You know that feeling when you're driving through a patch of woods in November, the trees are skeletal, and the air just feels... heavy? That is basically the spiritual home of Noah Kahan and Hozier. It’s not just that they both have long hair and look like they’ve spent the last decade living in a very expensive cabin. It’s the way their voices occupy the same lonely frequency.
When Noah Kahan finally dropped the duet version of "Northern Attitude" featuring Hozier in late 2023, the reaction wasn't just "oh, cool song." It was more like a collective sigh of relief from everyone who uses Phoebe Bridgers lyrics as a personality trait.
The Collaboration We Actually Needed
The thing about Noah Kahan and Hozier is that they represent two different sides of the same melancholy coin. Noah is the "Vermont boy" who makes you feel like you’re sitting at a kitchen table in a small town, drinking lukewarm coffee and regretting your twenties. Hozier, on the other hand, is the "Irish forest god" whose lyrics read like a PhD thesis on religious guilt and dirt.
Honestly, the way they came together for "Northern Attitude" felt inevitable. Noah has been very vocal about Hozier being one of his biggest inspirations. He once joked on TikTok that listeners were "no longer allowed" to listen to the original solo version of the song because the Hozier version was the only one that mattered now.
Hozier didn’t just phone in a guest verse. He brought that deep, gravelly Bray, Ireland texture to a song about the literal and metaphorical cold of New England.
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Why "Northern Attitude" Hit Different
Most people think "Northern Attitude" is just about being grumpy because it’s cold outside. It’s actually much darker than that. The song explores the idea of being "raised on little light"—how growing up in an isolated, frozen environment can make you emotionally unavailable or "cold" to the people you love.
When Hozier comes in with the line "All alone, late in life, scared to live, scared to die," it adds a layer of existential dread that the original (as great as it was) didn't quite reach. Kahan's voice has this frantic, desperate energy, while Hozier sounds like the ghost of someone who has been trapped in that winter for a century.
What makes the pairing work:
- Vocal Contrast: Noah’s higher, more percussive delivery against Hozier’s bellows-from-the-earth baritone.
- Shared Themes: Both artists fixate on the land. For Noah, it's the "Stick Season" of Vermont; for Hozier, it's the bog and the "shrike" of Ireland.
- The "Venn Diagram" Fanbase: If you like one, you almost certainly have the other in your "Sad Girl/Boy Autumn" playlist.
Beyond the Studio: The Iron Blossom Moment
The studio track was great, but the real lore started at the Iron Blossom Music Festival in Richmond. That was the first time they really shared a stage. Fans caught videos of them doing "Work Song" together, and it was clear they weren't just industry colleagues. There was a genuine mutual respect there.
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Noah’s rise has been meteoric—we’re talking billions of streams for Stick Season—but he’s managed to keep this "fanboy" energy that makes him relatable. He doesn't act like a multi-platinum star; he acts like a guy who still can’t believe he has Hozier’s phone number.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Folk Revival"
There’s this misconception that Noah Kahan and Hozier are just "stomp-clap" folk like the 2012 era of Mumford & Sons. That’s a total surface-level take.
Modern folk, as these two define it, is much more rooted in "indie-rock" and "soul" than the "Hey Ho" era. Hozier brings a heavy blues and gospel influence—listen to Unreal Unearth and you’ll hear Dante’s Inferno references and complex time signatures. Noah brings a "pop-punk" lyricism to folk instruments. He writes about Zoloft and local traffic in a way that feels incredibly modern.
They aren't trying to sound like the 1960s. They are trying to sound like 2026.
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Looking Ahead: The "Last of the Bugs" Era
As we move through 2026, Noah is already pivoting. He’s been teasing his next project, The Last of The Bugs, and the snippets suggest a shift toward something even more experimental. Meanwhile, Hozier continues to be the king of the slow-burn, with "Too Sweet" becoming a massive global hit long after people thought he was just the "Take Me To Church" guy.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this sound, you shouldn't just stop at the hits. Check out the "Live from Fenway Park" recordings or Hozier’s deeper cuts like "Abstract (Psychopomp)."
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you're trying to capture that specific Noah Kahan and Hozier vibe in your own listening habits or creative life, here is how to actually engage with the movement:
- Listen to the "Stick Season (Forever)" album in order. The collaborations with Kacey Musgraves and Post Malone are great, but the Hozier track is the emotional anchor of that deluxe release.
- Explore the "New England Folk" scene. Noah didn't pop up in a vacuum. Artists like Joy Oladokun and Mt. Joy often overlap in this space and offer similar lyrical depth.
- Watch the live performance videos from Nashville (Oct 2023). Seeing the physical height difference between them while they belt out the bridge of "Northern Attitude" is a rite of passage for the fandom.
- Support the Busyhead Project. Noah’s mental health initiative is a core part of his brand. If you value the "honesty" in his music, looking into how he’s funding local mental health resources is a way to see the "real" side of the industry.
The "Northern Attitude" era might be winding down as Noah prepares for his new album, but the blueprint these two created for modern folk collaborations is going to be studied for years. It proved that you don't need a high-gloss pop feature to go viral; sometimes, you just need two guys, a mandolin, and a shared obsession with the cold.