Episode 7: Eddie Boyd – Human Noise

Human Noise.

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It’s often a little hard to describe an artist if they’re not yet one you’re innately familiar with. For example, if you were to look up today’s artist online, you’ll see references to names like Lou Reed, Radiohead, Talking Heads, and The Strokes as their influences. But if you were to give them a listen, you’d experience all manner of musical cues that come together to form the sound they’ve curated.

This is my way of telling you that today, I’m looking at Human Noise. As they say themselves, they’re based between Melbourne and Sydney, and the four piece have built a reputation for making music that is both agitated and introspective. There’s also a huge amount of quality at play, too, with the members of the band having spent time touring and recording with other acts including Julia Jacklin, Dan Sultan, Middle Kids, and CLEWS.

In 2021, they released their first album, Animal People, and it was around that time that I first discovered their work. In fact, I wrote about them for Rolling Stone Australia, labelling them “equal parts slick, energetic, and impossible to ignore”.

But it was just last month that they released their second album, Glitching Colour. If you’re someone who enjoys music that feels like an otherworldly take o the typical indie-rock style, then Human Noise might just be up your alley. If I’m speaking candidly, Glitching Colour, is already in contention for one of my favourite albums of the year.

This week, I was lucky enough to be joined by Eddie Boyd, who you can find up the front of Human Noise, turning inspiration and musical ideas into a pleasurable experience for all and sundry. If you find yourself wanting more after exhausting the Human Noise discography, you can also check out Eddie’s previous project, Boydos, whose album It’s Alright, Look At Me I’m Young was a stellar listen, too.

I implore you to check out Human Noise’s Glitching Colour, and once you’re done giving that a spin, have a listen to my chat with Eddie, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

Eddie Boyd’s Trusty Chords

Eddie’s One Influential Artist

1. Lou Reed

Eddie’s Three Impactful Albums

1. Radiohead – In Rainbows (2007)

2. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach (2010)

3. Talking Heads – Remain In Light (1980)

Eddie’s Five Trusty Songs

1. Big Thief – ‘Shark Smile’ (2017)

2. Dry Cleaning – ‘Scratchcard Lanyard’ (2020)

3. Crowded House – ‘Instinct’ (1996)

4. The White Stripes – ‘Fell In Love With A Girl’ (2001)

5. The Drones – ‘To Think That I Once Loved You’ (2016)