Interview — Noons

Skratch Magazine

Belgium Pop Rock band Noons, began as a cover band in 2008. Founding members Heidi (guitar) and Brian (vocals) quite accidentally discovered their desire to play original material after Brian began penning his own lyrics and Heidi added a melody to them. Tim (guitar), Nico (bass), and Sebastian (drums) joined shortly after. The band takes it’s insight from everyday life and it’s members can be inspired while doing such mundane chores as walking the dog. With an EP due out in 2009 to follow their debut single, “Paper Wings” and constructing an official website, Noons is keeping busy and spending less time learning other people’s songs

Skratch: What influences your band and stirs up your creativity?
Tim: Mostly the influences can come from different angles. We all have different daily activities and interests; this makes it nice because we all respect that from each other. I got the feeling that we are influenced by daily things, at least I am.
Nico: Concerning songwriting/lyrics: events that strike me. Generally speaking; life as I see it around me. How individuals try to cope with their daily life, work, relationships and so on.
Could be a movie or a book as well. In playing bass, my personal bass bible The Bass Handbook by Adrian Ashton which has been my companion for about a year now and which helps me to develop my style every day again. And of course the other band members and the songs we wrote. It works as a trigger to try and find new lyrics and music loops.
Heidi: When I take my dog out for a walk, that is when a new tune usually hits me. So I take my dog out 3 times a day just to get new stuff in my head. I only need to buy me some kind of
small recorder so I can sing it in at that particular moment because frequently it happens that I have forgotten the tune by the time I get back home. So I guess nature is my trigger to be creative with music.

Skratch: Tell me about your favorite two songs and what they mean to you.
Tim: “Turn Around”, our own song because of its simplicity, it is short and straight to the point. “1Chance” first song I played when I joined the band. First chance I had turned out to be the good one (for me to prove myself as guitarist and to join the band).
Nico: Danko Jones, “First Date” and REM, “Walk Unafraid”. There is no need to explain what they mean to me, they are just fucking good songs.
Heidi: Trisha Yearwood, the song “Remember When”. Why? It makes me cry. I think everybody can find him/herself in this song Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton, “We've Got Tonight”.
I am a huge fan of Kenny Rogers and the duets he sings are just wonderful. There are many struggles being an unsigned band.

Skratch: Tell me, what keeps the boat afloat?
Tim: Our daily jobs. We all have our daily jobs and we keep the music rocking and just do our thing.
Nico: An upcoming gig, an EP. The thought of really getting started as a performing band
Heidi: The fun we all have together while rehearsing. Try out new sounds, improvise…
Skratch: Where do you see the band in 5 years? What are your goals?
Tim: We'll see first what tomorrow brings, I live today. I do love to keep going on with this band
Nico: In five years time? Struggling with a third full CD I suppose?
Heidi: Hope to be still a band with the original band members. Have a lot of gigs so we can keep on rocking and having fun.

Skratch: Name one flaw of each band member
All: This was a difficult one to answer. We are sure that everybody has his/hers flaws but when
we are all together we just connect. We are like a strong chain, the weak link has not been
found yet.

Skratch: What animal best represents the band and why?
Tim: As far as I am concerned, I think a hippopotamus looks lovely but when necessary it can be very aggressive
Nico: Are you serious?
Heidi: A wolf stays loyal to its own pack.

Skratch: If the band agreed on one thing, what comes to mind?
Tim: Just go for it…
Nico: Brian always has to deal with the interviews…
Heidi: Choice of music

Skratch: Tell me it's more than sex, drugs and rock 'n roll! No?
Tim: If you say so
Nico: I don't think so. Is there?
Heidi: No comment

Skratch: What are your thoughts on the current political elections?
Tim: That it is time to start working together with an open mind. All the media attention makes the circus even bigger and this does not give a trustworthy impression of the reality.
Nico: I love the daily Sarah Palin show!
Heidi: To be honest I did not follow it much. We don't live in America so… But on the other hand I am glad that a black man is now the president. It is about damn time that everybody starts to realize that looks or background does not count. It is your heart that makes you the person who you are, not your outside looks.

Skratch: What bands would you love to share a stage with? What bands would you not?
Tim: Share: all the good ones, not: the bad ones
Heidi: I don't want to share a stage with a band that plays only Dutch or German Schlager music. Do you know that in America? It is dreadful, I can assure you that. Other than that… a gig is a gig.

Skratch: Are you all good friends or more band mates only? Tell me about your relationships.
Tim: I think we became good friends in quite a short time.
Nico: Until now, we mostly talked about music; some small talk at the end of a rehearsal. We'll surely get to know each other much better when we are touring. Plenty of time for that.
Heidi: We are sure more than band mates only. We are working on our friendships. We are doing some other things together beside rehearsing just to get to know each other better. You can call it team building.

The official website is planned to be up and running in early 2009. Until then you can find everything from updates on the status of the upcoming EP to merch at the bands official Myspace page at www.myspace.com/noonstheband. “Keep listening to our music,” the band insists. “We all love you!”

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