With her signature country-infused charm, Noelle Toland has released her new music video for single “You’re an Arrow,” and it’s as heartwarming as it is thoughtful.
The Nashville-based songwriter grew up in the 2,000-person town of North Plains, Oregon, providing her an authentic perspective on small town living often associated with country music. Toland’s upbringing has influenced much of her writing, but her November 20th release, “You’re an Arrow,” takes an even more personal approach to her music. With pleading lyrics like “I need help ‘cause I can’t find my way,” she tells a tale of a young girl asking advice from the person she can rely on most- her mother.
Dedicated to Toland’s mom, the music video pairs her own home videos from her childhood along with modern scenes, highlighting her evolution into the woman she is today. Alongside its heartstring-tugging look into her childhood, the video is well produced with charming scenes of life now and then.
Toland released her debut EP, The Moon Will Pass By, earlier this year, recorded at the famed RCA Studios in Nashville, establishing her dedication to her passion and craft.
We got to chat with Toland to get the inside scoop on the process of making the song and the video, her songwriting path, and much more.
So in a nutshell, what got you into songwriting and made you want to pursue a life of making music in Nashville?
I’ve always been a singer and a writer, but the first time I wrote a whole song was when I was 15 and studying at Berklee College of Music for the summer. Growing up in Oregon, I loved listening to country radio and always gravitated to the stories country music told, so it was a dream of mine to move here and learn how to write songs.
I see your online bio states that you “want to modernize and personalize old-school country music.” What do you mean by that, and how do you plan to pursue that?
One of my favorite eras of country music was the 90’s. I just love songs like “Walkaway Joe,” “Don’t Take the Girl” and “Neon Moon.” With my music, I hope to bring some of that 90’s flavor back, but also color it with my own modern twist. I like to say my style is 90’s country with a little soul, because I just love the dramatic elements of connecting to a song on a visceral level. In fact, in 2024 I will be releasing three covers of some of my favorite ‘90s country songs: “Watermelon Crawl,” “Walkaway Joe” and “It Matters to Me.”
The lyricism is poignant and resonating in your latest single, “You’re an Arrow.” When and how did the idea for the song start?
I wrote “You’re An Arrow” with my friend Tyler Winther. The story of the song was inspired by a Kahlil Gibran poem called “On Children,” in which it posits that when you have children, you are the bows from which your arrows go forth, and you hope they go swift and far. The imagery of an arrow has always resonated with me and I love the metaphors it can convey about life… about how we’re all on our own paths and that we’re made to “fly both high and low.” Gibran was my grandmother’s favorite poet and I hope in some way this song is a gift to her.
The music video for it is beautifully shot. Can you discuss your creative process and how you wanted the video to convey your message? What is that message?
All the credit is due to Lindsey Patkos whom I’ve shot all my videos with. She is amazing. We wanted to tell the story of a girl asking her mother for advice when she feels lost and directionless in a way, so we filmed at a beautifully designed house here in Nashville and then shot the exteriors over at Shelby Park. We filmed there as well for my other music video to my song “Sun Will Rise.” The outside shots feel really freeing and give a sense of openness to the message behind the song.
The idea of putting in clips from home videos came to me about a week before we shot when I asked myself how I could make this video as a gift to my mom. So the videos are for her. She is a big supporter of me and I just know it will make her really happy to relive those moments. The message behind the song is essentially a metaphor for life; we are all on a path, and there are highs and lows, but we can overcome anything that happens to us.
The home videos of you and your mom are really wonderful and definitely tug the heartstrings. Is it emotional to watch those back, and how do you think she’ll react to seeing it?
Oh, man! Yes, I can’t really watch without crying. I think she will be really touched as well. I also feel very vulnerable about putting this out into the world because I’m sharing some of my most intimate and personal moments. But as I mentioned earlier, I created this as a gift for my mom, and if it weren’t for her… well, I wouldn’t be here!
Can fans expect this track to be on an upcoming EP or album?
I plan to release this on an EP with an additional two singles and one acoustic track. So stay tuned!
What does success as a songwriter and musician mean to you?
Success to me as a songwriter and musician means connecting with people and having your work mean something to them. My goal as an artist is to make people feel less alone, and I seek to accomplish that in every way possible. I’ve been through a lot, and I know others have, and I just hope to make art that connects with them.
What’s next for Noelle Toland as we close out this year and forge ahead into 2024?
I’ll be playing a Christmas show at the Hard Rock Café in Nashville on December 3rd at 1PM which I’m super excited about! This is my favorite time of year. I have lots and lots of new music ready to release in 2024 that I can’t wait to share, and I’m thrilled to hit the ground running!
