Today we’d like to introduce you to Noah West.
Hi Noah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I visited Nashville for the first time in the summer of ‘16 or ‘17 for my college friends Joel and Mik’s wedding and fell in love with the music here. In the spring of 2018 they ended up finding me a job with Joel, working for Mik’s dad, and offered to rent me a room super cheap. I owe them and the Schindel family so much for making my move here possible.
The idea of writing songs was never on my radar through college as I did 2 years of premed in my home state of WV and then transferred to a small Christian college in SC to play basketball and finish prePT. By the end of my senior year I knew that the medical field wasn’t for me. I had gone through a breakup after the transfer to SC and written a song about it. My dorm mates really seemed to like it and encouraged me to keep writing. So whenever I had a few minutes in my very busy college basketball and science major life, I found myself writing songs. Before long I loved it more than anything I had ever done. So I decided to visit Nashville after college to see how it was and if there was a place for me. I hit up a fellow Fayette county WV friend Colton Pack (Restless Road) to meet up and pick his brain. After hanging out with him we went downtown to Broadway on a Sunday night to “network” because that’s where we thought it happened. God graciously put me in front of Taylor Phillips at Honky Tonk Central and I asked him for advice on being a songwriter in Nashville. Taylor was the convincing factor for me, by the way he was so humble and kind in giving me advice and challenging me in the competitive way I would recieve the best.
The first years were tough but when Covid hit I doubled down on writing and would usually write 2-3 a day. It eventually got the attention of Kirby Matthews and she kindly wanted to set me up with some publishers. One of which ended up being Kendall Lettow at Peer Music. After our initial meeting I got called back to meet with Michael Knox and Peer’s longtime plugger Matt. They gave me my first shot as a writer and working with Knox helped me a lot in the way I wanted to brand myself as an artist.
I have just crossed over the 8 year mark in Nashville and it feels like a lifetime. I love being here with so many talented people that I get to call friends and I’m excited to see what God has in store in the future.
It has never been what I expected, and has always been a struggle but I have never done something so worth it in my life and I’m grateful to still be able to pursue this dream.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My first coffee meeting was with Corey Kent when I first moved and he talked about a time when he lived in his car briefly…that has always stuck with me because I have been on the edge so many times and it’s helped to remember that success is a long game and it’s worth doing whatever it takes. My first job downtown was taking out the trash as a “porter” at Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge. I will always cherish that time and the drive it taught me. Survival is a large portion of the battle and if you can learn humility to do things you don’t like to be able to do things you love, then I think you’ve won. God promises to take care of our needs and I can say miraculously, that has been true. I’ve never had excess in this business but at the end of the day God has provided. He’s also given me amazing friends to go this life with and I truly couldn’t do it without them.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I moved to town to be a songwriter, my friends in college actually said “you can’t really sing, but you can sure write.” But as soon as I got here I knew that I wanted to be the artist primarily, as well as writing songs for others. After many years of work and growth and a lot of help from my producers, I’m finally excited to be moving into the artist lane that I need to be in. We’re going to be taking it back to traditional country music roots and putting a little new flare on it.
As a songwriter, I loved the way Sam Hunt approached his writing. So I definitely was heavily influenced by his word play. I most definitely chased songs for a long time before learning that I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel or follow popular trends but I needed to add my own new “spoke” to the wheel. Really to find what was authentic to me but was different than others. It took many painstaking years and close calls but I feel like I’m finally where I need to be to offer something special to the country music community. I have over 50 cuts as a songwriter, with the majority being in country, (Chase Matthew/Lauren Alaina, Michael Ray, Sean Stemaly) but I’m super excited to be working with Austin Giorgio in the pop space.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Finding a mentor is only helpful if they have what you’re trying to accomplish. Never ask advice from someone that doesn’t have what they’re advising you on. I feel like spiritual mentors, music industry mentors and wise friends in general are such a crucial part of being the best you can be in this, or any industry.
Wisdom is the most important currency in the world and most people will give to you free….all you have to do is ask humbly.
At the end of the day this is your life and it’s going to come down to you making it work. So don’t get too caught up in analyzing and prepping, there’s some magic in shooting from the hip and figuring it out as you go.
Understand that every era of life is fleeting and will pass. Friendships will change, jobs will change, relationships will change. Adapting to the curve balls of life and letting negative circumstances roll off like water off a ducks back is so important. Also staying grounded when things are going great and remembering to prioritize faith, family and friends in every situation. Being a great steward of small things is the best way to be in a position to steward big things.
God’s timing is never late, and usually never when you expect it. Don’t panic.
Prepare for the situation you want, not the situation you’re in. Have a sense of urgency.
Treat people with kindness no matter what they do or don’t have to offer you.
Contact Info:
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@noahwestmusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noahwestmusic
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Lh1fsAZIPhk4bbFgL1LZl
