Keeping Up with Noah Kahan
Interview and Photos by Sydney Hise
Ease Up: First off, how are you? How has life been since we last talked about a month ago?
Noah Kahan: Hi! I am doing okay. I’m currently lying in a hotel room near the venue in Chicago trying to absorb as much rest and relaxation as I possibly can before we start this three day run of shows. Life has been overwhelming and fun and exhausting. Touring again has been very special, and each show we’ve played so far has been uniquely wonderful in it’s own way. I feel a little tired now, but overall I’ve been trying to be as cautious about health and rest as possible, and it has paid off.
EU: Have you been happy with the reaction to the album?
NK: I’ve been blown away by my fans' response to the album. These songs do seem to have made an impact on people, and that makes a massive impact on me. I think it is existing in people’s minds as a cohesive body of work, and that is incredibly important to me, because that’s the goal I set out to accomplish in compiling these songs. I hope people continue to extrapolate meaning and value from this music.
EU: I attended the Madison show and am also attending tonight’s show in Milwaukee- you put on an incredible performance. Is doing this every show draining or exhilarating for you?
NK: Every show is exhilarating. I mean, what an experience. I get to sing lyrics I wrote when I felt the most alone to a room full of people, and then I get to hear them sing those same words back to me. It is really quite special. The draining part is really just taking care of my voice. These songs are difficult to perform on one night, let alone three or four in a row.
EU: Your brother came out to sing with you in Madison - how was that experience?
NK: That was an amazing experience. Having Simon share the stage with me felt like a full circle moment after having sang with him on Instagram Live for the past year and a half. He crushed it, and I was really proud of him.
EU: In our last interview, you mentioned that you were most excited to play Godlight live. Has it lived up to your expectations?
NK: Playing Godlight live is definitely special and important, but it is simply a really technically difficult song for me to play. It has a lot of intricate finger picking parts with a mouthful of lyrics to sing in the verses, and then dynamic melodies in the chorus that require a lot of breath. There’s a tempo change in between the verses and choruses that I have to really think about, and then of course there’s that awful moment in the bridge where I have to sustain a note at the top of my range for 6 seconds. I’m still working on getting the perfect performance of that song.
EU: Have any of your songs struck surprising chords with your listeners?
NK: I’ve been surprised by people’s reactions to Animal. People really seem to have fun listening to that tune.
EU: Finally, what’s next for you?
NK: More touring, and finishing my next album as soon as my brain allows me to.
