Granny bought me cigarettes when I was fifteen
When rent came round and times got hard
Daddy taught me how to clip the wings off some green
Sometimes you gotta make your own light in the dark
“Upbringing” by Noah Thompson
Hailing from the hollers of Eastern Kentucky, Noah Thompson learned early on that while life is tough, survival is even tougher.
Growing up in a house where addiction was prevalent meant when it came to necessities, sometimes the ends didn’t always meet. Thompson spent his childhood learning survival and life skills while most others his age were more focused on the books. He did things with his parents that kids probably shouldn’t be doing but all of those experiences built the grit and resilience that is the cornerstone of who he is today. Life was precious, but life was a struggle. It wasn’t about learning the Golden Rule, it was about learning how to survive.
It wasn’t the easiest situation or way of life to break free from but, with a combination of God-given talent and a little bit of luck, Thompson’s road is much brighter today than it was just a few short years ago.
As tumultuous as his childhood home may have been, it was a house flush with music ranging from Ryan Adams to Zakk Wylde to Three Doors Down to David Gray. His love for music came from his father who bought Noah a guitar when he was just 13 years old.
People may be familiar with Thompson as the winner of American Idol Season 20 (2022) and his hit song “One Day Tonight,” but the version of Noah people have seen and heard is incomplete. Now that Thompson has become comfortable with showing all the cards in his hand, he’s determined to introduce everyone to who he was, who he is and who he is becoming.
Driven by his determination to be a great father as well as a great artist, he’s not just content with whatever he can get his hands on. He’s intent on making his own breaks.
These days, Thompson has made a lot of changes in his life, personal and professional. Personally, he’s Dad to 3-year-old son named Walker who is the catalyst for every decision he makes. Professionally, he has taken complete control of his musical career and with two hands on the wheel has started to steer it in a much more honest and vulnerable direction.
If you loved him before, just wait, because his talent and his artistry runs so much deeper than what anyone has been allowed to see…until now.
As a songwriter, Thompson has exploded from not knowing how to write a song just two years ago to not only writing his own songs, he wrote the Luke Combs song “Front Door Famous” that appears on Luke’s 2024 album Fathers & Sons.
As a songwriter, Thompson has found a voice he never knew he had and as a result, his sound has become that much more authentic. Case in point is his new single “Upbringing.” One day in early 2024, he went to his first ever writing session with Josh Dorr and Lalo Guzman and was not feeling all that great about himself. He was in a dark place and was working to pull himself out.
The result of the self-proclaimed therapy session is “Upbringing,” a verbal, hauntingly honest autobiographical account of Noah's life. Serving as his debut song as an independent artist, it's making a big statement both musically as well as personally.
Fully intent on singing songs and cultivating an audience that can relate to his stories, it’s a rebirth. Now a new man with a new beginning and fully in control of his creative path, Thompson is excited about his future.
