Lau Noah

Lau Noah
Lau Noah at the Royal Albert Hall
Lau Noah at the Royal Albert Hall
Background information
Born (1994-02-11) February 11, 1994
Reus, Spain
GenresFolk, classical, jazz, Spanish folklore
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals, piano
Years active2014–present
Websitehttps://www.launoahmusic.com

Lau Noah (born February 11, 1994) is a Spanish singer, instrumentalist, and composer. She has been noted for a musical approach combining singing and counterpoint, chordal guitar-playing, with the Recording Academy describing her as "a musical polymath."[1] She was the first Catalan artist to perform on NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert series.[2] Her first LP contains collaborations with artists such as Jacob Collier, Jorge Drexler, Chris Thile, and Cécile McLorin Salvant.[3]

Biography

Early life

Lau Noah was born in Reus, Catalonia, and took music lessons throughout her childhood. During her adolescence, she played the pipe organ at church and performed her original songs in several small cities across Catalonia, and as a teen, she began writing songs for voice and piano. She has cited the soundtracks of Disney films as a significant early influence.

Career

Noah studied music at an early age in the Centre de Lectura de Reus and later at the Vila-seca Conservatori of Music. At age 17, she moved to a musicians residence in Begues, Baix Llobregat county, Barcelona. Two years later, in 2013, she recorded an unreleased demo entitled Wolves. The recording marked her first experience with music production and included a collaboration with drummer Jorge Rossy.

At 19, Noah relocated to New York City after securing a nanny position through an online platform. She arrived with $100 and worked various jobs while performing regularly at local venues, including The Bitter End and Rockwood Music Hall. In February 2016, she started teaching herself to play the guitar.

In the following years, Noah started posting videos to Facebook of her performances of her guitar compositions. These videos were noticed by musicians such as pianist Larry Goldings, who organized a private performance for Noah in his Los Angeles home. The event was attended by artists that included Jesse Carmichael of Maroon 5 and producer Blake Mills, leading to increased visibility within underground music circles.

In February 2019, Lau performed a solo set for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert.[4] Billboard Magazine wrote about the performance: "Lau Noah enchants music lovers one song at a time."[5] Bob Boilen, the creator of the series, said: "There's a magical aura that surrounds Lau Noah. She writes these thought-provoking song-stories that captured my heart."[6]

Later that year, Noah played piano and guitar on the TV show Little Voice, created by Sara Bareilles.[7]

During the COVID pandemic of 2020, Lau was noticed by musicians including Jacob Collier, Gavin Degraw, Phoebe Bridgers, and Moses Sumney, among others, thanks to the videos she posted on Instagram performing her songs.

Lau self-released her first EP, titled 3, in June 2021.[8] It was a compilation of original songs on guitar and voice.

In July 2021, Noah was invited to perform with Jacob Collier at the Blue Note in NYC. Later that year, Noah performed a solo tour in Spain, France, Germany, and Switzerland. In 2022, Lau performed alongside pop star Gavin Degraw at Bethel Woods, the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival.

Lau went on tour with Macarthur Grant awardee Chris Thile in the fall of 2022, opening his shows in Europe and, in early 2023, opened for Americana band Nickel Creek in the UK.[9]

On May 19, 2023, Noah released the first single of her album, featuring Jacob Collier. The song called "If a tree falls in love with a river" amassed over 400,000 streams on Spotify within the first week of release.[Citation needed]

In the fall of 2023, she opened for Ben Folds in the UK,[10] performing at the Royal Albert Hall and other notable venues, receiving standing ovations and leading the audience in two-part harmony. When the tour was suddenly cancelled because of Folds’ health issues, Noah took to social media and turned to her fans, who helped organize a headlining tour within three days, spanning over 10 dates in several locations in Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Lau Noah turning the audience into a choir

Noah released her first LP, A Dos,[11] on 12 January 2024, receiving positive coverage in the media, featuring Grammy winner Gaby Moreno, mandolinist Chris Thile, Goya awards winner Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Jacob Collier, flamenco singer Ángeles Toledano, ECM favorite Shai Maestro, Academy Award recipient Jorge Drexler, Eurovision winner Salvador Sobral, and Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz first-prize winner Cécile McLorin Salvant.

Throughout January and February 2024, Noah was on the cover of Performer Magazine[12] and was featured in several music publications and podcasts including NPR's New Sounds,[13] WBGO's Third Story podcast[14] and Recording Academy's Global Spin.[15] The user-based website Album of the Year rated Noah’s duet with Collier 100%,[16] and the full record a rating of 86%.

In March 2024, Noah became a finalist in the American Songwriter song contest.[17]

Award-winner Jamie Cullum spoke about Noah's record, and played it on his BBC radio show in March 2024.[18]

Noah has spoken about creativity at events including Brown University and various music festivals and conservatories.[19] (Cork international guitar festival 2019, Connecticut Guitar festival 2018, St Louis Classical guitar conservatory 2020, Escuela Superior de Música creativa de Madrid 2020, Taller de Musica de Barcelona 2024).

Discography

  • 3 - Lau Noah (2021)
  • A Dos - Lau Noah (2024)
  • The Way Under - Adam Neely & Lau Noah (2025)

References

  1. ^ "Global Spin: Lau Noah Acknowledges Her Weaknesses In This Acoustic Performance Of "Lesser Men Would Call It Love" | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  2. ^ "Lau Noah". Royal Artist Group. 2025-08-07. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  3. ^ "Lau Noah Releases New Album 'A DOS'". Shore Fire Media. 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  4. ^ Boilen, Bob (11 February 2019). "Lau Noah Tiny Desk Concert". NPR.
  5. ^ "Lau Noah on Billboard Magazine". Billboard.
  6. ^ Boilen, Bob (11 February 2019). "Bob Boilen on Lau Noah". NPR.
  7. ^ "Little Voice Apple TV".
  8. ^ "3, by LAU NOAH". LAU NOAH. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  9. ^ "Nickel Creek + Lau Noah".
  10. ^ "Lau Noah on tour with Ben Folds".
  11. ^ "Lau Noah album release".
  12. ^ "Lau Noah Cover Story".
  13. ^ "Lau Noah New Sounds NPR".
  14. ^ "WBGO Lau Noah".
  15. ^ "Lau Noah Grammy.com".
  16. ^ "Album of the year review Lau Noah".
  17. ^ "Lau Noah finalist of American Songwriter". 8 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Jamie Cullum talks about Lau Noah".
  19. ^ "Lau Noah at Brown University".
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