Photo by: Maegan Gindi
John Noble Barrack kicks off a new era of genre blending genius with his new single, ‘Salem.’ A simple acoustic guitar intro immediately draws us in, and then is followed up by heart wrenching lyrics written by a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. The articulated words, “Tears come well, but hell is worth my while” embody the timeless act of selfless and sacrificial love. He demonstrates beautifully tragic self sacrifice in a love where his partner is not capable or willing to put in the same effort. John’s breathtaking use of storytelling through relating his choice to stay in a relationship that is putting him through hell to committing a crime as prevalent as the Salem witch trials is true testament to his natural songwriting abilities and his true talent for capturing conflicting emotions and crafting them into his art.
“The stakes seemed to be life and death at the time. Funny how our brains work sometimes, right? That’s why I added the metaphor to the Salem Witch Trials. Another life and death situation where guilt was assigned upon the innocent. The only difference is that in this situation, I was asking for the guilt.” – John Noble Barrack
The production on ‘Salem’ slowly builds throughout the track in the same way, that seemingly small interactions can add up in a relationship, for the better or for the worse. The entrance of John’s soft vocals are sure to give audiences alike instantaneous goosebumps. Background vocals slowly get louder and louder throughout the track, this could be representative of other people’s opinions regarding this toxic relationship he has found himself in. The song comes to a close as he settles on the fact that, at least for now, her love is enough restitution for him to endure the hell she’s putting him through.
“This song is not about a healthy mental place. It comes from when I saw blame on me as the right solution to other people’s problems, whether or not they were actually about me. This is a time capsule for myself. It exists so that I can come back to that moment with older, wiser eyes and hopefully witness how much I’ve grown.” John explains.
Photo by: Maegan Gindi
The Brooklyn-based folk/rock singer-songwriter has appeared on stage in New York City, Saratoga Springs, NY, Martha’s Vineyard, MA, and Savannah, Georgia– all while writing his first four singles, appearing on TV twice (Bull; The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and navigating a thankfully waning laundry list of day jobs.
John Noble Barrack is also a man of great athletic ability with a heart of gold, and has raised money through biking and running for cancer research, and has given his time to amazing charities that benefit many important causes.
Charities John Noble Barrack has been involved in include the Pan Mass Challenge, where he raised over $10,000 in 2020 and biked 190 miles for cancer research – he has run in races such as the Boston Olympic Triathlon, Oceanside Half Ironman, NYC Central Park and Far Rockaway triathlon and has raised money for nonprofits such as National Disability Theater and The Actors Fund. Barrack has most recently become heavily involved in The Theater Offensive, whose mission is to present liberating art by, for, and about queer and trans people of color that transcends artistic boundaries, celebrates cultural abundance, and dismantles oppression.
Below you can get to know John Noble Barrack a little better –
Tell us about how you got into music.
It’s a bit of a sad one: My dad passed away on Christmas Eve, 2019 after a 4 year battle with Sarcoma Cancer. He fought like hell, he was the toughest person I knew, and yet something somehow beat him. We had a relatively inconsistent relationship- never 100% understanding each other (I take after my mum’s side a lot more), so to mourn and still have unanswered questions about him was confusing as hell. I included the year he passed away because of course the ensuing Spring, I got more than plenty of time to sit with it all at home (where he passed). I’d lost a lot to the pandemic, so I had to externalize my thoughts somehow. I’d always played guitar and sang, but I now had more to say than ever before. So I wrote and wrote and wrote.
Who are some role models who have shaped you as a person and your music?
I’ve been shaped musically by Hozier, Phoebe Bridgers, The Ballroom Thieves, and Leon Bridges. As a person, I owe a lot to my parents and siblings (one older brother and one younger sister).
How did you get involved in your charity work?
A lot of it was spurred on by my dad’s illness, but the initial spark came when a few friends and I were running a spartan race. We wanted to put some better purpose behind the race than “look at us being athletic”. We wanted to do this for something greater than ourselves and either raise money for a cause or at the very least spread the word about what some of these nonprofits do. Since then, we’ve always run a race in partnership with a good cause.
What are 3 things you could not live without?
1. My acoustic guitar- beyond the fact that it’s my favorite instrument, it actually belonged to my grandfather. I’m named after him and he passed away before I was born, so this is the only item of his that I have. I’m also lucky enough to have a 3 song vinyl record that he recorded in college back in the 50’s on this exact guitar! It’s the only time I’ve ever heard his voice and knowing he’s playing our guitar brings the whole piece to another level.
2. Iced Coffee – sweet nectar of life. Summer or winter. Need I say more?
3. Snow – I’m a New England guy and have alarmingly too many memories of sledding down overly steep hills, watching my first dog dolphin her way through the 3 foot drifts, and writing-off shoveling the front walkway as that day’s workout.
What is your favorite project you’ve done and why?
I had this great role back in February, my first speaking role on TV! It was as an NYPD officer on Bull on CBS back in February (episode called “Truth and Reconciliation”). While I didn’t play a favorable character, I got to enter the scene in a stunt (skidding squad car), meet Michael Weatherly (my brother, sister and I LOVE NCIS), and make some really great friends. I got to do this all while telling a powerful, meaningful story.
The Brooklyn-based folk/rock singer-songwriter has appeared on stage in New York City, Saratoga Springs, NY, Martha’s Vineyard, MA, and Savannah, Georgia– all while writing his first four singles, appearing on TV twice (Bull; The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and navigating a thankfully waning laundry list of day jobs.
John Noble Barrack is also a man of great athletic ability with a heart of gold, and has raised money through biking and running for cancer research, and has given his time to amazing charities that benefit many important causes.
Charities John Noble Barrack has been involved in include the Pan Mass Challenge, where he raised over $10,000 in 2020 and biked 190 miles for cancer research – he has run in races such as the Boston Olympic Triathlon, Oceanside Half Ironman, NYC Central Park and Far Rockaway triathlon and has raised money for nonprofits such as National Disability Theater and The Actors Fund. Barrack has most recently become heavily involved in The Theater Offensive, whose mission is to present liberating art by, for, and about queer and trans people of color that transcends artistic boundaries, celebrates cultural abundance, and dismantles oppression.
