Noaa Rienecker

press kit

“Superbly sings his heart out” - Divide and Conquer Music

Noaa Rienecker was adrift, and the romance of it was burning out like a wet cigarette. Though he stood (unsteadily), among the distinguished ranks of Berklee School Of Music dropouts, he had little to show for himself but busking chops, some real bad habits, and a calloused, international hitchhiker’s thumb. But in the drifting he picked up some things no school could proffer - drinking in the old spirit of jazz in New Orleans and the crooked beauty of fiddle tunes in Texas, learning to make his sandwich money by improvising poetry on a vintage typewriter for strangers on street corners all over the world.

Now after a few crash landings and false starts, his debut album, In The Language Of Dreams, is set for release on June 21st, 2024. It’s a record about reluctantly coming to terms with a painful and baffling world, about knowing one needs to change but not being ready. With serious songwriting chops, a dark, wry sense of humor and a healthy dose of absurdity, Noaa delivers a cutting, honest snapshot of life in a moment of transition. The music shows its broad American roots in both instrumentation and tone, pulling as much from the jazz and poetry traditions as it does from country music and rock. It’s music for romantics, for the wounded and the odd and the curious.

Produced by Bay Area jazzer Dillon Vado (Art Lande, Marcus Shelby, Heart Matter), who also plays drums on the record, In The Language Of Dreams is a masterfully arranged work of Americana. Recorded in Austin, Texas with high skill and a low to nonexistent budget, it features pedal steel work by Bruce Kaphan (REM, Jewel, Black Crowes, John Lee Hooker) and Lee Martin (Feeding Leroy), as well as bass work from Jason Hallyburton, fiddle by Laura Liem (Feeding Leroy), and background vocals from Amy Dabalos (Heart Matter). True to Noaa’s acoustic roots, the album’s sound shuns overproduction, seeking the organic and the clear over the enhanced and the overarranged.

In 2024, Noaa was a finalist in NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, and was featured with the top 45 entrants in their Top Shelf series. As a sideman, Noaa has worked with artists such as country singer/songwriter Margo Cilker, Austin psych queen Betty Benedeadly, and Minnesota songwriters Feeding Leroy. Noaa now lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, three dogs, and four horses.