New Noonan

As you find yourself listening to the tracks of Tyrone Noonan's forthcoming mini-album I'm A Believer you may feel as though you are experiencing a touch of deja vu, however, fear not, it's intentional. Showcasing his flair for DJing and electronic music, I'm A Believer gives the tracks of his debut full-length album of 2011, I Believe, a fresh sound through remixing and reworking.  

Reflecting on the decision to reinvent the album, Noonan confesses, “A lot of people really liked [I Believe], but when it was released it didn't seem like there was going to be much hope for radio play. It's a timeless record, it doesn't really sit in one particular time period, but in making this new album, I was given the opportunity to reinterpret the songs in a contemporary style and setting. I also wanted to prove to myself that those songs would work in this format, which I think they have. I've also always had an interest in electronic music,” he continues, “I've been a DJ for almost as long as I've been a musician, so it was also a chance for me to explore that side of myself with my own music.”

While you'll definitely hear echoes of the past in I'm A Believer, Noonan is excited to present tracks that take on whole new identities. “There's a track [on the album] called All That You Need, which keeps the same jungle-flavoured tempo and melody, but it's been completely re-harmonised, and all the chords are completely different – it sounds amazing. Richard Padron – who is this Cuban guy who helped me with the record and is an incredible jazz, rock and classical guitarist and producer as well – completely changed the whole harmonic structure of the song, while also making it a really wicked drum'n'bass kind of remix.”

With the songs taking on new life in the studio, Noonan has also enlisted a new band to help him realise his new direction. “My guitarist was in my band in New York, he came over to Brisbane shortly after I did. Then my keyboardist has always played with synths, and for years my drummer has been working with both live drums and electronic percussion, so we're working together to incorporate a lot of the sounds and samples to kind of come up with a kind of hybrid sound on stage.”

While a record release and tour would be enough to keep anyone busy, Noonan reveals he's also got a lot more on his plate, “I've got a release to piece together with my band from New York and some new tracks that I want to record with my band here. I've also been keeping busy by doing some movie soundtrack work as well, which is fantastic and a lot of fun. Then I've got another project which I can't really say much about at the moment, but things are coming together for that quite nicely and you can expect to hear more about it soon.”