Aussie Roots Meets American Blues: Get To Know Featured Artist Blake Noble

Aussie Roots Meets American Blues:
Get To Know Featured Artist Blake Noble

From the land Down Under, Australian musician Blake Noble captivates audiences with his combination of percussive guitar played simultaneously with the ancient Australian didgeridoo.

While Noble has been touring for 10 years now, his talent for transcending genres has rapidly gained attention while opening for Marcus Eaton, Alan White, The John Butler Trio and more. Next month, he’s making a stop in Downtown Bellevue for the 15th Annual Bellevue Jazz & Blues Music Series. The Blake Noble Band will perform live on June 4 at Meydenbauer Center Theatre as a featured artist in the five-day music series.

As we look forward to his concert, get to know more about his future goals, new projects and why he's excited to perform in Downtown Bellevue.

You've previously performed in Downtown Bellevue. Are you excited to be back?

I’ve been playing the BDA’s Bellevue Beats Summer Concerts for years. My band and I are honored to be performing for the first time as part of the Bellevue Jazz and Blues Music Series. I want to be able to showcase Australian music to an appreciative audience and offer something unique and original to the local music scene. My favorite part about performing is sharing Australian Aboriginal culture through the didgeridoo and talking to the audience about the cultural significance behind the instrument. This will be our first time playing at Meydenbauer Center Theatre and we’re really looking forward to bringing some Aussie roots music back to Downtown Bellevue.

How has COVID-19 impacted your career overall?

There weren’t any live gigs for a long time, and you really miss that as a performer. It was also a hard time financially too. I had to move back to the Yakima area and work my day job to continue paying my bills. It was a terrifying time for most artists because we didn’t have a way to make money. While some artists were fortunate to write during the pandemic, I just couldn’t find any inspiration to do much, and for a while, I felt terrible that I wasn’t creating new songs. At one point, I read an article about how just because we were in lockdown and suddenly had all this free time doesn’t mean we were obligated to solve our biggest issues. I just kept working my day job until we could finally get back to a place where events were the norm again.

What have been your favorite shows or festivals to perform at so far?

My favorite show was Walla Walla, WA’s The Gentlemen of the Road Tour put on by the Foo Fighters and Mumford and Sons a few years back. It was amazing to be around those bands and perform for those who came to see them. Also, Chinook Fest is always a favorite of ours.

Any new projects coming up you’d like to highlight?

I’m playing guitar for a new band called Thunder Honey. We’ve been writing new original songs for the last year and have a few shows lined up for this summer. I’m looking forward to each performance because it’s not my typical style of music. It’s always fun to step outside the box once in and while.

What are your future goals as a musician?

My future goal as a musician is just to keep playing for as long as possible. Success to me means being able to perform original music to people who really enjoy it. In the far future, it would be awesome to team up and collaborate with other Australian artists in the U.S. and continue to share Aussie music to the world.

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Craving more? From June 1-5, the Bellevue Jazz & Blues Music Series will showcase 25+ live performances at 11 different venues across Downtown Bellevue, with over 17 free shows. See our 2022 all-star lineup of musicians and discover your next favorite artist!

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