With diverse roots of Ska, Rock, Soul, Pop and Reggae, Whyte Noyse curves the journey of the mind with songs that inspire, moving the soul while spiritually flowing to the dance floor. As the heart skips a beat, the windows of Bob Marley, Maroon 5, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend and Sublime intertwined channel the influence of band members, lead vocalist/guitarist, Jeremy McMinn, Brandon Black (drums), and Cotey Tanner (bass). Whenever I go to a Whyte Noyse show, I feel the beat on my skin as the energy draws my feet to the dance floor while everyone who attends sings along as they perform. With a soulful, smooth flow, fans are grooving and bobbing their heads instead of moshing and raging into it. Jeremy says, “We are trying to create a scene that has movement and a purpose.” Something obscure that makes a statement to their band name is every show at the side of the stage is a small TV with snow flickering on the screen. Jeremy admits the band went through several names before coming up with Whyte Noyse. They were all sitting in a garage one day while rehearsing when drummer, Brandon, says, “How about Whyte Noyse?” The name fit perfectly since each member cast a diverse signal creating cool, smooth eclectic grooves.
Their self titled album, Whyte Noyse, was produced by Tony Grissom (lead guitarist of local band, Steady Fall), in the summer, 2011. Whyte Noyse drummer, Brandon Black and Nicole Black designed the artwork/picture for the album. The most notable songs are “Don’t Look In The Mirror”, “Slap Yourself” and “Miss The Train”. Lead vocalist /guitarist Jeremy McMinn states, “I grew up listening to Jimmy Buffet. I like songs that tell stories.” Don’t Look In The Mirror is a fun, upbeat song, in which Jeremy laid down all the guitar and bass tracks on the album. Cotey Tanner played bass on the rest of the cd. In the song, Slap Yourself, Jeremy’s falsetto and range are so smooth and beautiful like sailing on a journey in the flow of self discovery. How old is too old to stop dreaming? Is it too late to keep moving in this path where the fork meets the river? Questions like this flow through my mind when I listen to the song, Slap Yourself. Staying afloat along this journey is allowing yourself not to stay too close to the harbor. Life begins when you get out of your comfort zone. Another deep song that moves me by Whyte Noyse is “Miss The Train”, which holds a candle to the butterfly effect. “Have you ever wondered how different things would be if you’d only taken a different street?” Most of the songs are written in the B key, which sounds more soulful, Bluesy and natural.
Whenever Jeremy travelled to Jamaica, he brought a little bit of the heritage back with him, the mix between being a spiritual person and also being able to live a life without restraints. Coming from a spiritual stand point of meditation, Jeremy says, “I kind of like that aspect of the Rastafarians. Be yourself. Be your own person. What makes you feel good is good.” Whyte Noyse usually starts their set with the song, Light The Fuse, which fuels the audience to let their hair down and groove. “Let’s light this fuse tonight. Let’s set this place a blaze,” meaning let’s just have a good time and party.
The band was recently in the studio again with Tony Grissom recording a new album, Beautiful Daze. Whyte Noyse performs some of the new songs live, such as Incognito, Survive, Paradise, Beautiful Daze and Shine Like The Sun. Whyte Noyse EP Beautiful Daze will be available officially on March 23 during a free show (21 and up) when they perform at the Rock Bar, (305 Broadway) at the corner of 3rd & Broadway, Nashville, TN. The show begins at 10 pm.
The event can be found on Facebook.
(From the new EP, Beautiful Daze) Incognito performed by Whyte Noyse
“One love, one heart . . .
Let’s get together and feel all right”
― Bob Marley
Whyte Noyse vocalist/guitarist, Jeremy McMinn, was vocally trained by his mother and learned to play the guitar by his father. His mother always sang in chorus, choir and different groups, especially church. His Father comes from a Rocker background, playing in different bands during the 1970’s. Jeremy’s mother was impressed that he learned to sing harmony on a 10 minute ride home back in the days of cassette tapes. He gives credit to the genetics of his parents for having natural musical talent. Since Jeremy was eight years old, his parents were grooming him to be a Rock star. During a day at work, Jeremy taught Cotey Tanner (bass player) how to sing harmony while reversing roles of singing backup (harmony) and lead. “Starting off singing harmony is being able to wrap your head around it. Once you wrap your head around it, you get it every time,” Jeremy says. Cotey has really impressed Jeremy while progressing in harmony. One summer, Jeremy and Cotey learned all kinds of Bob Marley songs. Cotey expanded his mind from being a standard bass player when telling Jeremy, “The bass doesn’t have to just be the rhythm of the song. It could be a melody or a lead. Bass doesn’t have to be the simplest instrument on the stage. It could be the most technical.” Cotey Tanner books gigs for Whyte Noyse while Brandon Black buys the equipment and Jeremy McMinn does most of the PR online and writes the songs.
When Jeremy was 15-years-old, his parents were driving his first band, Second Coming, which later became known as 2C (Contemporary Christian) from coast to coast in a big bus that was stripped out with six bunks, a full size bed in the back for his Mom and also a full size living room. “We ate a lot of Ramen noodles.” Jeremy adds, “We played 32 shows in 2 months” in New Mexico, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Iowa, Oklahoma, California and Arizona. Members of Whyte Noyse, bass player, Cotey Tanner and drummer, Brandon Black, also were in the band with lead vocalist/guitarist Jeremy McMinn in 2C. Other members of Second Coming (2C) were Jeremy’s brother, Nathan McMinn (vocals), Chris McGregor (Florida), Daniel Day (Texas) and Jason Kight. Jeremy’s background originates from Gospel, which is what his parents wanted him to sing. “I’ve always considered myself more of a dark rider than that.” Sometimes, he writes from a dark place to get his emotions across, which people can relate to and walk away with a positive message. Jeremy states, “Finding myself has been the hardest part.” I, first, met Jeremy McMinn when he was with Second Coming (2C) around 2005, when they won Battle of the Bands during the Fall Fun Fest in Cookeville, TN. When they changed the name to 2C, it was more positive Rock, which is church based, but not preachy sort of like the band, Creed.
When the band, Second Coming, was in its first stages, Jeremy admits, “I was the cool kid that got along with everybody. We’re not going to do the status quo. Let’s just be friends with everybody. We were always throwing parties and going to the lake. The social order changed. We’re just cool because we are cool. Being in a band, kids looked up to us. What makes you different is what makes you cool and isn’t your downfall.” Jeremy says he enjoys meeting fans.
Jeremy McMinn, originally from Muskogee, Oklahoma, now resides in Rock Island, Tennessee. Every now and then, his brother, Nathan, who played a major role in 2C, will join in on a cover song, especially Sublime’s “Love Is What I Got”. Whyte Noyse performs mainly original songs at their shows, but surprise the audience with a couple cover songs just like they did over the weekend at 3 Brothers Deli in Murfreesboro, TN with their version of Too Close by Alex Clare. Jeremy McMinn’s vocals are truly remarkable, perfection at its peak, and even better than the original artist, Alex Clare. Check out music by Whyte Noyse.
