Brisbane/Meanjin songwriter Noah Bates debuts nostalgia-driven indie-pop single, 'Coffee in Japan'

Brisbane/Meanjin newcomer Noah Bates has dropped his debut single, ‘Coffee in Japan’, dipping into 80s nostalgia wrapped up in glossy indie-pop.

Drawing inspiration from artists such as Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes, Spacey Jane and The 1975, Noah crafts music that seamlessly blends pop, rock, and indie elements, resulting in a dreamy and colourful vibe.

‘Coffee in Japan’ is a slow-burn, with a simple acoustic strum, delay-heavy guitars flitting in the background, allowing the reverb-soaked vocal of Noah’s to draw you in. It’s all gentle indie-pop cruise, until you get slammed midway by those classic 80s rock drums. Blending in the more post-punk/new wave sounds into this indie-pop unearthed gem was a sly, fun move, breathing life into a track that could of easily have just plodded on. Instead, we get a little less sweetener and bit more bitter in ‘Coffee in Japan’ - a deftly crafted debut from Noah Bates.

Noah explains the writing process behind the debut single.

"This is the first song I've created independently, where I've written, recorded, and produced it all myself. I started the song around eighteen months ago when I came up with the chorus melody and guitar part. From there, it grew naturally, and I added 80s-sounding drums, live bass, and synth pads. Though I sat on the song for several months, fine-tuning and making little changes to try and make it perfect, I eventually realised that perfect might not exist in art,” he said.

“The song explores the idea of fleeting nostalgia and momentary lust while travelling in Japan. I'm really proud of the song, and I'm so excited to share my first single with everyone.”

Noah has just given a small taste of his material in ‘Coffee in Japan’- and expect plenty more to follow.

‘Coffee in Japan’ is out now on all streaming platforms.