Ladies and gentlemen, meet Noah Kittinger, the brain behind the musical project that is Bedroom.
Take one listen to his debut EP and subsequent LP and you’ll be shocked/amazed/jealous to hear that he was in fact only 16 at the time of recording. We were jealous.
His music is tranquil but with a subtle cutting edge, ambient but with a constant driving beat, dreamy but invigorating. It sounds like the work of someone who’s been around and seen it all, whose witnessed the great joys that life can offer you but also the huge pitfalls it can throw you in.
The fact that it was recorded in the bedroom (hence the name) of a teenager suggests that a genuine burgeoning talent, one that’s so rare these days, is at play here.
We got over that initial jealousy and spoke to Noah about the fascination with his age, his parents musical influence on him and his upcoming new album.
Hello Noah, please introduce yourself.
I’m Noah Kittinger. I’m 17. I’ll be 18 in less than a month. I’m from Nashville, TN. Whassupp.
What’s it like being a musician in Nashville? Is it a creative place to live?
It’s cool yeah. It’s a very cool city. There’s a pretty nice scene here. Lot’s of good music coming out of Nash.
It never ceases to amaze me how young you were when Toys and Vivid were released. Do you get that a lot?
Yeah, whenever Toys was first getting reviews, the writers always add that “He’s only 16!” somewhere in there.
Are you still at school?
No, thank God. I started home-schooling towards the end of my junior year. I had to get out man haha. I graduated early so I could focus on making a new record. Juggling music between my job is pretty simple. I mean I’m not playing out, yet, or anything. Once things with this new record start to pick up though, I’m sure I’ll quit my job.
How supportive of your music are your family and friends?
Very supportive.
Were your parents always playing music around the house when you were growing up? Do you think they’ve had a direct impact on your ability?
When I was younger my Dad introduced me to some great music. He’d always be playing stuff like Al Green, Billy Joel, Led Zeppelin, Supertramp, etc. Just stuff he grew up with. I don’t think they had any impact on my love for making music. I mean like I said, they’ve always been very supportive. But neither my Mom or Dad are musicians. I guess it’s just something I picked up on my own.
Did your music career start as a conscious decision or was it just a hobby that has gradually become more serious?
Conscious decision for sure.
How old were you when you realised that this is going to be your life?
I think like 12 or 13.
I’ve noticed on your Facebook that you’ve been playing with a full band behind you. What was that experience like?
Yeah we’ve only rehearsed once, but it went really well. Like really well. We’re supposed to rehearse again soon. I’m excited to start playing out and stuff too, ya know?
What’s your touring schedule like? Do you think you’ll be touring Europe anytime soon?
I’ve vever toured before but that’s something that is hopefully in my future.
What music are you currently into? Do you find that your listening trends have an impact on your own music?
I’ve been listening to a lot of hip-hop. Like the new Rejjie Snow EP. Love it. I also like Justin Vernon’s new project, The Volcano Choir. Really dope. I do feel as if what I listen to has some impact on my music, in a way. I mean it’s an influence you know.
There’s been quite a lot of debate on Spotify recently; as a young musician, who has an album on there, what are your thoughts on it?
I guess it’s good promotion, it reaches a wider audience for independent artists like myself.
Tell us a bit about the processes you take when writing and recording a song.
It usually starts with a progression, or a melody and just sorta goes from there. I’ll just record whatever melody I have and then start adding stuff onto it until eventually it’s a song.
You record in your bedroom now, hence the name, but can you ever see yourself moving into a professional studio?
Maybe. There are some producers I’d love to work with for sure.
But presumably you still want to maintain your signature sound? Yeah for sure. Your new album will be out in a few months, what can you tell us about it?
I actually have no idea when it’s coming out. I’m trying to get it out on a label. My manger and I have given ourselves sort of like a timeframe to find a label. If I don’t sign, I’ll probably release it independently. Only this time there will be some sort of tour behind it and stuff. It’ll be more legit you know. As far as the record itself goes, I don’t wanna say much. Just that it’s going to surprise a lot of people who’ve been following my music since the beginning. It’s gonna be dope.
We absolutely cannot wait.
To find out more about Noah head to Bedroom’s Bandcamp and Facebook pages.