AFTER the whirlwind success of No1 hit Stick Season, Noah Kahan didn’t rush back into the studio.
In fact, he stopped completely. Facing writer’s block and still processing everything that had happened, he stepped away for six months, forced to rethink not just the music, but what success meant.
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Noah Kahan is back with a new album, The Great DivideCredit: Patrick McCormackNoah’s 2022 album Stick Season sold over four million copies and had billions of global streamsCredit: Stephen Keable
His 2022 album Stick Season — rooted in Vermont and exploring mental health, identity and small-town life — transformed the singer from a cult folk artist into a global name.
Topping the charts in the UK, the record was also certified multi-platinum in the US, where it sold over four million copies and had billions of global streams.
Kahan was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist and the emotionally raw, nostalgic and deeply personal record was widely seen as one of the defining albums of the decade.
“I just couldn’t write for a while,” he confesses. “When I first got off the road, I didn’t make any music in a long time.
“I spent months not doing anything and it was painful because I like to be busy.
“It took so much strength for me to push that feeling away.
“I’m aware of how rare the moment was, how big the moment was and how lucky and fortunate I was, but my whole life I was trying to prove to people that I had a place here. So when the huge moment was happening, instead of being like, ‘Yeah, I made it’, I was like, ‘Oh my god, how am I going to stay here?’.”
That pressure quickly took its toll. Kahan said: “Writer’s block is such a lonely feeling — it makes you feel like your value’s been taken away. I felt completely unable to open up about it, but I ended up reaching out to friends.
“Marcus Mumford really helped. He understood what it’s like to be under a lot of pressure and afraid of failing and gave me great advice.”
Kahan also had to redefine success. It was not chasing numbers — just being able to make music was enough.
He says: “I learned the hard way about burnout. Success is a double-edged sword. I’ve always said if I had any, or if my tour sells out, I’d be happy. But the second it sells out, you’re looking at the next thing to achieve.
“Starting off this new album was really scary. I had to realise I didn’t need to be the biggest artist in the world or where Stick Season took me. I didn’t need to be successful to be loved.”
Kahan is in London for a few days to promote The Great Divide, his fourth studio album, which is out next Friday.
Taking time off to reset both mentally and emotionally was essential to writing again.
“I’ve struggled with my mental health,” he says candidly.
“But I was struggling more than anybody knew. I’ve struggled with anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia, but it was the OCD that I hadn’t figured out.
“I was diagnosed with OCD last year. It’s not about washing my hands a thousand times — it’s obsessive thinking. I was struggling with a lot of self-esteem and confidence issues, but I’d never dealt with anything so acutely like OCD. I’m supposed to be the singer who’s open about his mental health, but I felt so much shame.
“I needed medical intervention and therapy, and I didn’t want to be open about that because I was afraid. It was frightening as I’d been stripped of
this thing I loved.
“I couldn’t express myself through music any more, and so I didn’t tell anybody and it came to a breaking point.” Through help and time, Kahan started to recognise his disorder in ways he hadn’t before.
“Now I wake up knowing my day is not going to be decided by what I see on my phone,” he says when discussing how therapy has helped him.
“Before, I’d have 700 brilliant words of praise, but it would be the one negative word that would shatter me. For a long time, I thought I was crazy.”
Kahan is focused on bringing his album to the stageCredit: Patrick McCormack
In August 2025, Kahan married his longtime partner Brenna Nolan, bringing a new sense of stability to his life.
The singer has also made a Netflix documentary — Noah Kahan: Out Of Body. It captures this difficult period, which he sees as part of his healing.
He says: “Making the film was a strange but amazing process. Having people follow you around took time to get used to, but they captured a really honest moment for me. Watching it back with my family was emotional. It showed how we really are.
“It was hard seeing how unhappy I was then, but in the end, it told a beautiful story.”
He adds: “My family are on the new record. I love the song American Cars. It’s about my sister.
“Whenever things were tough at home, she’d drive up from New York in a rental car, sunglasses on, just a total badass.
“She’s a surgeon, she just gets things done. She’d come back and help us through it, and the song came from that. Like, you need to come home and help fix this.”
The Great Divide is an album about friendship, miscommunication, regret and personal growth, and the title track became the guiding, emotional “north star” of the record.
He says: “Yeah, The Great Divide is really about a friendship that didn’t work out — one where I wasn’t able to express myself.
“And then there’s a song, Dan, which is about the opposite — being open, telling each other how much you care, facing hard truths. It ends in a way that really encapsulates the whole record. It’s probably my favourite song we made.
“There are a lot of stories,” he adds.
“It’s very emblematic of my childhood and a lot of people’s, young men in particular. Talking about feelings or asking difficult questions can feel like more discomfort than it’s worth, but the consequence is you don’t really know someone as well as you think you do.”
Noah says of his new album: ‘The Great Divide is really about a friendship that didn’t work out — one where I wasn’t able to express myself’Credit: Patrick McCormack
It’s an expansive album with 17 tracks, including the gorgeous We Go Way Back, Willing And Able, Haircut and Porch Light.
He adds: “I can’t wait to see crowds singing back Willing And Able, and Haircut started from that idea of someone coming back to town changed — like they’ve outgrown it. I felt like I’d become that person, only going home for inspiration instead of really being there.
“The song is almost someone singing to me, saying, I’m glad you’ve figured things out, but at least I’m still here and still real. You’ll leave again, and we’ll still be here. That’s what it’s about.
“Then, Porch Light is really about my biggest fear — how I’ve changed.
“I worry about going home and feeling like people see me differently, like I’ve become this ‘Hollywood’ version of myself, too big for where I’m from. That my relationship with Vermont has been changed by success and leaving Vermont for Nashville.
“But my family has always kept me grounded. They’re so happy for me. I wanted to write about that fear you have in your head before you even pick up the phone.
“You’re always anticipating what people might think. But there’s a silver lining in Porch Light. It’s about people saying, ‘We still care about you, we’ll still be here — but you need to figure things out first’.”
And that sense of place runs throughout the album.
“Yeah, the first and last songs really frame the album — I wanted them to feel like an intro and an outro,” Kahan says.
“The first track, End Of August, is this big, building track about that time of year in Vermont . . . It’s that moment when the tourists leave and the people who live there can finally come out of hibernation — like, ‘They’re gone’.”
He’s been working with Stick Season collaborator Gabe Simon, The National’s Aaron Dessner — best known for his work with Taylor Swift, Bon Iver and, more recently, Gracie Abrams — plus Ed Sheeran and Mumford & Sons.
Kahan says: “Gabe and I are really close — we went through a lot making Stick Season, so on this album we leaned on each other. He’s like a brother and the perfect person to go through this with.”
Noah will be in the UK, including three nights at London’s O2 in NovemberCredit: Patrick McCormack
Aaron Dessner brought calm, structure and creative balance to the process.
“Aaron came in early on, but I was intimidated at first,” admits Kahan. “I looked him up on Wikipedia and was terrified of his success. This guy’s a legend.
“This was where Taylor Swift writes and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), who works with Aaron, is my hero. Aaron has a magic to his music — a real understanding of what an artist is trying to say. But he’s a sweet, calm man who lives a very humble life in upstate New York on a farm.
“I needed him to stabilise me creatively. He is regimented in how he makes music and I need a routine. He is an amazing producer and this album sounds so f*****g cool because of what Aaron did.”
The sound on the new album is more expansive than Kahan’s earlier music and includes horns, guitar and richer production.
He says: “Honing on a sound and a theme started the process. Aaron’s place had dirt bikes, fishing rods and skeet shooting — all the things that I grew up doing.
“We couldn’t make the music in Vermont this time and the setting was really important, feeling connected to nature and beauty.
“It’s hard for me to make music in a city. Whenever I’m in a city, all I write is, ‘Get me out of the city’ songs.”
He adds: “We were also still in the middle of touring and I was over the Stick Season songs.
“There’s a lot of electric guitar on the new record, and bouzouki and mandocello, instruments we haven’t really used before. It’s a new confidence, but having spent three years on the road, I just want to make music that’s exciting to play live.”
It’s the connection with his audience that remains key.
He says: “I love it when I see fans singing back my songs as it means they’re feeling it.
“I’m always honoured when someone says my music has helped them to reach out for help. Though it can be overwhelming when people tell me they’re struggling with difficult thoughts.
“I don’t always feel equipped to handle that and I worry I’m not helping in the way they need. It’s hard when you feel you’re letting someone down.”
Now, his attention is focused on bringing the album to the stage.
He says: “I’m looking forward to playing these new songs. This record tells a story, so we’re working on the stage design, setlist and lighting to tell that story. We’re playing stadiums now, but I want fans to still have an intimate experience.”
The Writers Guild of America and major entertainment companies have reached a provisional agreement on a new contract, easing fears of another industry-wide disruption, according to media reports.
The deal, which still requires ratification by union members, would run for four years, slightly
The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reportedly reached a tentative four-year deal for a new contract.
Puck co-founder and reporter Matt Belloni first reported news of the tentative deal Saturday. The agreement represents a departure from standard practice, adding one more year to the WGA’s usual three-year contract. Additionally, it includes health plan and pension increases, bumps in streaming pay and protections that will police licensing for AI training.
The new contract is still subject to ratification following a vote by union members. The WGA and AMPTP did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This tentative deal is a promising signal that the Writers Guild could avoid a strike after 2023’s historic work stoppage that lasted 148 days.
Separately, the Writers Guild of America West’s staff union has been on strike since mid-February.
The union’s current contract is set to expire May 1. WGA is the first of the Hollywood unions to reach a deal. SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America still need to reach an agreement with the studios.
The actors’ union began negotiations with the studios in February and extended those talks in March, but paused in order for the AMPTP to finish negotiations with the writers’ union. SAG-AFTRA and DGA’s contracts each expire June 30.
The movie, 65, was originally released in 2023 and gives film fans the ideal way to begin their extended bank holiday weekend. According to its synopsis, the story follows a lone pilot named Mills, who after a catastrophic crash, lands on an unknown planet.
He quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth… 65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive.
Those wanting to watch the film will be able to watch it tonight (April 2) from 9pm on Film4. Fans will need to make sure they tune in if they don’t want to miss it as at the time of writing, the title is not currently streaming anywhere. Viewers could alternatively tune in to Film4+1 where the film will begin an hour later at 10pm.
Adam Driver, known for playing Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy leads the cast as Mills, while he is also joined by Ariana Greenblatt as Koa. Former Disney actress Greenblatt has since appeared in Barbie, Borderlands and Now You See Me Now You Don’t.
The film was written and directed by writing partners Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The pair are most famously known for being the ones who penned the original horror film A Quiet Place before handing off creative control of the franchise to John Krasinski. They also made Heretic together, with fans calling both of their spooky offerings as ‘one of the best horror movies ever’.
Meanwhile, 65 failed to repeat the commercial success of their previous projects. It only made $60 million against a $45 million budget at the worldwide box office. And despite its less than favourable 35% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, many fans say it is well worth checking out.
Although one critic looking back on the film did share an updated verdict for why it is worth watching years after its release.
the film delivers a tense sci-fi survival story where action drives a narrative of isolation and connection. Fans of creature features and suspense will appreciate its concise format, focused on impact and pacing, echoing the tradition of dinosaur movies that have long held a unique place in the world of blockbuster cinema.
Many fans go so far as to disagree completely with the negative critical reviews. Its brief 93 minute runtime is also hailed as a positive and preferred option than slogging through a marathon release.
One fan went so far say it is the “best dinosaur movie ever made” with many making comparisons to how it has superior action to the Jurassic World movies. Another viewer added: “This film deserves 10 STARS!!! Instant Classic!!!”
Someone else claimed: “This movie checked off all the boxes. Space travel, dinosaurs, suspense, emotional connection, and Adam Driver! It doesn’t waste any time grabbing your attention, and the compelling story line is a great ride all the way through.”
However there are some who disagree, although they largely feel disappointed in the ending. Others argue that 65 did not get a fair chance at the cinema because it ended up against some big franchise sequels like John Wick 4, Shazam 2, Scream VI and Creed III.
One fan gave the ultimate approval when they commented: “Think Jurassic Park but much better and believe me when I say a lot better. This is that rare science fiction action movie that people have tried to make but didn’t get it right. Here, they finally not only got it right but they excelled!! Plus, real life marine Adam Driver is top notch in a really exciting movie.”
It has been nearly three years since Hollywood writers went on a historic strike that lasted 148 days and ushered in an extraordinary period of labor unrest that virtually shut down the film and TV business.
Now, writers are poised to commence another round of bargaining with the major studios on a new three-year film and TV contract. Few observers think the union is girding for another showdown, especially at a time when many of its members are struggling to find work amid media consolidation and belt-tightening.
But in advance of negotiations that begin on Monday , union leaders are eager to dispel any perception that they might have scaled back their demands.
“Our members have shown many times that they’re willing to fight for what we need as a collective group,” WGA West President Michele Mulroney said in an interview. “And there’s no exception here.”
With its current contract expiring on May 1, the WGA hopes to improve its members’ healthcare plans, increase streaming residuals and expand AI protections.
Michele Mulroney speaks as the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) join GLAAD in releasing the 11TH Annual GLAAD Studio Responsibility Index at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza Los Angeles LGBT Center in Los Angeles, California, on September 14, 2023.
(Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images)
Ellen Stutzman, the union’s executive director, said despite popular belief, the studios have weathered the transition from cable television to streaming “very well,” citing their efforts to maximize revenue with streaming bundling, rising subscription fees and advertising revenue.
“Writers are watching as Netflix and Paramount are fighting it out to acquire Warner Bros… Paramount is spending $81 billion,” said Stutzman. “There’s money for a fair deal for writers.”
The union leaders agree that this year’s negotiations are all focused on the sustainability of a writer’s career.
A spokesperson from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the major studios in negotiations, said in a statement that they look forward “to engaging in a constructive and collaborative bargaining process with the WGA. Through continued good-faith dialogue, we are confident we can reach balanced solutions that support talented writers while sustaining the long-term success and stability of our industry and its workforce.”
A top priority for the WGA is to increase the caps that companies contribute to the union’s healthcare plan. Union officials say the current cap has remain unchanged for two decades as healthcare contributions have steadily declined due to fewer writers working.
“AI is using [studios’] IP, which is stuff that we wrote to license these models,” said John August, the co-host of the “Scriptnotes” podcast and WGA’s negotiating committee co-chair. “With the Sora deal, it seems clear that the companies intend to monetize this IP for use with AI.”
August says the union will be skeptical toward arguments that it’s still too early to seek more safeguards around such a nascent industry, citing the union’s past history with the rise of DVDs and the internet and how profoundly those technologies changed the compensation for writers.
“If you’re taking the work that we created to generate AI outputs, we are owed money. They’re using our work to do something down the road,” added August.
WGA’s negotiating committee also is looking to boost streaming residuals, expand the minimum number of people allowed in a writers’ room and add protections for scribes working on pilots.
“We very much hope that lessons were learned in 2023 and that the AMPTP will come to the table ready to take our proposal seriously and to make a fair deal, and to do that quickly,” Mulroney said. “It provides stability for the companies and for our membership. It’s better for everybody.”
WGA is entering contract negotiations nearly a month after the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, began its bargaining sessions. Last week, the AMPTP said it was extending negotiations another seven days.
