August 19, 2024 – Auberry local Noah Rinker has made his big break as a musician recently, being signed on to the major record label Warner Records.
Growing up in a small town of about 3,000 people, Rinker may not have imagined becoming a name known by millions when he first began learning music at the age of four.
But after years of participation in his church’s worship team, lots of writing, and releasing music through social media, that dream is becoming a reality.
That dream first began with a four-year-old boy playing the piano, which he replaced with a guitar not long after.
Unlike many modern artists, he obtained much of his musical knowledge from church hymnbooks. This was a result of growing up going to church at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Auberry, where he still attends today.
This was an interesting start for Rinker, who explained, “there’s a lot of structure in hymns, which actually really helped me along the way in the beginning.”
However, he also ventured out of those hymns and eventually got into a variety of artists and genres such as rock, early 2000s grunge, and 90s country music. One of his favorite songs is John Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses.”
Rinker draws his own musical inspiration from his small town, which is the backdrop on which much of his music is based.
He began writing more music last fall outdoors, influenced by the beautiful scenery and nature that surrounded him.
With this as Rinker’s inspiration, he began posting on Instagram under the handle “noahrinker,” and soon gathered millions of views. At that time, he began to meet with record labels, traveling to places like New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles with his manager Mike Ferri.
Rinker explained, “My goal was to choose a partner who really valued the vision and the direction, and also understood me as a person and where I came from.”
Rinker’s dream was to be signed by Warner Records, who are known for signing popular artists such as Zach Bryan, Green Day, Dua Lipa, and others.
When he first walked into a meeting with them, “it was just immediately apparent that they were the right fit … it’s really cool to start a partnership with the best team in the music business.”
A few meetings later, the label decided to sign him on.
He stated, “There are hundreds of thousands of people that are dreaming to have an opportunity like this, and I’m very honored to be in the position I’m in, with having such a great partner. Together, we’re going to be able to take this project to the next tier, the next level.”
Rinker shared his appreciation for those that got him to being signed by Warner Records, expressing immense gratitude for the people that helped him along his musical journey.
His parents were the first among those he mentioned to have gratitude towards, stating that “I wouldn’t be able to do this if they weren’t behind me, backing my goals.”
He added that working for the family business, Mountain Flame Propane, also gave him the flexibility he needed to pursue music.
He also mentioned Ferri, who has been with Rinker for two years and “is a crucial part of my team,” as well as the Creative Artist Agency, who he also recently signed with.
Going forward, Rinker looks forward to sharing his new EP, After Dark, with his fans, as well as releasing new music in the months ahead. He also is excited for his performances in November 4-6, where he will perform in San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.