Noah Kahan is a popular artist who writes folk style music from Strafford, Vermont. His creation of the Busyhead Project, an advocational organization for mental health, and his impact on communities across the world creates a powerful, and meaningful bond between artist and listener.
From a young age, Noah Kahan dealt with extreme depersonalization, and this affected him for many years of his life. This affected him the most during his early years of touring and producing music. He struggled with excess drinking, binge eating and not eating. He went to multiple therapists and tried different medications, however these known-to-be-helpful things just ended up making him feel worse. He stated in a Time article he published that he was “losing touch with himself”, and that he would never be able to come out of it.
He poured his feelings into his early albums and tours, hoping that the next production or event would fix his mental health. It wasn’t until he went back home that he started to feel alive again. He regained control of his mental health and learned to maintain his emotions. “I regained control over my mental health and accepted that I would always have to be vigilant in watching for symptoms. I still felt anxious every day, but I learned how to work through the thoughts, to sift the rational from the far-fetched,” said Noah in the Time article. In 2019, Noah Kahan and his managers, Drew Simmons and Ryan Langlois created The Busyhead Project.
The Busyhead Project was named after Noah’s debut album in 2019. It focuses on mental health, and provides aid and resources to his listeners. Noah Kahan wants to put a stop to the stigmatized way people view mental health. He wants people to know that it’s normal to have mental health struggles, and talks about his own struggles in the media. On The Busyhead Project website, Noah said “I’ve been given so many wonderful opportunities in my career and it really is all for nothing if I don’t try and give back to the community that has supported me. If I can help anyone get through their struggles, it will be the proudest achievement of my career.” Since it became a project in 2023 it has raised millions of dollars to make mental health help accessible to all who want to take advantage of it.
Noah Kahan held his “We’ll All Be Here Forever” tour in 2023-2024. He held concerts in arenas across the globe, including two sold out nights with his hometown community at Fenway Park. After the nights at Fenway, Noah released a Live From Fenway Park album, so listeners could experience the loud and amazing environment from his nights at Fenway. Noah livestreamed all of his shows, making it so people who couldn’t be there could experience the concerts for themselves.
Overall, this tour was an unbelievable success, raising over $4.5 million dollars for the Busyhead Project, said the Red Sox Foundation. Presentally, Noah just announced his “The Great Divide” tour for 2026. In an interview, Noah stated, “I’m hitting the road this summer, can’t wait to bring The Great Divide Tour to stadiums across North America! I’m also excited to have my friend Gigi Perez join me. I can’t wait to see all of your beautiful faces!” He plans to once again visit many different arenas throughout the United States in the summer months, including Fenway Park. This concert is anticipated to raise lots of money for The Busyhead Project once again, and fans are ecstatic to attend.
