Noah Kahan

Noah Kahan is an American singer and songwriter from Vermont. His music combines indie folk, pop and alternative sounds, but it is his deeply personal lyrics that have attracted listeners around the world. Kahan writes about home, family, growing up, relationships, loneliness and mental health. His songs often explore the feeling of missing the place you come from and wondering how much a person changes over time.

Kahan was born in 1997 and grew up in Strafford, Vermont. Living close to nature and away from major cities had a strong influence on his music. He started writing songs as a teenager and initially shared his recordings online. In 2017, he gained wider attention with “Young Blood”, followed by the EP Hurt Somebody in 2018 and his debut album Busyhead in 2019.

At first, Kahan was mainly known for his acoustic sound and personal lyrics. Over time, he began combining folk with pop and alternative rock while keeping his characteristic storytelling style.

His major breakthrough came with Stick Season in 2022. The title refers to the period between autumn and winter that is familiar in New England. In Kahan’s music, it became a symbol of returning home, memories and the changes that come with growing up.

The title track “Stick Season” became an international hit. Other popular songs included “Northern Attitude”, “Homesick”, “Orange Juice”, “Dial Drunk” and “All My Love”. Kahan also began working with artists including Hozier, Post Malone, Lizzy McAlpine and Brandi Carlile.

The success of Stick Season took Kahan from smaller venues to much larger stages. At the same time, his music remained personal. That balance between mainstream success and intimate storytelling became one of his defining qualities.

Many of Kahan’s songs focus on ordinary situations and emotions that listeners can relate to. He writes about returning home, old friends, breakups, friendships, the difficulties of adulthood and feeling lost. His songs can therefore feel less like stories about a distant star and more like a conversation with someone going through similar experiences.

Mental health is also an important part of his work outside music. In 2023, Kahan founded The Busyhead Project, an initiative focused on raising awareness around mental health and improving access to support.

Noah Kahan’s discography includes Busyhead, I Was / I Am, Stick Season and The Great Divide. His latest album, The Great Divide, was released on April 24, 2026, and contains 17 tracks. Kahan worked on the album with producers including Gabe Simon and Aaron Dessner.

The Great Divide presents Kahan at another stage of his life. After the enormous success of Stick Season, his everyday life changed, and the new album explores themes including family, relationships, the past, growing up and trying to find yourself in a completely different reality. The album was introduced with songs including “The Great Divide” and “Porch Light”.

Noah Kahan’s music is now much bigger than it was at the beginning of his career, but its foundation remains the same. These are songs about people, places and emotions that are not always easy to describe. That is what has helped his music reach listeners far beyond Vermont and the indie folk scene.

Kahan shows that you do not need extraordinary events to create music that stays with people. Sometimes it is enough to write about the home you want to return to, someone you miss, or the feeling that adult life did not turn out exactly the way you once imagined.