Noah Kahan was born in Strafford, Vermont and he attended Hanover High School in Hanover, New Hampshire. Kahan began writing songs at age 8 and uploaded them to SoundCloud where his music began to gain exposure.
At age 17, Kahan began working with school friend music producers (Cwenga Matanzima). This attracted the attention of his current manager Drew Simmons of Foundations Artist Management. His music also caught the attention of songwriters such as Dan Wilson known for his work with Adele, Scott Harris, Carrie Underwood, among others. Kahan deferred his admission to Tulane University to pursue his developing music career. Kahan has said that two career goals he wished for were to be verified on Instagram and to have a Wikipedia page.
Kahan cites some of his inspirations as Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Counting Crows, Hozier, and Mumford and Sons.
In 2016, Kahan signed to Republic Records and he began working with producer Joel Little, known for his work with Lorde and Khalid, with whom he recorded six songs. Kahan released his first single "Young Blood" in January 2017 and gained over 9 million streams.
In September 2017, Kahan released "Hurt Somebody", the lead single from his forthcoming debut EP of the same name. "Hurt Somebody" was re-recorded later in 2017 featuring Grammy nominated artist Julia Michaels. "Hurt Somebody" was released in January 2018.
On April 8, 2019, Kahan announced his debut full-length studio album entitled Busyhead, and included the duet version of "Hurt Somebody" as well as two other singles "False Confidence" and "Mess". It was released on June 14, 2019.
On April 30, 2020, Noah announced on his Instagram that he would drop an EP at midnight. He then dropped "Cape Elizabeth." The album was recorded over one week at Kahan's friend Phin Choukas' home studio in Vermont exactly one week after the singer left New York City in March to avoid COVID-19. "Cape Elizabeth" was then released on May 1, 2020.
On June 17, 2021 Kahan announced his second full-length album titled "I Was/I Am". Five days later he announced the "I Was/I Am" tour. On September 17, 2021, the album was released. Throughout the summer leading up to the release of the album Kahan released “Part of Me”, “Godlight”, and “Animal” as singles ahead of the album drop. “Part of Me” was the only one of the three singles to be dropped before the album announcement.
Kahan opened for Ben Folds and Anderson East in the United States in February 2017 and then went on to open for Milky Chance in March 2017. Later opening on an East Coast tour with The Strumbellas that began on October 12, 2017, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and concluded on November 14, 2017, in Buffalo, New York. He performed at Billboard's Industry Night on November 16, 2017, at the Ludlow House in New York City, showcasing his pop-folk song "Fine". In April and May 2018, Kahan supported George Ezra on his North American tour and then directly after embarked on his own tour, headlining shows across Europe throughout May 2018. Kahan then embarked on a world tour in October and November 2018, with Dean Lewis joining him in support for the North American leg. He later opened for Dean Lewis on his tour of Europe in February 2019, then joining James Bay on his North American tour for the following month. Kahan toured for 'The Busyhead Tour', in which he headlined shows across North America from September to November 2019.
In October 2021, Kahan headlined his 'I Am / I Was Tour', with support from Blake Rose and Genevieve Stokes.
On July 8, 2022, Kahan announced a U.S. tour for the fall and released the single "Stick Season", which he had first teased in October 2020. Over the following two years, the song became a fan favorite, further growing in popularity on social media app TikTok. Kahan followed it up with the release of "Northern Attitude" on September 16.
On October 14, 2022, Kahan released his album Stick Season. According to early reviews of the album from AP News, "There’s irony there because these 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." Kahan wrote this album during the pandemic which he spent back home in Vermont. Stick Season leans more into the folk genre than the rest of his older music which were more pop sounding. Kahan says that in his album, Stick Season, he wanted to pay homage to the folk singers that he grew up listening to. He adds that his greatest goal as a songwriter is to write music that other people can relate to and to be able to throw that lifeline to someone.
On March 17, 2023, Kahan was featured on Joy Oladokun's single "We're All Gonna Die", which was also released as part of her April 2023 album, Proof of Life.
On June 9, 2023, Kahan released a deluxe version of Stick Season titled, Stick Season (We'll All Be Here Forever), which includes seven previously unreleased tracks.
Hold it Down
Noah Kahan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With every excuse, I'm falling behind
Now watch me self destruct, right on time
I built up every wall, I then climb
When real life ain't nothing but anger and doubt
And failure's a stranger we all dream about
I hold it down, I hold it down
So tell my doubts I'm comin' home
And put my failures on the phone
Hold it down, let it go
I gave up my soul without knowing the stakes
And now I'm feeling a hole, with falls herding shape
You told my guilty skin will turn to stone
Lord, I'm a man of sin, now that I know
When real life ain't nothing but anger and doubt
And failure's a stranger we all dream about
I hold it down, I hold it down
So tell my doubts I'm comin' home
And put my failures on the phone
'Cause real life ain't nothing but anger and doubt
And failure's a stranger we all dream about
I hold it down
I'm looking for answers, but lost in my head
Now I reach into darkness and take what I get
I hold it down
I hold it down, I hold it down
I hold it down, I hold it down
So tell my doubts I'm comin' home
And put my failures on the phone
Hold it down, let it go
Noah Kahan's song "Hold It Down" is a powerful yet melancholic song about struggles and strife. The lyrics are about the feelings of confusion and dissatisfaction with life, as the singer describes feeling lost in their surroundings and haunted by doubts and failures. The repetition of "I hold it down" is a mantra-like phrase, emphasizing the importance of keeping it together despite the chaos and challenges of life.
The idea of "hold it down" seems to serve as both a motivation and a coping mechanism for the singer. They feel like they are at a loss with their life, but they hold on to the hope that things will get better. The phrase "put my failures on the phone" suggests that the singer is willing to confront their failures and try to make things right. Overall, the lyrics to "Hold It Down" convey a sense of determination, despite the difficulties that come with living.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm spinning in circles by the street, out of light
I am lost, going around in circles, in a dark and lonely place
With every excuse, I'm falling behind
I keep making excuses and I'm not making any progress
Now watch me self destruct, right on time
I am heading towards a destructive path and it's going to happen soon
I built up every wall, I then climb
I created barriers for myself and then try to overcome them
When real life ain't nothing but anger and doubt
Life is full of negativity, stress and self-doubt
And failure's a stranger we all dream about
We all fear failure, but some of us dream of it
I hold it down, I hold it down
I keep myself together, I stay strong
So tell my doubts I'm comin' home
I will overcome my doubts soon
And put my failures on the phone
I will accept my failures and learn from them
I gave up my soul without knowing the stakes
I made a decision without understanding the consequences
And now I'm feeling a hole, with falls herding shape
I feel empty inside, and everything is falling apart
You told my guilty skin will turn to stone
I will become numb to my guilt and pain
Lord, I'm a man of sin, now that I know
I am aware that I am flawed and have made mistakes
I'm looking for answers, but lost in my head
I am trying to find solutions, but my thoughts are jumbled and confusing
Now I reach into darkness and take what I get
I am taking risks and trying anything, even if it means going into the unknown
Hold it down, let it go
Stay strong, but also learn to let go of negative things
Writer(s): Noah Kahan
Contributed by Eliana C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.