Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.
All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Jillian (class of 2027) and features Noah Kahan’s 2019 album Busyhead. Thanks, Jillian!
Noah Kahan is an American pop/folk singer-songwriter raised in Strafford, Vermont. Starting his musical career at the age of eight, Kahan uploaded his songs to SoundCloud and YouTube, soon after getting his first guitar at the age of 10. Navigating through high school, small venues, and his own mental health, Kahan released his first studio album, Busyhead, in 2019.
Busyhead explores the inner workings of Kahan’s mind and how difficult it can be to find one’s way in life. Featuring themes of growth, self-doubt, anxiety, and overthinking, songs from this album quietly and softly touch its listeners. Songs such as “False Confidence” and “Mess” dive into the struggles of imposter syndrome and discovering that not everyone sees you the same way you see yourself, while “Sink” and “Tidal” focus on depression and overcoming it. His single “Hurt Somebody,” featuring Julia Michaels, achieved a placing of 24 on the Billboard Hot 100, accelerating his career to national prominence.
In 2023, Kahan started the Busyhead Project, a foundation dedicated to raising money and awareness for mental health and supporting accessible care. This project continues today and has raised over $6 million since 2023.
Kahan continues to explore the theme of personal growth with his subsequent albums, I Was/I Am (2021), Stick Season (2022), and The Great Divide (2026), reaching international fame after his single “Stick Season.”