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 A
gritty, working class city outside of Boston, Brockton
is best known as where legendary fighters the late Rocky
Marciano and Marvin Hagler grew up. Unlike Detroit,
Memphis, New Orleans or Philly, Brockton doesn’t spring
to mind when name checking soul music’s breeding
grounds. Yet it’s there that 24 year-old Noel Gourdin
first fell under R&B’s spell and his hometown’s tenacity
is the force behind his stunning Sony Urban Music/Epic
Records debut.
Blessed with roughhewn, down-home vocals that hark back
to when rhythm and blues repped for both those
components, influences ranging from hip-hop to gospel
and songs that are nakedly emotional and truthful, Noel
Gourdin states his case on his refreshingly heartfelt
debut CD. Featuring production from Kay Gee (Jaheim/Zhané),
Raphael Saadiq (D’Angelo/Angie Stone), Mike City
(Brandy/Sunshine Anderson), Dre & Vidal (Jill Scott),
Butta (Usher),
Eddie F (Heavy D), RLES and Trackaddix, Noel’s debut
release is soul at its best. Speaking to the vibe he
offers, Noel divulges, “It’s about the emotions of the
average man. My intention is putting my feelings on the
track and leaving everything I've got in the recording
booth. I want people to think; this is a man that you
can feel. That you can slow dance with, have a drink
with and cry with. It’s real music that affects your
life.”
That’s apparent
on the richly moving “The River.” Produced by Kay Gee,
“The River” conjures up vivid images of family, faith,
tradition and the journey towards becoming your own man.
“I had a track, and Noel and his co-writer [Balewa] said
they wanted something that sounded like an old-styled
ballad,” recalls Kay Gee of their seamless creative
process. “I said, `Well, I have the perfect beat for
you.’ So, I gave them the beat and they were like,
`Alright…bet.’ Before I knew it, they had written `The
River,’ which is a great record. A lot of people are
scared to do one of those kinds of songs right now, so I
think they took a chance and came up with something
great.” “We wanted to make a modern-day Negro
spiritual,” concludes Noel, of the song’s inspiration.
“Both my grandparents lived in Mississippi about 3 hours
from Biloxi and I spent every summer with them, so I
really soaked up that atmosphere and history. My
grandfather had just died and I was really thinking
about him, and in the Deep South the river represents
something spiritual. The song means a lot because it’s
so close to home.”
Emotions also
guide the jazzy “Hurts Like Hell”, produced by
Trackaddix. “That’s a real pride record. He still loves
her but it’s not working out. A lot of fellows wont
admit it, but after they’ve broken up they say, `She’s
not gonna see me crying.’ That’s real.” So too is the
sultry “Summertime,” produced by Dre & Vidal. Featuring
lines like “Just cause it’s cold outside/let’s make it
summertime,” this is a soft and wet ode that Noel calls
“just crazy. In some ways the vibe reminds me of `Let’s
Get It On.’” There’s also a hint of a more contemporary
singer – namely, D’Angelo -- and Noel acknowledges the
influence. “I hear the comparison; our voices are
similar but you can tell us apart. I get inspiration
from a lot of artists: Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke. There’s
also a real big Prince undertone. I just filter it all
through my own way of seeing things and hopefully come
up with something hot.” Hot also describes the up-tempo
“Clap 4 That,” produced by Butta. “That’s a `have fun
party record’ that I loved doing it.”
The youngest of three kids, Noel grew up singing in
church and fully absorbed his father’s classic soul and
older brother’s New Jack Swing records. From Otis
Redding and the Chi-Lites to Teddy Riley and Jodeci,
Noel loved it all, so much so that in middle school he
had begun to write his own songs, drawing from what he’d
heard coming up. “Listening to so much music from so
many different eras really helped me put my style
together.”
By high school,
Noel was performing in local talent shows, parties and
events sponsored by the city. “We’d always keep it true,
trying to put it down for the home town,” he fondly
recalls. “It was a pleasure performing in Brockton. I
did shows for the Boys and Girls Club to help keep the
kids motivated.” It was also while in school that Noel
hooked up with a local producer, who sensing his talent
took Noel to a small studio. While the recording
facilities might have been modest, the pay off was
enormous as Noel recalls: “I had somewhere to get the
music off my chest and after a year I had a bunch of
tracks together, doing all the music and writing all the
lyrics.”
Following graduation, Noel focused even more on music
and further strengthened his commitment to his community
by working at a local group home for battered kids. “It
was a passion of mine, being able to affect a kid’s life
and trying to be a positive role model.” By 2002, Noel
and Stalin Entertainment owner Larry “Lucky” Fernandes
had built their business relationship and sealed their
artist management deal with a handshake. After a year of
writing and producing new songs -- following a club date
in Providence, RI -- Lucky introduced the Noel project
to producer/artist Tommy Olivera, who, with songwriter
Balewa Muhammad, now make up Noel’s production team.
Tommy also had a wide range of industry contacts, among
them former Naughty By Nature DJ / producer Kay Gee, who
is best known for his production work for Jaheim, Zhané
and Next. Within no time, Noel was working with Kay Gee
at his New Jersey studio. In 2004, Kay Gee asked him to
contribute a song to The Cook Out soundtrack; Noel cut
“Family Reunion,” which by his own admission signaled a
new musical direction. “Working with everyone had really
opened up my horizons and I started looking at concepts
and listening to music in a different way. I wanted to
come up with something that wasn't out there.” With that
in mind, Noel kept writing and amassed close to an
album’s worth of material, which he and his team sent
out to taste-makers in the music industry. He also met
with label executives, which resulted in an introduction
to Sony Urban Music’s V.P. of A&R, Chad Elliott in June
2005. Armed with a slew of tracks, including early
versions of “Hurts Like Hell” and “The River,” Noel
caught Elliot’s ear and by the end of the summer a
showcase was set up for the young singer/songwriter. By
the fall of that year, Noel was offered a record deal.
“Getting signed was unbelievable. I’m very family
oriented, so to be able to make them proud meant
everything to me. Plus, I think my deal showed other
Brockton musicians that it’s not just a pipe dream.”
That dedication
comes through on Noel’s emotionally-stirring debut CD,
something his seasoned producers recognized early on and
played up. “I know a lot of people say this, but I think
he’s just a breath of fresh air [right now],” explains
Kay Gee. “I think the fact that we haven’t heard singers
like him in a while, mixed with the sound of his
falsetto, lets us know that there’s something missing in
the music industry right now. I think there’s a lane
open for his sound.” Raphael Saadiq wholeheartedly
agrees, adding, “Noel’s a young soul who can sing in all
kinds of different areas. He’s from Mississippi but
lives out in Boston, so he’s bringing a certain flavor
from both places. His style is really soulful. He’s very
competitive and cool, but also has that energy that you
need out there in the urban world.” Asked to describe
his soulful collection and Noel straightforwardly
replies, “It’s emotional and vulnerable, but still
strong and secure. More than anything, I wanted to make
music that was real, relatable…and timeless.”
Biography
courtesy of
ThinkTank Marketting
Noel Gourdin Videos
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Noel Gourdin
