Noah Bates talks late-night studios and the confessional pop behind ‘Lying Eyes’
Noah Bates is the kind of artist whose world is easy to get lost in. Born in the Netherlands and now based in Brisbane, he has spent years honing a sound that blends dreamy pop with confessional honesty.
A self-producing studio rat, Bates thrives on late-night creative bursts, sold-out shows, and the simple joys of good music, good people, and good food. With a talent for turning personal experiences into songs that feel larger than life, he’s an artist to watch as he fully embraces his sound and unique vision.
HAPPY: What’d you get up to today?
NOAH BATES: Today was a bit of a mixed bag, I was catching up on sleep, attempting to clean my studio and hanging out with the family.
We’re getting ready for the holidays to kick in and for work to shut down for a few weeks, so it’s been a nice reset day.
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you’re from, and what you love about it!
NOAH BATES: I’m based in the beautiful Brisbane City, it’s a great place to be a creative because everyone you know, also knows another creative so it’s very easy to connect and find your people.
I was originally born in The Netherlands and spent the majority of my childhood and early teenage years there before my family moved back home.
HAPPY: Can you tell us about the moment the core idea for ‘Lying Eyes’ clicked into place?
NOAH BATES: Lying Eyes really started to click for me once I got to the late night studio delusion where I just kept throwing paint at the canvas to get the ball rolling.
I think the combination of being so tired and so excited once the picture started forming is what made it finally click.
HAPPY: The song deals with deceit in a broken relationship. Was it difficult to write about such a personal theme and what was the songwriting process like?
NOAH BATES: My songs usually start as chords and a melody before any real words decide to show up.
With this one, It was humming the chorus and forming the lyrics from the jumble that just kind of spilled out.
After that, it was about building around the feeling and writing what made sense in my mind and my experience.
HAPPY: The lyric suggests “we don’t always try to fix the things we break.” What do you hope listeners take away from that message?
NOAH BATES: I hope people feel seen, when you start noticing the cracks sometimes it’s easier to watch them grow rather than try and fix it.
HAPPY: As a self-producing artist, what part of the production process are you most passionate about?
NOAH BATES: I love almost the entire process up until that last 3% where I can’t tell if I’m making the mix better or worse with all the tiny tweaks.
But my favourite part is when the song starts to come alive, when the vision stops being only in my head and actually starts becoming real.
HAPPY: You just launched your live band show to a sold-out audience. What was the energy like in that room, and how does performing live compare to studio work for you?
NOAH BATES: I love the energy and excitement that comes with performing live.
The room definitely threw that energy back at us, and it’s always a great experience even when the little things go wrong.
The stage and the studio are two completely different beasts.
I love the freedom of the studio because I’m definitely a studio rat and could happily spend weeks locked in one without seeing the sun, but I don’t think a crowd would appreciate that same at a concert.
HAPPY: From ‘Coffee In Japan’ to ‘Lying Eyes,’ how do you feel you’ve evolved as an artist in the last two years?
NOAH BATES: I think I’ve grown a lot in confidence and skill over the last two years, and hopefully i’ve matured a bit.
I feel ‘Coffee in Japan’ was my first attempt at figuring out what I wanted my sound to be, and now with ‘Lying Eyes,’ I feel like I’m leaning closer into who I am as an artist.
It’s more intentional, more honest, and definitely a lot bigger.
HAPPY: If you could collaborate with any one of your musical icons, who would it be and why?
NOAH BATES: Definitely The 1975. They’re absolute masterminds at reinventing themselves and bending genres while still sounding completely authentic.
Their production style and writing would drag me into some unhinged creative territory in the best possible way.
I think we’d make something incredibly fun, weird, and huge.
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy? :-)
NOAH BATES: Being in the studio makes me ridiculously happy, I love getting lost in sounds for days, it feels like a home away from home.
That and eating way too much food while I’m doing it.
Good music, good people and good food is my happy place.
