Stick Season (album) explained

Stick Season
Type:	studio
Artist:	Noah Kahan
Cover:	Noah Kahan - Stick Season.png
Genre:	Folk^[1]
Length:	55:21
Label:	Mercury Republic
Producer:	Noah Kahan Gabe Simon
Prev Title:	I Was / I Am
Prev Year:	2021

Stick Season is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who also served as producer alongside Gabe Simon. It was released on October 14, 2022, by Mercury Records and Republic Records. The album was supported by two singles: the title track and "Northern Attitude". An expanded edition of the album, titled Stick Season (We'll All Be Here Forever), was released on June 9, 2023, with seven additional tracks, including an extended version of "The View Between Villages".^[2] Another version of the album, titled Stick Season (Forever), was released on February 9, 2024, featuring all the collaborations and three original songs, of which two are the collaborations "You're Gonna Go Far" and "Paul Revere" and one is the single "Forever".^[3]

Background

Kahan began writing the album in his hometown of Strafford, Vermont, in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Periods of loneliness, burnout from industry pressures, and self-discovery inspired him to distance himself from his previous indie pop sound with a more folk-centric sound, being inspired by Phoebe Bridgers and Sam Fender to incorporate "unprecedented detail" into his writing.^[4]

In an interview with WPTZ shortly after the album's release, Kahan described the album as a "love letter to New England".^[5]

Singles

On July 8, 2022, the album's title track was released as the lead single. Kahan began teasing the song on social media in the fall of 2020, and it would grow in popularity on TikTok in the two years prior to its official release.^[6] The second single "Northern Attitude" was released on September 16, 2022.^[7]

On July 18, 2023, Kahan released "Dial Drunk" featuring Post Malone. Kahan described feeling "shock and excitement" that Post wanted to sing on this track and write his own verse.^[8]

On September 15, 2023, Kahan released "Call Your Mom" featuring Lizzy McAlpine.

On October 6, 2023, Kahan released "She Calls Me Back" featuring Kacey Musgraves.

On November 10, 2023, Kahan released "Northern Attitude" featuring Hozier.

On December 1, 2023, Kahan released "Everywhere, Everything" featuring Gracie Abrams.

On January 19, 2024, Kahan released "Homesick" featuring Sam Fender.^[9]

Critical reception

Writing for the Associated Press, Elise Ryan wrote that the album's material "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."^[10] Marcy Donelson of AllMusic rated the album three-and-a-half out of five stars and described it as a "nostalgic" album that "explores life transitions including leaving home as a young adult, negotiating a pandemic, and getting help for mental health issues."^[11]

Personnel

Musicians

• Noah Kahan – lead vocals (all tracks), electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4–6, 8–12, 14, 15, 19–21, 24–30), background vocals (1, 4, 5, 7, 10–12, 14–29), mandolin (3), foot stamping (9), tenor guitar (10), acoustic guitar (15–18, 22, 30)
• Gabe Simon – percussion (tracks 1–4, 6, 7, 14, 16, 17, 22, 23, 25–27, 30), electric guitar (1, 2, 4–9, 11–15, 19–21, 24, 25, 27–29), bass guitar (1, 3–8, 10, 12, 14–30), organ (1, 3, 4, 14–16, 19–25, 26, 28, 29), drums (1, 3, 4, 6–8, 11, 12, 25–27), acoustic guitar (1, 3, 4, 13, 25, 26), piano (1, 3, 5–8, 10, 11, 13, 18, 20–22, 24, 26, 27, 29), background vocals (1, 3, 5, 7–14, 17–24, 26–30), mandolin (1, 6, 8, 14, 17–19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 30), 12-string acoustic guitar (1, 10, 11, 26), banjo (2, 3, 5–8, 11, 13, 14, 19, 21, 24, 27, 30), baritone guitar (4, 6, 15–17, 19, 21, 23–25, 27, 30), whistle (6, 9, 17, 30), castanets (8), Moog bass (13); mandocello, slide guitar (22)
• Konrad Snyder – piano (tracks 1, 26), background vocals (4, 25), clapping (8)
• Carrie Karpinen – drums (tracks 3, 8, 12, 14–24, 28–30), percussion (3, 8, 12, 15–24, 28–30)
• Phillip Bowen – viola, violin (track 11)
• Noah Levine – electric guitar (tracks 12, 16, 23, 28), slide guitar (12, 18, 28), baritone guitar (16, 20, 23, 29); acoustic guitar, banjo (16, 23); background vocals (18, 22)
• John Mailander – fiddle (tracks 17, 18, 30)
• Hazel Lewis – spoken word (track 21)
• Melvin Coburn – spoken word (track 21)
• Post Malone – lead vocals (track 23)
• Lizzy McAlpine – lead vocals (track 24)
• Kacey Musgraves – lead vocals (track 25)
• Hozier – lead vocals (track 26)
• Aaron Dessner – electric guitar, nylon-string guitar, piano (track 27)
• Gracie Abrams – lead vocals (track 27)
• Sam Fender – lead vocals, background vocals (track 28)
• Johnny "Bluehat" Davis – tenor saxophone (track 28)
• Brandi Carlile – lead vocals (track 29)
• Gregory Alan Isakov – lead vocals (track 30)

Technical

• Noah Kahan – production
• Gabe Simon – production
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• Ryan Hewitt – mixing (tracks 1–4, 6–30), engineering (16–18, 20, 21, 23, 29, 30), immersive mix engineering (15–22, 25–27, 29, 30)
• Konrad Snyder – mixing (track 5), engineering (1–15, 17, 19–22, 24–30)
• Willie Linton – engineering (track 23)
• Beau Sorenson – engineering (track 27)
• Mark Broughton – engineering (track 28)
• Brandon Bell – engineering (track 29)
• Dan Rome – vocal production (track 2)
• Todd Clark – vocal production (tracks 14, 21)
• Louis Bell – vocal production (track 23)
• Aaron Dessner – vocal production (track 27)
• Jordon Silva – mixing assistance (1–4, 6–14, 22, 25–28)
• Maddie Harmon – mixing assistance (tracks 15–21, 23, 24, 29, 30)
• Matt Hall – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 3–15, 17, 19–21, 25–30)
• Louis Remenapp – engineering assistance (tracks 16–18, 20–23)
• Joe Trentacosti – engineering assistance (tracks 22, 29, 30)
• Dean Thompson – engineering assistance (track 28)
• Liam Hebb – engineering assistance (track 28)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2022–2024)! scope="col"

Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[12]	6
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[13]	5
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[14]	38

Year-end charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[15]	92
Canadian Albums (Billboard)^[16]	38
UK Albums (OCC)^[17]	45
US Billboard 200^[18]	38
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)^[19]	6

Notes and References

1. News: Ellis . Maddie . Noah Kahan wrote a hit folk album with 'Stick Season.' He almost 'crumbled' trying to do it again . https://web.archive.org/web/20230929165419/https://www.today.com/popculture/music/noah-kahan-stick-season-meaning-interview-rcna93767 . September 29, 2023 . live . September 29, 2023 . Today . July 28, 2023.
2. Web site: Noah Kahan To Release Stick Season (We'll All Be Here Forever) On June 9th. Substream Magazine. White. Logan. May 19, 2023. June 10, 2023. June 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230610065303/https://substreammagazine.com/2023/05/noah-kahan-to-release-stick-season-well-all-be-here-forever-on-june-9th/. live.
3. Web site: Miskelly . Colin M. . 2023-03-06 . Figure 16 from: Miskelly CM (2023) From farm to forest – 50 years of ecological transformation on Mana Island, New Zealand. Tuhinga 34: 1-46. https://doi.org/10.3897/tuhinga.34.98136 . 10.3897/tuhinga.34.98136.figure16 . free .
4. Dailey . Hannah . Famous in a Small Town: Noah Kahan, 'Stick Season' and the Art of Looking Forward and Backward All At Once . Billboard . May 12, 2023 . October 12, 2022.
5. Web site: Sistrand . Carolyn . Vermont musician Noah Kahan reflects on new album, 'Stick Season,' during international tour . WPTZ . May 12, 2023 . en . November 3, 2022 . May 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230512193407/https://www.mynbc5.com/article/vermont-musician-noah-kahan-new-album-stick-season-tour/41855991 . live .
6. Web site: Darro . Thomas . Noah Kahan Releases Highly-Anticipated Stick Season & Tour Dates . Road Trip Playlists . May 12, 2023 . July 8, 2022 . September 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220922020357/https://roadtripplaylists.com/noah-kahan-releases-highly-anticipated-stick-season-tour-dates/ . live .
7. Web site: Noah Kahan Shows "Northern Attitude" On New Single – Enigma Online . Enigma Online . May 12, 2023 . September 16, 2022 . May 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230512193409/https://www.enigmaonline.com/2022/09/16/noah-kahan-shows-northern-attitude-on-new-single/ . live .
8. Web site: Vigil . Dom . 2023-07-17 . Noah Kahan Teams Up With Post Malone on New Version of "Dial Drunk" . 2023-07-24 . Prelude Press . en-US . July 21, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230721193148/https://preludepress.com/featured/2023/07/17/noah-kahan-post-malone-dial-drunk/ . live .
9. Web site: 2024-01-18 . New Releases: Noah Kahan & Sam Fender, Green Day, Yard Act and more . 2024-01-19 . Official Charts . en.
10. Web site: Ryan . Elise . Review: Noah Kahan summons stick season and nostalgia . . May 12, 2023 . en . October 12, 2022 . April 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230401172309/https://apnews.com/article/noah-kahan-stick-season-music-review-f22da8a2ac2c98d6ce4b710526618e56 . live .
11. Web site: Donelson . Marcy . Noah Kahan - Stick Season Album Reviews, Songs & More AllMusic . . August 25, 2023 . en.
12. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 29, 2024. January 26, 2024.
13. Web site: NZ Top 40 Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. February 19, 2024. February 16, 2024.
14. Web site: Veckolista Album, vecka 9. Sverigetopplistan. March 2, 2024.
15. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums Chart for 2023. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 12, 2024.
16. Top Canadian Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 22, 2023.
17. Web site: End of Year Albums Chart – 2023. Official Charts Company. January 3, 2024.
18. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 22, 2023.
19. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 22, 2023.