Tonight at the CMA Awards, New England’s prodigal son Noah Kahan will join Kelsea Ballerini on stage in Nashville to perform their recent single “Cowboys Cry Too,” for which they’re nominated for Musical Event of the Year. The Vermont native played Nashville in May during his We’ll Be Here Forever Tour, and recently spoke to American Songwriter about how he used to be “scared s–tless” of the city.
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Now, though, he returns to Nashville for the CMAs, where hopefully he and Ballerini will take home an award. Kahan charmed his Nashville fans, but the question remains if he can impress a crowd of country music professionals and stars with his folksy yet frantic indie vibe. Can the most diehard New Englander excite the heart of country music?
I believe Noah Kahan’s music has roots in Americana and folk that are tuned into what country music really is. Under the too-shiny veneer of Broadway and pop-country radio hits, true Nashville country feels more like folk than anything. Kahan’s Vermont sensibilities may not mesh completely with the South (I’m mean because I grew up in New England he sings on “Homesick,” after all), but I firmly believe his music can bridge the gap between the kind-but-not-nice New England and the bless-your-heart South.
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That bridge is why his collaboration with Kelsea Ballerini works so well. Kahan has the skills to blend his style with country and have it feel seamless, and it comes down to those Americana roots. As someone who is also mean because they’re from New England, I consider Noah Kahan a genre wizard while also possessing a distinct singularity. He has a signature sound and he sticks to it, but he’s also collaborated with artists like Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves, elaborating on his established style.
It’s this willingness to collaborate that I think initially endeared him to country music. Country is a community at the end of the day, and people like to work together. Kahan possesses that innate ability to work with others that country music loves.
“What I do love is, I love songwriting so much,” Kahan told American Songwriter in September. “I love storytelling. I think Nashville does appreciate stories and great songs … I’ve felt very welcomed by everybody here in the Americana community, the country community, and the pop community.”
He continued, “There’s a lot of great people in Nashville, and I have formed connections with people that I’ve admired for years. It’s been really cool. I think hopefully good people are awarded for that, and I’ve met so many great people, and it’s been amazing to be a part of.”
Featured Image by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Americana Music Association
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