New Zealand artist Isla Noon has shared a pair of stripped-back tracks for the latest instalment of Rolling Stone’s ‘In My Room’, a series in which artists perform from home following a couple of years which have seen live shows become a rarity.
It was only last year that Noon shared her debut single, “Summer in August”, but almost immediately, it was clear that she was catching fire, with her slick musical style being complemented by powerful performances and lyrics that felt like they spoke directly to the soul.
Since then, she’s unveiled a few more singles, including “Talk About Us” and “I Need To Go Home”, which arrived just last month. Amazing tracks in every respect, Noon has now celebrated the release of the latter by offering a stripped-back performance for our ‘In My Room’ series, showcasing where she’s come from, and where she’s going.
Joined by Maude on guitar and backing vocals, Noon kicks things off with a rendition of “Summer in August” before giving “I Need To Go Home” a stellar live treatment, and pairing those powerful lyrics with immense passion.
“The song tells the story of a night out where the illusion of a grand ideal is shattered; that moment you sober up to see a girl crying into her drink, the spilled wine all over the floor drying to a sticky sheen and a few lonely souls looking for connection on a dancefloor,” Noon said of the track’s origins.
“More than anything, it’s a metaphor for confronting times in my life where I’ve pulled back the veneer on things I was taught to accept or expected to enjoy. The track speaks to a time where I had no choice but to listen to that inner voice – even if it meant leaving on my own.”
Undoubtedly, both her latest single and this live performance not only prove just how powerful Isla Noon is as a musician and a performer, but that this is just the beginning for her.
Check out Isla Noon’s performance in the player above, or by heading over to Rolling Stone Australia’s Instagram page. In the meantime, her latest single, “I Need To Go Home”, was released last month.
