From Concertgoer to Headliner: In Conversation with Noah Sties
Photo by Zane Isom
On Friday, January 10th, Songbird had the privilege of chatting with up-and-coming indie-pop artist, Noah Sties.
A twenty-year-old college student based in the Midwest, Sties is making a name for himself through his music and creative social media posts. Having grown up in a small town in Indiana, he credits much of his love for performing and music to being raised in a hyper-creative household. Sties evolved from performing at his church and youth group as a kid to playing shows of his own at venues like the Clyde Theater, where iconic artists like Hozier have performed in the past. Performing at the Clyde Theater (a 2000-cap room) in November 2024, Sties detailed, felt surreal. His most recent performance, at the Brass Rail on December 7th, was fully packed, yet intimate enough for Sties to interact with audience members. However, he explained lightheartedly that the show was for ages twenty-one and up, which meant he had to leave immediately after his set.
Sties at the Brass Rail. Photo by Mark Sties.
Sties, an avid concert-goer and music fan, develops much of his stage presence by mirroring his favorite artists. After seeing his favorite artists like Hippo Campus perform, he quickly learned how he wanted to present himself during his shows. Sties’ stage presence appeared to be so natural that his friends asked where “this part of [him]” had been hiding. He explained that it manifested from the number of shows he had attended, but it seems he is developing a unique stage presence with every show he plays.
Another hidden perk of being a self-declared “fanboy,” as Sties described himself, is connecting with fellow music fans over shared tastes. Sties found a perfect balance of posting about the artists who inspire him while simultaneously promoting his own music. Like many other artists promoting their music on TikTok, he follows marketing trends and applies a strategy of “if you like this artist, you’ll probably like my music as well.” However, Sties took it further, organizing a Role Model lookalike contest in Chicago on December 28th. What started as a silly joke during a fun night with his friends led to him gaining four to five hundred followers on every platform, and several new listeners. Sties emphasized the importance of fans in the music industry, arguing that “the fangirl and fanboy to music industry pipeline is real.”
When asked about his creative and production process, Sties explained that he does every step on his own, in an admittedly unconventional manner. His creative process begins in the shower, where he’ll come up with a melody or lyrics. Then, he moves to his DAW system of choice, Ableton, where he produces the main beat and music for the song. The unconventionality of his production process comes into play when he moves to his car (typically around four in the morning), drives to an empty parking lot, and records his vocals. This simply stems from the fact that Sties lives in an apartment and doesn’t want to disturb his neighbors when he records in the middle of the night. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, his recording process contributes to his brand as a truly do-it-yourself artist, and his authenticity shines through.
Sties’ newest release, “Indiana,” debuted on November 27th, 2024, and was no exception to his DIY production process. A true indie-pop track, the song is written in the style of a love song, but from the perspective of music. “It’s a reminder that if [music] is something I want to do, it’s going to take me packing up everything and leaving,” he explained about the meaning behind “Indiana”. Sties plans to leave Indiana after college to further pursue his career, hopefully relocating to Los Angeles or Nashville to fully immerse himself in the music scene.
Regarding his goals for 2025, Sties hopes to go on a tour of any scale, playing as many shows as possible. He recently announced two upcoming shows on his Instagram page—a house show in Fort Wayne on February 6th, performing alongside shoegaze artists Seventh Cloud and Witches Exist, and an acoustic show at Depaul University on February 16th. Sties also aims to release new music this year, which he hinted at to fans in his TikTok comments. Although he isn’t certain if he will release a full-length album, he assured us that new music is in the works.
As an artist, Sties aims to connect with his listeners personally, exemplified through his posts and interactions with them on his social media. This draws his audience in as they feel less like just another follower and more like friends. Sties explained that he deeply values every one of his listeners, and never wants to seem “too big” of an artist to connect with them.
2025 has a lot in store for Noah Sties, and it’s the perfect time to start listening to his music. For those who value making connections with their favorite artists, Sties is no exception. His passion for music from both a fan and artist standpoint, authenticity in his lyrics and production process, and unique sound make him one to watch this year. If you enjoy artists like Hippo Campus, Dominic Fike, Del Water Gap, or Wallows, you would love Noah Sties. Be sure to keep an eye out for his new releases and show announcements coming in 2025!