Pedal steel has long been a sacred sound in country music, and now, thanks to one Texas teen, the instrument is going viral.
Known to his nearly 65,000 Instagram followers as “Pedal Steel Noah,” 16-year-old Texas native Noah Faulkner has been winning fans the last couple of years with a series of sultry rock and pop covers on the notoriously difficult pedal steel guitar. His tune choices ranged from The Police’s “Message in a Bottle” to The Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House” to Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.”
“My followers are awesome, and I like that they think I’m awesome too,” Faulkner tells C&I. “I like to make songs every day, and I’m so glad they like my videos!”
View this post on Instagram
Faulkner, who is on the autism spectrum, was introduced to music at a young age by his dad, who played in several bands growing up. Faulkner's influences range from traditional country like George Strait to modern pop like Coldplay — and everything in between. Those wide-ranging tastes have led to an eclectic collection of songs filling Faulkner’s social media.
“I love Luke Combs. His pedal steel player, Kurt Ozan, is an amazing player and a super-cool guy,” Faulkner says. “Jesse Daniel’s band is great too — Caleb Melo is an epic steel player. I like Charles Wesley Godwin and his steel player, Read Connolly, as well, along with Robert Randolph, Luke Schneider, Whit Wright, and others who make cool sounds with the steel guitar.”
Despite his proficiency on pedal steel, Faulkner actually first started on piano when he was 9. It wasn’t until two years after starting on keys that he was drawn to pedal steel, a move he says was inspired by listening to one of his favorite country artists.
“I like playing guitar and piano too, but I really like the sounds and tone of the pedal steel,” Faulkner says. “I was listening to George Strait and really liked his pedal steel player, so I told my dad. I thought the pedal steel sounded like an orchestra and wanted to play it.”
Soon after Faulkner received his first lesson on the instrument from none other than Lloyd Maines, one of the first inductees to the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame who’s played with everyone from Joe Ely and Jerry Jeff Walker to Guy Clark and Terry Allen during his illustrious career. Faulkner credits Maines for his fast start on the instrument known for its steep learning curve, and even connected with him recently at the 2024 Ameripolitan Awards in Austin, where Faulkner played in the "Wanted for Steelin’" showcase with Kevin Skrla and others in addition to opening Sunday’s award show with a performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“Lloyd showed me how to hold the steel, tune it, and use the pedals,” Faulkner recalls. “He also showed me some cool ways to pick it and even helped me think about the steel like an orchestra playing in the song. He said playing steel is like ‘roller skating on ball bearings.’”
As for his song choices, Faulker says they’re a combination of recommendations from his parents (hence the strong ’80s influence) and his own discoveries on Spotify and from movies and TV shows.
On his videos he’s joined by his younger brother, Nate, on electric guitar, although the biggest star typically tends to be his dog, Kara, who sits attentively in front of Faulkner, soaking up her time on camera and luring in listeners.
“Kara is the best,” Faulkner says. “She likes to sit around us when we play. One day, we just made her sit up and look at the camera. She gets a treat every video so she loves it! She’s normally not calm at all but will sit still for some music and bacon.”
Social media isn’t the only place Faulkner stars. He also can be found gigging regularly in the Austin area at venues like Empire Control Room and Kinda Tropical, joined by his brother on bass, father on guitar, and family friend Brian Beadle on drums.
Throughout March and April the group will be touring the area as support for The Polyphonic Spree in addition to making their SXSW debut.
Click here to read more about the history and sound of the pedal steel guitar.
Noah Faulker's debut EP, Texas Madness, will be available on April 1 followed by a full-length album later in the year. The EP will include two originals and three cover songs.
Be sure to follow Pedalsteel Noah, his brother Nate, and their dog Kara on Instagram.
