New York, N.Y. (WCAX) – The 66th Annual Grammy Awards show will be live tonight on WCAX at 8:00 p.m. EST, and Noah Kahan is nominated for Best New Artist. Gayle King spoke with Kahan about his reaction to the nomination.
GK: Listen to his voice. Noah Kahan joins us in the studio. Congratulations to you, Noah. But Let’s go back to that moment when you got the Grammy news. Were did all that emotion coming from? Because some people say, “Oh, did the Grammy’s come out? I was sleeping. All the sudden my phone started blowing up and I didn’t know. I love that you had full blown ass reaction of happiness.
NK: Yeah. I was very excited and for an entire year I wouldn’t let anybody talk to me about it.
GK: Why?
NK: I didn’t want to curse it or jinks it. And so I was I didn’t let like even my mom or my managers. I just didn’t want to talk about it at all. So I think like that day was the first day I let myself really want it and allowed myself to believe that maybe I had a chance.
GK: Yes. Was this something you dreamed of as a kid?
NK: It was, yeah. When I was like falling asleep I would practice my Grammy’s speech when I was a little kid.
GK: How did it start?
NK: Thank you to the Grammy’s. I deserve this. No, I never really had a I never really got too far. Cuz I think I stopped myself from believing it could be true.
GK: But this is the thing as we sit here today. I love just looking at your name on the screen. What does it mean to you? I mean you walk around, people know who you are. They know your music. What does this feel like for you?
NK: It’s surreal. First, first and foremost. But it’s also something that I’m very proud of. You know I’ve been working for 8 years. I got signed 7 years ago and I’ve been in the music industry for a long time and it’s been a lot of hard work from a lot of people and I just feel proud of me and my team and the people that have believed in me for so long. It’s really exciting.
GK: So what was your dream growing up when it came to music? A When did – When did you know you could sing? With the voice that you have. B You know, I was saying to you your voice really does something to me. It calms me down. It soothes me. I really love listening to you and I love your lyrics.
NK: Thank you
GK: When did you know that you had something that other people don’t?
NK: Well, there’s thinking you can sing and knowing you can sing. I’ve been singing for a long time. But when I was 8, I was like this really angsty like little kid. I was listening to Green Day and Simple Plan and I was singing like super angsty songs about like how Wednesdays are the worst days of my life and how I didn’t want to go to school and I think I was really annoying but I actually hit puberty believe it or not and I my voice changed and I feel like it got better and I got a little rasp to it. So when I was like 12 or 13 I started to kind of really kind of take it seriously. And I’ve been writing songs since I was 8 years old. And so music was such a big part of my life already and was always my dream.
GK: The other thing I like is that you’re very open. You’ve talked about mental health, anxiety and depression. Was it hard for you to share that? And you’ve got a great lyric where you go when a light a light that goes off can always go on.
NK: Yeah
GK: You’ve been very open and candid about that. Was it hard for you to share that part of yourself? Because now, I think it’s great more and more people are talking about it. Because back in the day if you had an issue, you just better suck it up. Not share it with others. Was it hard for you to make that decision?
NK: I’ve never found it hard to be open about my mental health, and I owe that to my parents who would always encourage me to talk about it. I recognized a massive privilege in that. My family was always able to provide me with resources for my mental health. And I realized later on how abnormal that experience really was. And so I felt like I had a responsibility to speak about what I’m going through. In hopes that maybe it opens up that conversation for others. You know when I was a kid and I would hear a song from an artist that was talking about mental health like that was for me for me that was like my religion. That was like my savior and sometimes when I’m writing a song I’m like this is tricky and this feels uncomfortable or painful I, I try to look past that feeling and recognize the value and potential lifeline I might offer to someone out there
GK: What is it like when dreams come true? What’s it like and what’s your dream now?
NK: I think you’re so used to dreaming that when it finally comes true, you don’t know how to process it as a reality. And that’s been hard for me to recognize that this is real. And trying to convince myself I deserve it is hard. I often find myself not being able to be proud. Or feeling like I have to discredit myself for some reason and
GK: Stop that, Noah.
NK: I know. I’m trying. I’m trying. I’m working on it. But this, this month this past few weeks since getting the Grammy nomination I’ve, I’ve really woken up everyday and told myself I deserve it and try to be proud of myself for it.
GK: Yes, please embrace it. Please know so many people are cheering you on. So many people love your music.
NK: Thank you
GK: And just want you to continue to soar. And who are you taking to the Grammy nominations? I heard once you said that if you go, you’re going to take your parents. You’re bringing your mom.
NK: Yeah. I’m bringing my mom. When I was a little kid, my mom would say, when we go to the Grammys we have to take me there. And she was the first call I made and she’s gunna get styled up. We’re gunna go to the red carpet. I’m gunna drive her home. It’s gunna be, it’s gunna be an awesome, it’s gunna be an awesome night. She’s really excited.
GK: Well I’m gunna be in front of my TV set cheering you on. I might have the reaction you had when you win.
NK: Alright, well we’ll have to film it to make sure that’s true. I want proof, Gayle.
GK: Yes. Alright, Noah. Consider it done.
NK: Amazing
GK: Congratulations. It was a pleasure to have you here.
NK: It was an honor thank you so much
GK: Noah Kahan, thank you
