Winters in New England can be brutal. Growing up in Vermont, Noah Kahan knows this all too well. But it’s not just the landscape that suffers in the throes of ice and snow.
The term “stick season” refers to the period between the vivid foliage at the end of October and the soon-to-arrive first snow of winter, when leaves have fallen and bare trees line the small towns.
When asked to describe this time of year, Kahan said, “It’s a time of transition, and it’s super depressing.”
Written and released in the twilight of the COVID-19 pandemic, “Stick Season” gradually became a rallying cry for those who found themselves transitioning to and from quarantine. And aided by TikTok, Kahan’s hit single soon developed into a streaming anthem.
Kahan’s ascension can be traced back to the success of “Stick Season,” which highlights the singer’s personal struggles with cycles of depression, alcoholism, and family strife. Kahan spends the majority of the song searching for the perfect coping mechanism to dull the pain of the season following the memories of a painful breakup.
The nostalgia of his hometown and the anguish of his failed relationship meld together to produce an appealing folk song, though Kahan’s attempts to solve the problem of finding purpose following his recent breakup often lead to more pain rather than the erasure of it.
On some level, Kahan realizes the role he played in the destruction of his relationship, singing, “And it’s half my fault, but I just like to play the victim.”
This connects to his earlier admission that some of the blame should be placed on him for how things ended. “Now I’m stuck between my anger and the blame that I can’t face.”
Kahan’s growing realization of his role in the relationship balloons into what is perhaps the track’s most poignant lyric: “So I thought that if I piled something good on all my bad/I could cancel out the darkness I inherited from Dad.”
It’s clear Kahan has committed significant time to working through his role in this situation. Elsewhere in interviews, Kahan is quick to mention the amount of therapy he’s received to unwind the past trauma of his depression and his family’s trauma.
Two of the primary depictions of Kahan’s attempts to ease his pain appear throughout the song. Of the memory of his breakup, Kahan sings, “And memories are something even smoking weed does not replace.”
Later, Kahan muses on the loneliness he feels during “stick season,” saying, “I’ll drink alcohol till my friends come home for Christmas.”
Kahan also hints at an underlying sense of anger he feels toward his ex and how things ended, which is set against the backdrop of his nightly dreams of the memories of this relationship.
“Stick Season” and its subsequent 30-track album connect with a generation of listeners who understand and relate to the nuances of depression, anxiety, and therapy.
Throughout his meteoric rise, Kahan has highlighted the importance of mental health with several benefit concerts donating proceeds to local charities.
Even though those positives are worth celebrating on their own merit, they exist in the shadow of Kahan’s unabashed use and promotion of alcohol and drugs as worthy solutions to his pain.
To be clear, the content of Kahan’s expanded work does little to shy away from drug use, alcohol consumption, and lashing out in anger following failed relationships. These consistent themes are reason enough to be cautious of diving too deep into Kahan’s folk songs.
Jackson Greer is a High School English Teacher in the suburbs of Texas. He lives in Coppell, Texas with his wife, Clara. They love debating whether or not to get another cat and reading poetry together. Also, he is a former employee of Focus on the Family’s Parenting Department.
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