowed myself to be completely honest with myself while writing it. I wrote it when I first hit the road playing guitar for Noah Kahan. I was suddenly getting attention and approval for the music I was making and contributing to, and I quickly started feeling a deep sense of imposter syndrome. A voice telling me, ‘just wait til people figure out you’re not as good or talented as they think you are.’ I wrote ‘Bacteria’ as a way to cope and express that feeling without letting it consume me.”
What was the story behind “Bacteria?”
Noah: “I remember visiting my friends in Boston, and my friend and fellow guitar player, Leon Sharplin, and I were messing around with some sounds and ended up writing this riff. It’s the initial and main riff you hear when you first listen to the song. I took it with me on the road and wrote half of the song until I hit a creative roadblock. A few nights pass and I’m sitting in my hotel room with Noah Kahan. We ended up talking about the song and how we both share very similar feelings about imposter syndrome and feeling somewhat undeserving when good things happen to us, and he helped me finish this song. It’s a wonderful feeling to be grateful for somebody's friendship and support of my artistry, and the song just wouldn’t be what it is without him. He’s a role model and an avid encourager of honesty through music, and that was a huge help in writing what I needed to.”
What was the creative process for “Bacteria,” and did you have any challenges during the making of the song?
Noah: “When it came to actually recording the song in its entirety, neither Gabe Simon (co-producer) nor myself had a perfect vision for what it was going to sound like when it was finished. All we had to work with were the bare bones of an acoustic and vocal driven song. We tried to take a very impulsive approach, adding little elements as we went whenever we felt it was necessary. Ultimately the song ended up consisting of only five elements — the vocal, baritone guitar, drums (played by Marcos Valles), bass, and a washed out mellotron. Anything more felt like a distraction from the song. There’s no better feeling than walking into a room without a true vision, and walking out with exactly what you want.”
Did your initial visualization of the track match up with the final outcome?
Noah: “Completely, but in a way that wasn’t tangible for me before having the final product. I couldn’t imagine the final track out of thin air, but I knew I’d know it if I heard it. This kind of thing doesn’t happen often, but whenever it does, the best thing for me to do is take it slow and add one element at a time. Ideally it’s an easy ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when it comes to each individual instrument at a time. Is this the right guitar tone? No. Try something else. On and on with each instrument until I come up with a recording that feels complete. I feel like that is the hardest part of making a song — knowing when to stop fucking with something and know that it’s done.”
What is your favorite lyric in Bacteria?
Noah: “‘I never noticed all the space between the boards until I started keeping secrets like a body in the floor.’”
When it comes to sound selection and production for “Bacteria,” what was the process for sound selection like?
Noah: “I think the only overarching vision Gabe and I had when recording this, was to create a recording that can be truly replicated in any type of room — a song I could play by myself with a guitar and hold the same effect as a full band arrangement in a concert venue, living room, arena, bedroom, etc. I think our minimal use of the studio using only a few instruments really lends itself to getting the message and weight of the song to people without too many distracting pieces.”
photo by tyler krippaehne
What message do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Noah: “I feel like the biggest theme of what I write is that it’s okay to feel multifaceted about certain things. I used to think that I had to be decisive on how I feel about events or relationships in my life, and my music and writing has taught me otherwise. It’s okay to feel upset about a relationship ending, and grateful that it happened simultaneously. It’s okay to feel hurt and angry towards someone and still love seeing them grow as a person too. I try to be as honest with the different ways that I feel about things in my music as I can. That’s why you won’t often see just a ‘sad’ song or ‘happy’ song come from me. There are bound to be layers, and I hope it’s something people can feel comforted by.”
Is there anything else you would like to share about the single or anything we might expect from you this year?
Noah: “There’s a lot of music coming and I’m just so antsy to be able to share it all. I hope you stick around and keep listening!”