When people think of fame, they normally picture red carpets, glamour, and Hollywood lights yet, singer/songwriter sensation Noah Kahan gained success by leaving behind those notions and focusing on his rural New England roots.
In his third studio album, Stick Season, Kahan shares stories of his experiences growing up in Vermont and his love hate relationship with his hometown.
“I wanted to write a love letter to New England,” shared Kahan in an interview with NBC5 Vermont.
While the stories revolve around the experience of his upbringing, the meaningful and relatable lyrics and stellar storytelling can strike a chord with anyone.
His album hit number 14 on the top 200 Billboard chart and garnered millions of streams on TikTok. "To see people from everywhere connecting with that [message] and creating their own stories… it’s so cool,” stated Kahan.
The title relates to Vermonters as it is a phrase, they use to describe the period between fall & winter when the leaves have left the trees, but the snow has yet to come.
In fact, when Kahan created the Billboard charting album, our world was in what one would call a stick season state. The album was constructed during the global pandemic. Kahan was quarantined in his childhood home in Strafford, Vermont, and found the best way to pass the time was song writing.
He took his anxieties from his past as well as his deep emotions from the present and weaved them together to create a beautiful story that highlights experiences of love, loss, and loneliness.
Kahan opens up about his personal struggles with mental health, the longing to belong, and addiction and turns tragic experiences from his life into artistic works.
During the pandemic whether you lived in sunny California or Frigid Vermont, like Noah Kahan, this idea of isolation, loneliness, and feeling mentally unstable connected our society. Kahan’s melancholy messages became impactful and captured the essence that “Stick Season” is more than a time of year, or a place. “Stick Season” is a feeling.
What makes Kahan a great songwriter and storyteller is his ability to have people feel a variety of emotions. His songs make one cry, smile, and most importantly feel heard. He creatively plays with lyrics to add depth and makes comparisons that are thought-provoking. He is an authentic artist who is not afraid to show his genuine self and to be vulnerable.
This vulnerability shines through on the tracks “Come Over,” “Everywhere, Everything,” “Orange Juice,” and “Strawberry Wine.” These heartfelt stories are sure to bring a tear to your eye.
“Come Over” introduces us to “the sad kid in a sad house on Balch Street” who is longing for inclusion and is urging people to “come over.” Many people could share this sentiment during quarantine. After days of being secluded, all people wanted was to visit others in person.
This idea also relates to our everyday lives. Many people may find it hard to be accepted and, in a time when social media is so prevalent, they may feel others are out having fun while they are sitting at home lonely waiting for someone to acknowledge them.
“Strawberry Wine” elicits the loss of a loved one and the pain that comes when thinking back to those memories shared with that special person. With simple guitar strings backing his low somber tone Kahan sings, “Strawberry wine and all the time we used to have. Those things I miss but know are never coming back.” These ideas can also be associated with the pandemic as many had to come to terms with saying goodbye to loved ones sooner than they expected and wished they had more time.
“Everywhere, Everything” offers a parallel to “Strawberry Wine.” Rather than talking about losing a loved one, it discusses a strong and intimate love. The love is so powerful that they want to die together. Kahan passionately sings “I wanna love you 'til we're food for the worms to eat, 'Til our fingers decompose, Keep my hand in yours.”
While this descriptive imagery of the worms eating the rotting flesh can be seen as disgusting, I find it to be a bittersweet sentiment. I would hope for one day to have a partner who loves me that deeply and who cannot imagine living their life without me.
As I listened to this track, I was reminded of my grandparents Rosemary and Bill Carroll. Thinking about them made me cry as they both are no longer living. Their love was faithful, and I feel that the lines from this song could relate to their relationship and the depth of love they felt for one another.
Finally, “Orange Juice” describes a person who has overcome alcoholism, yet their past mistakes still haunt them and affect their relationships. They constantly blame themselves and feel they cannot be forgiven. Through the song we learn they got into a car accident due to drunk driving which changed their demeanor. Kahan belts out his frustrations with the friend's behavior singing the powerful lines “But it made you a stranger and filled you with anger. Now I'm third in the lineup, to your Lord and your savior.”
Kahan eloquently paints a portrait of what families and friends go through when someone who they love is affected with addiction. Before forgiveness comes friction, tension, and distance and it can be heartbreaking for everyone involved.
While these songs are filled with intense emotion Kahan also offers moments of fun and laughter in the album.