All of this—partially deriving from the world shutting down because of the pandemic—has taken a massive toll on the kind of creative output Fiore’s fans expect, almost grinding it to a complete halt. But he hasn’t given up on writing music. He’s actually been working on a solo piano album that he hopes to release next. 

Noble Oak’s moniker isn’t just for show—this decision finds him going back to his roots, as he’s been trained in classical piano, been a piano teacher, and has been playing since he was seven. He’s also using his childhood piano, one that he grabbed from his grandparents’ place after he moved to Vancouver, to write his instrumentals. He calls the instrument a “very special, constant reminder.”

“It’s almost full circle for me now, and I’m being reminded that piano is my musical home,” he says. “Even in this creative dead drop, I can still improvise a piano piece without thinking about it.” 

Maybe it’s a sign, as Fiore had a bit of success with an instrumental piano EP, Stories, that he put out a little while ago.

If his newer endeavours take off, When It Finds You could go down as Noble Oak’s last pop album for a little bit. Maybe he’ll come back in a few years, reinvigorated with another batch of cinematic, keyboard-led pop songs. But right now, at this very moment, he’s in a different head space.

“You know what?” Fiore says, pausing for clarity. “That would be my touring dream. Just hitting city to city, playing piano music. I think I’ve finally come to that realization. That’s the dream.”