Stick Season (album)

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". 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".

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.

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

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. The second single "Northern Attitude" was released on September 16, 2022.

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.

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.

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." 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."

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)