A few years ago, we introduced you to a brand new rising artist, Noah Hicks, as he was beginning his journey into country music. Today, we caught up with the singer-songwriter yet again to pick up where we left off. The singer is wiser, even more talented, and ready to continue to take the country music world by storm.

Growing up on a chicken farm in Georgia, Hicks recalls always being surrounded by music. “So I grew up a farm boy in a small town. My dad’s side of the family is very musical, so that’s kind of where music really flowed from. My uncles and my cousins all played instruments. Some guitar, some played drums, some sang, some played piano. That’s where the music gene kind of spurred from,” shared the singer.

Hicks grew up playing guitar in church and being on stage; despite, not singing until he was older. Growing up, the singer recalls loving the uptempo vibe of artists like Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan, while also vibing with hip-hop artists like Lil Wayne and T.I.. “I remember being at high school parties with my brother and seeing the reaction to their uptempo vibe,” he shared. “I became just as in love with the fact that music can make you feel a type of way.”

Hicks also credits artists like Rhett Akins and Jason Aldean as early inspirations. Nowadays, he loves artists and songwriters like HARDY, Ernest, and Luke Combs, among many others. “I’m definitely a fan first,” stated the singer. “Now I’m a fan of songwriters, because the songwriters are just as cool as the artists, if not cooler,” he added.

The Turning Point:

“Flash forward to about age 17, a friend of mine was already singing, doing the whole bar gig thing, and I was just playing with him. We were doing acoustic sets, and he called me out to sing, and next thing you know, I start singing, and people started booking me privately myself.”

Hicks started singing and taking his natural talent more seriously, slowly, but surely, making a name for himself in his home state of Georgia. “I started going back and forth to Nashville, doing demos and meeting people, and doing the whole thing, and then January 1st of 2020 is when I made the big move to Nashville, and I haven’t looked back since.”

Since then, Hicks has blended his unique country lyrics with more uptempo sounds that are clearly influenced by his love of hip-hop and rap music. “The cool thing is the only thing that operates hip-hop and country especially with what music is shifting to is just the lyrics. A lot of old hip-hop is drums and stuff like that. I love the shift of where country is going personally. There’s people that are keeping the real western lane open and then you have people leaning into the [other side] and country is getting played in clubs and stuff, which is a huge thing for the genre.”

Today:

Now, Hicks is ready to up the ante in his career. As he continues to crank out more music, the singer continues to show off his growth as a person and as a singer-songwriter. “As I’ve gotten older, I know exactly what I want to do and the kind of music I want to make, and what I have to do to push that narrative. It’s really cool because I was just a hot, fiery, some would say cocky, I say confident kid coming to town. Looking to do the dang thing, and yeah, I guess I’m just more mature and I know myself more, and I’m a better singer, all of it.”

Lately, the singer has been showing off his talents as a duet partner. He recently released a song with Justin Moore called “Dirt Roads Dirt,” and a song called “Second Time Around” featuring rising artist, Shaylen. The latter is a quintessential country song that hits every single time. The push and pull of having a male and female artist combine their talent works effortlessly on this song.

“That song was just another wonderful Nashville day. I was writing with Jessi Alexander and my producer Jeremy Stover, and a guy named Zach Abend, and basically, my producer Jeremy was like, we were writing with Jessi, and she’s a female, and it’s a good opportunity to write a duet. […] Jeremy had the idea for “Second Time Around” and I feel like the song is cool because you can either have had a second time around with someone or you can kind of dream about it too,” shared the singer.

This is just the beginning of this new era of music for Hicks. Fans can anticipate a few more singles coming out before the end of the year. Stay tuned and catch a show near you!

Connect:

To keep up with Noah Hicks, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

“XX” are available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.