Noah Kahan Eats His Last Meal

Following the unexpected international success of 'Stick Season,' Noah Kahan experienced significant creative pressure. He viewed positive feedback as a negative, fearing that higher expectations would lead to a harder fall with his next project. This pressure resulted in a severe creative block, where he struggled even with basic songwriting, feeling his 'power taken away.'

Kahan states, 'I started to see them all as like negatives because I was like it just means that when I disappoint you with my next thing, like it's going to be that much harder for me to bear.' He describes struggling to 'rhyme the word me with P and you with poo' during this period.

Kahan initially feared that medication would dull his creativity, a common concern among artists. He avoided necessary help for years, despite therapy not fully resolving his issues. Eventually, facing severe depression and obsessive thoughts that prevented him from writing, he decided to prioritize his well-being. Finding the right medication for his condition led to an unprecedented surge in creativity and musical ability.

He recounts, 'I was so afraid of medication dulling my creativity... I just like betrayed myself in a lot of ways by just not getting the help I needed.' After finding the right medication, he states, 'I had never felt more creative and more like able musically in my life.'

Kahan's music often explores themes of masculine vulnerability, resonating with many men who struggle to express emotions openly. He attributes this to his own upbringing, balancing therapy with a 'sporty boy' persona. His songs provide a 'venue' for emotional release, as evidenced by grown men crying at his shows, allowing them to process feelings they might otherwise repress or express destructively.

Kahan notes, 'It's hard to be emotionally vulnerable around each other, but like that energy still needs to go somewhere.' He describes seeing 'grown men crying like at a show' as 'amazing' because it helps people 'let those feelings out.'

Kahan co-founded the 'Busy Head Project' to raise money for mental health organizations, particularly in rural areas like Vermont, that provide care to those in need. He emphasizes that the project highlights existing experts and aims to address the disparity in access to high-level care for individuals lacking financial resources or privilege.

He explains, 'We are raising money for mental health organizations... that are trying to provide care to people who need help.' He highlights the goal of 'helping people not go through the stuff that we had to go through or that people in rural areas or people have less fortune growing up.' The project has raised over $5 million.