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Noah Kahan
American singer-songwriter (born 1997)
Noah Berkenkamp Kahan is an American singer-songwriter. His breakthrough single, "Hurt Somebody", achieved gold status in the United States and charted in multiple international markets.
The single and EP of the same name preceded the release of his debut album, Busyhead (2019). Within five years, two more albums came out: I Was / I Am (2021) and Stick Season (2022), the latter became his mainstream commercial breakthrough.
It led to his nomination in 2023 for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. In 2026, his fourth album The Great Divide was released and achieved record-breaking streaming and vinyl sales for a No. 1 rock album debut on the Billboard 200.
Noah Kahan was born in Strafford, Vermont, where he grew up on a tree farm. His father, Josh Kahan, taught him to play guitar while his mother, Lauri Berkenkamp, who wrote parenting guides for a living, taught him to write. His father is Jewish and his mother is Christian. He says that his Jewish roots play a large part in his identity. He is the third of four children.
Stick Season is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who also served as producer alongside Gabe Simon. It was released on October 14, 2022, by Mercury Records and Republic Records.
The album was supported by two singles: the title track and "Northern Attitude". An expanded edition of the album, titled Stick Season , was released on June 9, 2023, with seven additional tracks, including an extended version of "The View Between Villages".
Background
Kahan began writing the album in his hometown of Strafford, Vermont, in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Periods of loneliness, burnout from industry pressures, and self-discovery inspired him to distance himself from his previous indie pop sound with a more folk-centric sound, being inspired by Phoebe Bridgers and Sam Fender to incorporate "unprecedented detail" into his writing.
Critical reception
Writing for the Associated Press, Elise Ryan wrote that the album's material "feel like songs both longtime listeners and newer fans will want to belt back to Kahan—not because they're produced for stadiums or arenas, but because they're full of nostalgic melodies that will resonate far beyond New England." Marcy Donelson of AllMusic rated the album three-and-a-half out of five stars and described it as a "nostalgic" album that "explores life transitions including leaving home as a young adult, negotiating a pandemic, and getting help for mental health issues." Both reviews noted the album's focus on nostalgia and experiences associated with social and personal transitions.
"Call Your Mom" is a song by American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, included on the expanded edition of his studio album Stick Season (2022), subtitled We'll All Be Here Forever, released on June 9, 2023. A duet version of the track, with American singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine, was released through Mercury Records and Republic Records on September 15, 2023, as the second single from Stick Season (Forever), another edition of the record.
Background
Before the announcement of the duet version, Noah Kahan invited Lizzy McAlpine to join him in performing the track live in Los Angeles, at this 2023–2024 concert tour, in which the song was included. Explaining that it is a "tough one" to take on during his shows, the singer stated: "For those asking about 'Call Your Mom' live just know that it is difficult for me to perform that one live every night. I'm hoping I learn to perform it with more composure but for now it’s very much a work in progress".
Critical reception
Described as a "hard-hitting" song, its "grim and melancholy lyrics" were praised, as well as McAlpine's feature.
"Porch Light" is a song by American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, released on March 13, 2026, as the second single from his fourth studio album, The Great Divide. Kahan wrote the song with Aaron Dessner, and produced it with Dessner and Gabe Simon of Kopecky.
Background
According to Kahan, the song was inspired by the emotional weight that he felt he had placed on his family through opening up their lives on his previous album, Stick Season. He first previewed the song on the video-sharing app TikTok and then began performing it at concerts, debuting it live at the Out of the Blue Festival Pool Party in Cancún, Mexico in January 2025.
Composition
The song contains a banjo-driven instrumental, over which Kahan sings from his mother's perspective. The narrative depicts her as resenting that Kahan has not returned to her since he achieved fame and refusing to forgive him. Despite her grudge, she confesses that she is lonely and simply misses him. She hopes for her son to return, with the chorus conveying the emotional impact of his absence.
