The Great Divide Noah Kahan

• 1 End of August 05:17
• 2 Doors 03:51
• 3 American Cars 04:32
• 4 Downfall 04:16
• 5 Paid Time Off 03:47
• 6 The Great Divide 05:18
• 7 Haircut 04:50
• 8 Willing and Able 04:57
• 9 Dashboard 03:51
• 10 23 04:41
• 11 Porch Light 04:23
• 12 Deny Deny Deny 03:51
• 13 Headed North 04:27
• 14 We Go Way Back 04:03
• 15 Spoiled 05:06
• 16 All Them Horses 05:13
• 17 Dan 05:06
• Total Runtime 01:17:29

Info for The Great Divide

“The Great Divide” marks Noah Kahan’s first new music release since the global success of Stick Season. Written in the wake of a transformative period in his career, the song reflects on friendship, separation and the complexities of growing up.

Speaking about the new album, Kahan reflected on the past few years of his life and career, describing them as both challenging and life-altering. Songwriting, he noted, remains the way he processes those experiences, using music to examine identity, distance and belonging.

Kahan reflects on the inspiration behind the project, “From a long silence forms a divide, a great expanse demanding attention. I stare across it. I see old friends, my father, my mother, my siblings, my younger self, the great state of Vermont. I want to scream these feelings, to gesticulate wildly at the figures on the other side, but my voice has grown hoarse and muted after years of climbing a ladder towards the wild, spiraling dreams that have materialized in front of me”.

The Great Divide arrives on 24 April and finds Kahan working once again with producer Gabe Simon, alongside Aaron Dessner. Recorded primarily in Nashville and at Dessner’s Long Pond Studio, the project builds on the introspective songwriting that defined Stick Season while expanding its sonic palette.

The title track opens with a restrained reflection before building into a broader, more anthemic moment. Lyrically, Kahan explores childhood friendship, shame, guilt, separation, and the complicated truths tied to where he comes from.

Since the release of Stick Season in 2022, Kahan has moved from Vermont stages to sold-out headline shows at venues including Madison Square Garden and Fenway Park. The album’s title track earned multiple award nominations and significant chart success, marking a turning point in his career.

Noah Kahan

Noah Kahan
No matter how far you go, you bring home along too.

Within two short years, music quite literally carried 22-year-old singer, songwriter, and artist Noah Kahan around the world—a long way from his native Strafford, VT (pop. 1,045) and the 133-acre tree farm where he resides. On the trip, the alternative troubadour notched an international hit in the form of “Hurt Somebody” [feat. Julia Michaels], which tallied 200 million-plus streams in the span of a year, went triple-platinum in Australia and gold in six other countries, and was the third most played song on Australian Top 40 radio in all of 2018. Additionally, he performed the single on Late Night with Stephen Colbert during his late-night television debut.

As Noah steadily averaged over 5 million-plus monthly listeners on Spotify, his songs “Young Blood” and “False Confidence” racked up millions of streams and he sold out tours in North America, Europe, and the UK. Not to mention, he garnered acclaim from Billboard, Stereogum, Clash, Idolator, and more. In the midst of this whirlwind he assembled his highly anticipated upcoming debut album Busyhead to be released on 6/14.

For as much as the road twisted and turned, the journey led right to the album...

“My life has taken a 180° turn,” he admits. “I’m on a very different path than what I thought I would do. I feel nostalgic for a time when I was younger and had less to think about. I had the latitude to be whimsical, free, and young without knowing what’s going to happen. I get nostalgic for the locale where I grew up, because the scenery is so beautiful. Going from this to bigger cities and tours is crazy for me. The transition informs the storytelling. I’m getting a little more cunning and self-deprecating. The truth is—regardless of where I’ve gone—my parents still yell at me to pick up the dogs’ shit when I’m back home,” he laughs.

The first single “Mess” illuminates his marked growth as a songwriter and storyteller by way of its biting lyrics and undeniable sing-a-long. The song underscores a heartwarming and often hilarious portrait of hometown longing.

On the hook, he chants, “I’d move back home forever, I’ll feed the dogs, and I’ll put all my pieces back together where they belong, and I’ll say, ‘I’m mess!’”

“I was really overwhelmed with a lot of the stuff going on in my life,” he goes on. “I was super happy, but it was a lot to process. So, I went home from the studio for a bit. I relaxed and started writing. In doing so, I came up with this cool idea about actually going home and what that means. I’m wondering if I should go home and leave everything behind. Would it bring me more happiness? Would I be able to connect with others? I think it brings the whole concept of the record together for me.”

In the end, Noah makes the kind of music that can travel with you forever, but it feels even better at home.

“I’d love for everyone to hear this true and honest description of my life and maybe come away being more honest with themselves,” he leaves off. “That’s what I love about music. I feel less vulnerable and alone when I hear something I relate to. I hope it can inspire people on their own journeys.” (Noah Kahan)

This album contains no booklet.