There aren't a lot of headlining musicians who have to perform with Xs on the back of their hands, but then again there aren't a lot of musicians like Hayes Noble.
Since moving to Spokane last year, the 19-year-old has made waves with his brand of shoegaze-y punk — squeezing layers and layers of fuzzy noise rock into each mile-a-minute song while also creating melodic moments during which listeners can proverbially catch their breath — and his championing of all-ages shows.
"Youth experiencing art and music is really important, especially for kids who didn't excel in sports or weren't great in school. Because if they don't have something to get involved in, like the music scene, they'll become jaded," Noble says.
Noble grew up in Galena, Illinois (claim to fame: Ulysses S. Grant lived there before he became president), and he's been surrounded by music his entire life thanks to his father Brett, who has played in various bands for 30 years.
BoomJam Fest, Sept. 21
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Outside of his own home, Noble says there wasn't a lot going on music-wise in Galena, so when he picked up the guitar and started writing his own songs, he turned to the best drummer he knew — his dad — and started jamming. Noble's now 16-year-old brother Everett eventually learned bass so he could join them.
"What was originally supposed to be a temporary deal until I found other kids to play with just ended up fitting pretty well," Noble says.
While still in high school, Noble released his debut album Head Cleaner in May 2023. Just a couple months after its release, his mother got a job in Spokane and moved to town. His dad and sister Corrina followed, along with Everett, who is currently a student at Lewis and Clark High School.
Originally planning to attend community college outside of Chicago, Noble decided it made more sense to join his family in Spokane. So to celebrate Head Cleaner and make their way to their new homebase, the Noble family embarked on a tour which ended with their first local gig at Baby Bar in August 2023.
Even before the start of that tour, Noble had already finished recording his sophomore album, As It Was, As We Were. After an album release show at nYne in June, the family band hit the road for a 24-date tour in support of the new record. Noble feels this release is more cohesive than Head Cleaner, the result of a concerted effort to sit down and write an album.
"It's definitely concept-y," he says. "I was writing what I was going through at the time. I'd just graduated high school. I ended a relationship. I was moving out of my hometown. The lyrics are a lot about growing up, getting out, moving on."
Back in Spokane, Noble is halfway through the audio engineering program at Spokane Falls Community College. After graduation, he plans to go to a four-year college, potentially for teaching music, government or history. A teacher's schedule is ideal for touring, he says, with summers and weekends off, plus spring and winter breaks.
In the meantime, Noble is focused on writing his next album with hopes of recording in the winter. He's also, of course, encouraging young kids interested in starting a band to do just that. Grab some friends and some instruments and play. Young musicians, he says, are welcome to message him for help.
"The hashtag on Instagram is #SpokaneDoesntSuck," he says. "As an outsider, I see it as you've got great bands, you've got a super supportive scene. I think we're on the brink of something really cool."
