For Noah Kahan, describing the past year as a whirlwind is an understatement. “It's really been two years now,” Kahan says Advertising sign of grinding out various tours in support of his 2022 breakthrough album; Stick Seasonand seeing his audience climb month after month.
“I'll do a two-month run and then three or four days off and then come back,” he continues. “It's not enough time to find myself again and I think it's been hard to have these little tastes of a normal life. Don't get me wrong — this is my dream job, I love touring and playing every show. I'm just trying to find ways to make it a healthier experience for myself.”
With that in mind, Kahan has announced the details of how his mental health initiative, The Busyhead Project, will be present on his latest tour, as he kicks off a run of North American shows this weekend and also honors Mental Health Awareness Month. The up-and-coming singer-songwriter's We'll Be All Be Here Forever tour will resume in Nashville this weekend and run across North America through early August before returning to Europe for another month.
Kahan's tour will feature multiple activations and collaborations coordinated by the Busyhead Project, which launched last year: Each tour stop will include a Busyhead Project Action Village that supports local mental health organizations and features a community wall that allows fans to share positive messages. In addition, HeadCount will be on site at the Action Village to encourage voter registration.
For Kahan — who has been vocal about his battles with anxiety and depression throughout his career and championed greater understanding of mental health during his time in the spotlight — the goal is for his philanthropy to scale depending on his profile.
“In my own life and career, I feel like things have continued to build for me in small ways and I want to make sure that my passion for talking about mental health and raising money for it follows the growth of my likes, my space capacity and my staff,” he says. “I'm a big believer in striking while the iron is hot – if you look at my tour schedule, you'll get that – but along with that is taking moments where there's momentum and visibility and doing as much good as possible.”
In addition, The Busyhead Project announced a new partnership with Backline, a national nonprofit that connects music industry professionals with mental health and wellness resources. “I've always wondered why there isn't more support in this industry – not just for the artists or the band, but for the crew, the people who work from 7am to 2am.” explains Kahan. “Touring is not a nine-to-five, and if you're struggling on the road, it's really hard to find time to step away and take care of yourself. … It was really special to work with Backline and I know that [resource] going to be on my tour makes me feel really good.”
His success Stick Season, Kahan's third studio album, included its title track becoming the Vermont singer-songwriter's first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. high-profile collaborations with artists such as Post Malone, Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves. a Grammy nod for Best New Artist. and graduating from low-capacity venues to multiple concerts at Madison Square Garden next month. Kahan says he's “always working” on new material amid this extensive discovery, though he finds time to create the Stick Season Tracking was difficult amidst all the travel and shows.
“It was very difficult for me to find a grounding moment in all of this,” Kahan admits. “It's just this feeling that I can't access this thing that I love so much, which is songwriting and understanding myself. And it was really, really hard and tiring for me to try to find time to be creative. The way music is coming out now, I'm like, “Man, I should have a new record out by the fall!” And I just don't! I can't make something that isn't happy for me.”
However, this does not mean that the creative well is completely empty. “I've written some songs that I really love,” says Kahan, “and I have an idea for my next album that I really think is important to me. He feels like he's operating in his own world Stick Season in a way, but it doesn't just do the same thing. It just feels like the same feeling, conceptually, something very deep. I think it's there.”
Above all, Kahan wants to practice what he preaches in terms of his self-image, in the midst of the biggest performances of his career to date and before the Stick Season I follow. “I'm trying to be kind to myself and have some time to be creative soon,” he says. “Sometimes it's hard to feel like I'm out there doing good work for mental health awareness and then I'm not looking after my own. It's been a struggle, but I'm finding ways to make it work.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/noah-kahan-mental-health-initiative-new-album-1235691030/
