Noah Hicks has never been shy about where he comes from, but with Small Town Does, he’s letting those roots speak louder than ever.
“Honestly the feeling of seeing the project come to fruition… I’m actually super excited to have some of these songs out. I feel like they’re some of the best I’ve ever been able to be a part of,” Hicks told Celeb Secrets while reflecting on the eight-track collection that’s been years in the making.
Though the project is brand new, many of the songs have been living with him for a long time. “Some of these songs are pretty old. I wrote ‘em a couple years ago,” he shared. “But it’s really cool to see songs that I’ve written in the past couple months, but also a couple years ago, still being able to work and still being able to be put together to make a project.”
That time — and trust — shows. Small Town Does balances high-octane country-rock energy with slower, reflective moments, all rooted in lived experience. “I grew up listening to the radio and trying to live out the songs that were on the radio… I hope that people listen to ’em, whether they’re 16 or they’re 60 and either want to go be small town or go experience a small town or just sort of soak up the morals,” Hicks said.
A major strength of the project comes from collaboration, something Hicks has grown into as both a writer and an artist. “I feel like now I’m starting to find this middle ground… all they want to do and their job is to help you get what you want to say onto a piece of paper,” he explained of working alongside hitmakers like Lindsay Rimes, John Pierce, Jordan Walker, and more.
That balance allowed some of the project’s most emotionally charged moments to shine. Tracks like “Get Enough” and “Might As Well Be Gone” came straight from real-life vulnerability. “’Might As Well Be Gone’ was just a feeling… being vulnerable about my life and wanting to put it on a piece of paper… all I had was just a melody,” Hicks recalled. “I was definitely had these emotions and I wanted to get them out in a way.”
Even when the emotions aren’t current, the connection remains. “I’ve written one of the saddest songs I’ve ever written on a very happy day… but it’s always there,” he said. “If someone hears it randomly and isn’t a fan of Noah Hicks, that they can be touched in a way that music has the power to do.”
One of the most literal reflections of Hicks’ life comes in “Country Tonight,” a track that captures the pull of home. “That song is like, to the point literal… I’m running to our farm in Georgia… that’s my own little slice of heaven,” he said. “The first thing I do when I get home… I completely go outta my way because I get to cross a creek… it’s just beautiful farmland and get to slow down.”
For Hicks, Small Town Does isn’t just about geography, it’s a mindset. “Small town is really a lifestyle… it’s family, it’s how you treat people, your neighbors,” he explained. “I don’t think you have to be in a one light two-way town to be small town… there’s always that piece of them that they still carry with ’em.”
Musically, the project walks the line between grit and accessibility — something Hicks is intentional about. “I don’t think one particular sound… I really just try to, when I write these songs, think about what’s going on… and if so, run with it,” he said. “I feel like a country boy or a country girl could still play those… or someone that just doesn’t really like country music could still hear something and go, ‘I can stand behind that.’”
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Now, with his Small Town Does Tour officially underway, Hicks is ready to bring these songs to life without rushing the moment. “I want to have a concert, an experience that hardly anyone’s doing… I want everybody to leave feeling with their cup full,” he shared. “I want to hug everybody’s neck… the only thing separating us is an elevated platform and a barricade.”
That perspective comes straight from his upbringing. “All I know how to do is work with these two hands… growing up farming… I loved it even though I didn’t realize I loved it,” Hicks said. “Now it’s just really cool to be able to mix all of that together… it’s crazy to say that I’m a songwriter and a singer.”
And if there’s one thing listeners should know heading into Small Town Does? “Every single song, there’s a piece of me in it,” Hicks said simply.
With eight tracks built on grit, honesty, and heart, Small Town Does isn’t just a project, it’s Noah Hicks stepping fully into his story, and inviting fans along for the ride.
Listen to Small Town Does below and don’t forget to let us know what you think of the album by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecretscountry.
