Noah Kahan Shares Insights on Collaborating with Aaron Dessner for His New Album ‘The Great Divide’ and Opening Up in the Doc ‘Out Of Body’ — SXSW Studio
Noah Kahan is set to release his fourth studio album, The Great Divide, next month, following the success of his 2022 album, Stick Season. Continuing his collaboration with producer Gabe Simon, Kahan has also brought Aaron Dessner of The National on board for this latest project.
The artist attended a festival to promote his upcoming Netflix documentary, Noah Kahan: Out of Body. The film offers an intimate glimpse into Kahan’s rapid ascent to fame over the past few years while candidly addressing his struggles with mental health and the challenges of self-discovery.
Kahan began working with Dessner shortly after completing his Stick Season tour and filming the documentary. He described that period as a time when he felt “definitely at a very raw place,” and experienced significant burnout.
“Aaron really knows how to talk to artists and knows how to connect with artists and bring them to the moment they’re in and make music from it,” Kahan said.
Dessner, a founding member of The National, is celebrated for his production work, including collaborations with artists such as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Gracie Abrams, Bon Iver, and Mumford & Sons.
Kahan added, “His production and his talent speaks for itself, but I really can’t say enough about who he is as a person and as a collaborator.”
Directed by Nick Sweeney, Noah Kahan: Out of Body features Sweeney collaborating with Kahan in the studio. Reflecting on the project, Sweeney expressed his initial concerns about whether Kahan would be “truly ready to let me in.”
The documentary will make its debut at SXSW on Monday, before premiering on Netflix on April 13. The Great Divide is scheduled for release on April 24.
