Noah Kahan Goes Fishing in Tennessee, Talks Songwriting, Mental Health, & More | Cover Story

Why It Matters

Kahan’s retreat‑driven process shows how mental‑health breaks can revitalize artistic output, offering a model for musicians seeking sustainable creativity.

Key Takeaways

• Rural retreat revived Kahan’s creativity and eased touring burnout.
• Fishing and outdoor activities became therapeutic tools for songwriting.
• New album blends nature sounds, love themes, and relaxed vibe.
• Kahan confronts pressure to stay sad, chooses happiness in music.
• He plans deluxe/EP releases while balancing artistic authenticity.

Summary

In a candid Cover Story interview, singer‑songwriter Noah Kahan reflects on the rural Tennessee retreat that shaped his latest album, describing how a month of fishing, hiking and simple daily routines helped him reconnect with music after a taxing tour.

Kahan explains that stepping away from the studio and immersing himself in nature broke a creative block that had lingered for years. He used fishing as a distraction, letting the quiet moments spark lyrics, and notes that half the album’s songs were written in just a few hours while the rain pattered on the porch.

He cites the track “We Go Way Back” as born from that setting, complete with robin and cricket sounds, and mentions drawing inspiration from Paul Simon’s harmonies and the desire to write a genuine love song rather than his usual melancholy themes. He also shares a dream of fly‑fishing with Jeremy Wade, underscoring how the outdoors fuels his artistry.

The conversation highlights a growing trend among artists to prioritize mental‑health breaks and authentic environments to sustain creativity. For fans and the industry, Kahan’s approach signals that balancing wellbeing with production can yield fresh, resonant material and potentially reshape release strategies, including deluxe editions and follow‑up EPs.

Original Description

For Rolling Stone’s June 2026 cover story, @NoahKahan gives us a tour of a rural Tennessee farm, where he made a portion of his new album ‘The Great Divide.’ Speaking with Senior Writer Angie Martoccio, #noahkahan goes fishing, feeds the farm animals, and sits by the fire, as he opens up about the pressure to follow-up his breakout hit #stickseason, his mental health, songwriting, and much more. #noahkahanmusic

Noah Kahan on learning that success doesn’t fix everything: “Every cliché about music has proven so true for me. Like, ‘You can get everything you want, and it’s still not going to do it!’”

Noah Kahan on needing to set boundaries between his personal life and his songs: “Once I’ve given everything to everybody. I was like, ‘Who am I actually behind all of it, when I log off or when I step offstage?’ I understand people want to go deeper, and they want to know who [my songs] are about. I just have to create some boundaries. My wife is very private and really desires that privacy, and doesn’t like having her life become something that everyone can look at or talk about. That’s something that I’ve always respected about her, and it’s something I try really hard to maintain. It’s a work in progress of finding how much I want to share.”

Noah Kahan on being diagnosed with OCD: "It was surprising. I was under the influence of the idea that OCD was like, ‘I need to wash my hands a hundred times.’ But I didn’t realize how much more there was to it. I started putting all these pieces together from my childhood, and these different rituals I’ve had my whole life. It wasn’t just anxiety or being stressed. It was this real insidious disorder that I was struggling with.”

Noah Kahan on being proud of the album he’s made — despite how difficult it was to get there: “You find out who you are in the moments when you’re alone. In the moments things are quiet, and you don’t have 30,000 people screaming that they love you. I needed to be brought back down to earth, and I think the process, as hard as it was, really did bring me back.”

Read the Rolling Stone cover story here: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/noah-kahan-the-great-divide-album-vermont-1235556474

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Talent — Noah Kahan

Interviewer — Angie Martoccio

Director of Social & Video — Waiss Aramesh

Shoot Director, Editor, Colorist — Mitch Saavedra

Executive Producer — Christopher Hwisu Kim

Senior Producer — Viviane Feldman

Social Video Producer — Sim Tumay

Video Director of Photography — Eric Brouse

Camera Operators: Mindy Cook, Kamren Kennedy

Sound Engineer — Tony Dancy

Production Assistant — Corbin WM Peak

UX Editor — Nicole Thompson

Creative Director — Joe Hutchinson

Executive Music Editor — Christian Hoard

Editors in Chief — Sean Woods & Shirley Halperin

CEO — Julian Holguin

Special Thanks — Fire Tower Farm

https://www.youtube.com/user/rollingstone