Noah Kahan admits dark struggle behind 'Stick Season' fame

Noah Kahan has lifted the lid on his most bizarre songwriting spot and it’s not exactly glamorous.

The 29-year-old singer has revealed that some of his best musical ideas come while sitting on the toilet, joking that the bathroom’s “great acoustics” make it the perfect place to strum and sing.

Speaking to the BBC, he laughed that fans love his mix of music and toilet humour, even when it involves “poop and stuff”.

But beyond the cheeky confessions, the Stick Season hitmaker has opened up about a far more serious struggle behind the scenes.

Kahan admitted he was quietly battling Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, revealing he often felt overwhelmed and disconnected while performing. 

Instead of soaking in the energy of thousands of fans, he found himself anxiously counting down the moments until shows would end.

Even songwriting, once his emotional escape, became a source of pressure. 

After the massive success of Stick Season, he struggled to recreate that magic, second-guessing every lyric and abandoning dozens of songs as self-doubt crept in.

A retreat to Joshua Tree National Park in search of inspiration only deepened his slump. 

“I thought it would help me understand myself… but I felt worse,” he admitted.

Things reached a breaking point when he stopped writing altogether, until a diagnosis and a shift in mindset changed everything. 

After starting medication, including Lexapro, Kahan found relief.

“I realised I don’t need to be in pain to make music,” he said.

And in a surprising twist, he discovered he’d already written nearly 40 songs, some, fittingly, finished in the bathroom where his wildest ideas first began.

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