Vermont singer and songwriter Noah Kahan releases his anxiously awaited sophomore album, I Was / I Am, today—listen HERE. The 10-track album features his newest single, “Someone Like You” feat. Joy Oladokun, accompanied by the official video also out today—watch HERE.
On the album, Noah says, “I can split my life into two parts. There is a defined and pronounced before and after within my consciousness that has become ever so clear to me in these long months of forced self-reflection. I started my journey here so fearful of changing, of losing the part of me that I felt was vital to staying grounded and unique. Somewhere in the last few years, I’ve had to let go of that fear, and allow growth, for better or for worse, to happen. This album is about examining that growth and measuring the difference from who I was when I started and who I am still becoming now. I’ve spent 4 years touring, traveling, experiencing things I would have given limbs for when I was a kid. I’ve lost friends. I’ve made lifelong connections with people I would never have otherwise gotten a chance to meet. I have failed so often and have had small successes that make it all worth it. I’ve fucked up, and I’ve lost people close to me. I don’t know if I’m ‘better’ or if I’ve regressed, I just know that I’ve grown. This album is about acknowledging that growth.”
On collaborating with Nashville singer and songwriter Joy Oladokun, Noah says, “Working with Joy on this song was one of those experiences that I’ll always remember and be grateful for. She is an incredible artist, and she was really natural on camera which made me jealous! I love her and her music and am so grateful for her involvement on this song.” Joy chimes in, saying,“When a folk-pop god like Noah Kahan calls, you come running.”
Noah Kahan took two years of milestones and transformed them into I Was / I Am, alongside his Busyheadcollaborator and Grammy Award-winning producer Joel Little (Taylor Swift, Lorde, Shawn Mendes, Jonas Brothers, Khalid) and engineer Mark Rankin. Preserving his commitment to vivid lyricism, Noah crafted the new music with faster tempos and sweeping hooks, recharging his overall vision.
He says, “While writing this record, I’ve taken stock of who I am as compared to who I was when I started and what that means, for better or worse. I do have some perspective. I’ve also lost a lot. I’ve lost people close to me for different reasons. I’ve lost friendships. I lost my dog. Those experiences haven’t necessarily hardened me, but they’ve made me incredibly grateful for what I have now. The biggest change is a little bit of clarity in terms of who I am and the person I want to end up being. The songs on the record represent a new understanding of myself.”
I Was / I Am features Noah’s previously released anthemic singles, “Part of Me” and “Godlight,” and “Animal,” which capture his signature storytelling and evocative lyrics. The tracks have amassed over 12 million combined streams to date and received praised from the likes of Billboard, SPIN, Entertainment Tonight, and many more.
Noah Kahan has quietly emerged as a homegrown phenomenon with a combination of vivid songwriting and powerful performances (as well as a razor-sharp sense of humor on social media). He’s racked up over one billion streams across his catalogue, picked up a Gold Certification for “Hurt Somebody” feat. Julia Michaels, and performed on television shows such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and TODAY. His 2020 Cape Elizabeth EP garnered critical praise from across the globe, and not to mention, he’s collaborated
ABOUT NOAH KAHAN
As Noah Kahan changes, he casts those experiences onto songs like light through a film projector. At the core of the music’s upbeat energy and unfiltered lyrics, you’ll hear who he was before and who he became—almost in real-time. The Vermont singer still pens songs straight from the heart and still cracks jokes with his signature, self-deprecating sense of humor; he’s just changed in all of the right ways (and chronicled them via his songwriting). He gained that understanding through quite the journey from small town Vermont to global renown. He’s racked up over one billion streams, released his full-length debut album Busyhead, picked up a Gold Certification for “Hurt Somebody” feat. Julia Michaels, and performed on television shows such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and TODAY. His 2020 Cape Elizabeth EP received widespread critical acclaim, and not to mention, he’s collaborated with everyone from Chelsea Cutler to mxmtoon to Quinn XCII to Gryffin. Now, the critically acclaimed singer and songwriter took two years of milestones and transformed them into his second full-length album, I Was / I Am [Republic Records], introduced by the single “Part of Me.”
ABOUT JOY OLADOKUN
With her major label debut album, in defense of my own happiness, Joy Oladokun is forging her own path, sharing the unique perspective she’s gained from living in today’s world as a black, queer woman and first-generation child of Nigerian immigrants. Born in Arizona and now living in Nashville, her musical exploration began at age ten when she was inspired to learn guitar after seeing a video of Tracy Chapman—the first time she’d ever seen a black woman play the instrument. The new record, which features collaborations with Maren Morris, Jensen McRae and Penny & Sparrow, has been named one of the “Best Albums of 2021 So Far” by Variety and Rolling Stone, who proclaims, “a serious talent with a kind of low-key, casual ease…she’s always seeking out the light to point the way, making for one of the year’s most uplifting listens.” Additionally, NPR Music declares, “She has a remarkable ability to distill how forces at work in the world…she can make even social and political protest feel like an intimate, warmly human act.” Oladokun also recently released a special deluxe album, in defense of my own happiness (complete), which features all 14 tracks from in defense of my own happiness, ten songs from her self-released 2020 record, in defense of my own happiness (the beginnings), and new track “judas.” Additionally, in the past year, Oladokun made her debut on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “TODAY,” was named a member of the #YouTubeBlack Voices Class of 2021, a NPR Music/Slingshot’s 2021 Artists to Watch, a Billboard LGBTQ Artist of the Month, Spotify’s RADAR US: Artists to Watch 2021 and Amazon Music’s Artists to Watch 2021, and had her music featured on CBS’ “CSI: Vegas,” NBC’s “This Is Us,” ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and ABC’s “Station 19.” After performing shows with Leon Bridges, Cautious Clay, and Dermot Kennedy earlier this summer, Oladokun will continue to tour throughout the fall, including several dates supporting Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and Pink Sweat$.
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