2024 is the year of former Freeda from frontman Sean Rowles, now using the pseudonym Noah Speaks, as he plunges into the world of solo music making. His new endeavour has begun with the debut release of ‘Seventeen’, a reflective track that uses funky guitar and a catchy chorus to capture the substantial growth found in the transition from late teens to late twenties.
A singer/song writer from Manchester, Noah uses meaningful lyrics and a mega mix of genres to capture relatable chronicles of human experience. With notes of indie pop, funk and with a sprinkle of synths bringing forth sounds of the 80’s, Noah makes a perfect home for his great voice, use of harmonies and dreamy vocal effects.
This first track, ‘Seventeen’, is an ode to the ten years that make up the space between our later teen years and the end of our twenties. To have multiple sets of decades in life is to count ourselves lucky, but nothing stands out more than the decade that splits the beginning of our twenties, and the end. Noah uses this decade to create ‘Seventeen’; a love letter, or summarising chapter, on the tidal wave of change that it brings. Its miragelike guitar chords and narrative lyrics reflect how fast time passes, but how much fills its seconds.
‘Seventeen’ captures the universal experience of riding the ripples of decisions, worrying about them morphing into regrets, and the people you meet along the way that help pull together pieces of time and experience that form the new you. When speaking about the single, Noah said;
“Seventeen tells a tale of how life changes in the stage of ten years and how we see ourselves differently in our late 20’s compared to our teenage years. A lot of these changes are gradual and go unnoticed, but some can happen in the space of a day, Seventeen is about accepting both”
With this exciting release, fans willl be excited to know that, alongside production duo Sugarhouse, Noah will be releasing 2 more singles across 2024, as well as playing venues up and down Greater Manchester. Be sure to follow Noah at noah__speaks to catch his next release and latest tour dates to catch him at your nearest venue. In the meantime, sit back and sink into your feels by streaming ‘Seventeen’, now.
Written by Charlotte Niblett
Photo by Holly Pimlott
