Musician Nick Noonan is a Maine native and, along with fellow Berklee College of Music alumnus, musical partner, and fiancée, Amy Heidemann, one half of the pop duo Karmin. For the uninitiated, Karmin made a name for themselves by posting a number of covers and original songs on YouTube. One of the videos has been viewed almost 90 million times, while others include guest drummer Questlove of The Roots. The two released the single ‘Brokenhearted‘ in 2012, which peaked at #16 on the Billboard US Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard US Hot Dance Club Songs and was included on their EP, Hello. Their debut studio album, Pulses, was released on March 25th and they recently kicked off the second leg of the accompanying tour.
You can learn more about Karmin by visiting karminmusic.com.
Where were you born?
Old Town, Maine.
How long did you live in Maine?
Until I was 18 years old.
What was your most memorable non-musical job?
Either working at a boxing gym in Boston after college, or working at Old Town Canoe Factory for a summer after freshman year.
What was your most memorable gig?
Probably either Saturday Night Live, or New Year’s Eve last year (Paul McCartney was in the audience and I got to talk to him backstage).
What was your worst gig?
Haha God – there have been a few.
What album or artist has most influenced you as a musician?
Probably the Beatles the most – they’re just at the top of the list. Period.
What’s the one piece of musical equipment you can’t live without?
My mini MIDI keyboard. I use it to produce when we’re on the road.
Any advice for a musician starting out?
Yes! Find your musical lane, and take it over. Work work work.
What’s the origin behind your band name?
Carmen in Latin means song, so we took that and combined it with Karma to get our ‘Karmin’.
What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
Haha good question – it varies. Probably Les Misérables the musical.
Bonus questions:
What was the first album/recording you owned?
Bonified by Bill Watrous.
What are you listening to at the moment?
Pharrell, Kanye, Beyonce, and Coldplay.
Stephen has exhibited his photography in California and throughout New England and served as Associate Director of a Boston-based non-profit overseeing the organization's technology, visual design, social networking, and event planning.
He lives outside of Portland with his wife and two children.
- 10Qs with Mel Stone - September 28, 2017
- 10Qs with Sigrid Harmon of The Asthmatic - August 8, 2017
- 10Qs with Nick Perry of Nick Perry’s Brass Tax - April 4, 2016