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Courtney Noe isn't "Reckless" about her forthcoming EP

The lyrics to “Reckless” paint a vivid picture of a conversation between Noe and a past partner, who can’t seem to let her move on. It’s a common story, but Noe’s admission that her love for him is just as reckless as his treatment of her emotions is the message that sets this apart from most stories. While the gritty honesty pours out in every line, the track itself remains calm and restrained. The percussions never overpower, and the synths act as tasty sonic garnishes, adding the final touch to a trap-blended pop number. Where we’d expect to hear snarling, there is tender crooning, with Noe’s mature vocals holding their ground. -Valeria Kolomiets (Earmilk)

Portland’s Ice Queen Tackles Her Next Chapter

With her debut record Invisible Crown, Courtney Noe’s vocal and lyrical skills were on full throttle. Embracing a classic Motown pop vibe through its five tracks, Invisible Crown gave us the perfect introduction to the rural Oregon native. However, diving into the pieces of her forthcoming sophomore EP, Bad Attitude, it's clear that our first glimpse of her ability was only the tip of the iceberg.

Developed over the span of two and a half years, Bad Attitude takes on whole new levels of sound that Invisible Crown never got to explore. With its fingers in rock, synthpop, Motown and trap, the final product is an EP that not only continues to show Noe’s lyrical and vocal ability, but her versatility in music and ability to experiment with sound while still producing a cohesive record. -Bren Swogger (Vortex Music Magazine)

Courtney Noe releases ‘Woman on the Prowl’, the first single from her sophomore EP

After seeing the singer play a set at GirlFest in 2017, I was wondering where she went and what she was up to. The catchy new song is a sex-positive pop-rock anthem, with Noe embodying a wildcat who's on the hunt for a one-night stand. -Jenni Moore (The Portland Mercury)

#TuesdayTunes: A Review of Courtney Noe’s “Woman On The Prowl”: She Played Her Cards Right

“Woman On The Prowl” is an unapologetically sex-positive track that narrates Noe’s desire for a one-night stand while at a bar. Much like her message of encouraging women to assert their agency, especially sexually, her raw-edged, cutting vocals are equally assertive, telling listeners “I walk in the bar and I pick you out/ ‘Cause I know what I want and I have no doubts.” Her rich, full tone and the pulsing synths, in contrast with more stripped-down moments where she belts in her higher register, gives the song the right amount of sex-appeal and mystery. -Anna Sejuelas (The Crush)

PRESS PHOTOS

BIOGRAPHY

QUICKIE

PERSONALITY: If Wednesday Addams, Chelsea Handler and Cher had a baby.

1990: Born. Only child. Grew up in forest. Could often be found playing outside & imagining or in room, singing.

Was in 4-H (sewing) for 9 years. Designs and makes her own stage costumes. And masks during the 2020 pandemic.

2009: High school Valedictorian. Full ride to college. 

2016: Self-releases debut EP, ‘Invisible Crown’.

2019: Self-releases sophomore EP, “Bad Attitude”

2021: Heads out on first tour, all DIY by Noe. Recording. Constantly saying WTF just happened.

2022: Moves to LA.

Obsessed with corgis. Constant Resting Bitch Face. HBIC. Quick witted. Sassy.  Sunscreen obsessed. Seamstress. Slow but steady runner. Can’t cook and doesn’t want to learn. Cares about the environment. LOVE IS LOVE. BLACK LIVES MATTER.

THE NITTY GRITTY

Powerhouse vocals, risqué lyrics, self designed & constructed costumes dripped in sequins have earned Courtney Noe comparisons to boundary-pushing pop divas like Christina Aguilera and Lady Gaga. With two self-released EPs under her belt, Noe’s song catalog ranges from undeniably catchy pop-rock anthems to soulful, Motown melodies and dreamy, R&B ballads. While her music transcends any one genre or category, her lyrics are anchored by a unifying theme: to celebrate being the weirdo, the misfit, and most importantly, being exactly who you are, unapologetically.

After a 3 year hiatus, Courtney Noe is back, in Barbie pink nonetheless. You could say it's the end of an era, but her “resting bitch face” never fails to bring it all together. Don’t get too comfortable, this release is just a brief intermission from her classic black. 

Between the pandemic, her paralyzing perfectionism (shout out to her therapist for helping her work through that) and the pace of others, it’s been 3 years since Noe dropped her sophomore EP, Bad Attitude. 

She’s back with a vengeance with the release of her single, You Can Have Him, an undeniably catchy pop/rock tune, brashly telling the story of when Noe discovered her unknowing participation in a love triangle, one with the other woman being a personal acquaintance.

The song is a fresh take on the perils of dating. Noe, a proud feminist, wanted to let it be known that being a feminist and fighting for equality, doesn't mean you have to like everyone equally. 

“I’m an equal opportunity asshole,” states Noe, as the song calls out both the naivety and disillusions of the other woman and the top-tier narcissism of the man.

Noe is an only child who grew up in a remote, woodsy part of the Oregon Coast. She spent her days writing and singing into her Playskool cassette player that was eventually upgraded to a karaoke machine. Her dad was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when she was very young, so she and her mom took on the labor-intensive tasks that come with living in the middle of nowhere – like hiking up to the water tank to fix a pipe that had been smashed open by an elk. The experience left a mark: “When people ask me to go on hike I'm like thanks, but I've already done my time in nature," she says. But it also shaped her in other ways, cultivating in her from an early age, independence, authenticity, imagination and a work ethic to be reckoned with. 

Her live performances feature multiple costume-changes, choreography, video graphics and intricate musical transitions. Noe doesn’t just want to put on show—she wants fans to have an experience. “Fashion is a part of that experience. The visual story is just as important as the sonic one," she says.

Her adoration of personal style started early. She joined a 4-H sewing club at the age of nine and stuck with it through her senior year of high school. During that time she went on to win County and State Champion awards for her self-made garments.

“I’m quiet. I like to hang back and observe. So for me, instead of telling people about myself, I just express who I am through clothes.” From barely-there latex shorts to sequin bodysuits, she designs and sews much of her stage wardrobe.

Upon graduating high school as class Valedictorian, she left her tiny, one-stoplight town, for college in the biggest city in Oregon, keeping her dreams of selling out Madison Square Garden to herself. “I’m from a small town and was always the black sheep, but I never really noticed I was the “misfit” because I was in my own world.”

Noe always knew she had a voice in her but realized she needed help getting it out. “I was sitting my apartment one day and was just like “What the fuck am I doing? No one is going to come knocking on my door offering me a music career.” So she Googled vocal coaches in her area, scheduled a lesson, cut the “L” off of her middle name and deemed herself “Courtney Noe”, at least for stage purposes. The federal government still summons her by her birth name. Always slow out the gate, they are.

Her first single, “Invisible Crown,” has been played during multiple Trail Blazers games and she has performed at the Boulder International Film Festival, GIRLFEST NW, Portland Women’s Expo, Mississippi Studios, Dante’s, and Holocene in Portland, Oregon, as well as Rockwood Music Hall and Bar 9 in New York City in addition to appearing on “Live at 7” on KGW (NBC).

Courtney Noe self released her sophomore EP, ‘Bad Attitude’ on September 13, 2019. She partnered with renowned soul and funk producer, Tony Ozier.