Netflix released the trailer for “Noah Kahan: Out of Body” on Tuesday. The April 13 release includes scenes that promise to document the personal life of one of the biggest breakout artists of the 2020s behind the scenes and show him in all his glory as he becomes a stadium act for the first time.
A trailer for the documentary can be seen here. The documentary, directed by Nick Sweeney, premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March and won the 24 Beats Per Second Audience Award, which was voted on by viewers who attended SXSW’s Music Documentary Selection.
The trailer begins with Kayhan admitting that he checked up on X after the show to gauge whether there was any negative reaction to the concert, and then shows footage of the Vermont-based artist headlining Fenway Park, essentially his hometown stadium, on the heels of his blockbuster album “Stick Season.” “We brought my mother’s living room onto the stage,” he told the crowd. “We can’t fully recreate the intergenerational trauma, but we’ve done our best to blend it in.” A relative asks Kahan, “Are you ever worried that this is the peak?” “That’s all I’m thinking about,” the singer replied.
Reviews and Kayhan himself say the documentary deals with some pretty heavy subject matter, but this preview puts things on the lighter side. The title “Astral Projection” seems to have a double meaning, as while the star may have had an out-of-body experience and reached new heights in front of an audience, it could also possibly be referring to body image issues that Kayhan has said he struggles with.
In an Instagram post he posted when the documentary premiered at SXSW, Kayhan elaborated a little more on what fans should expect from the film.
“It captures a year and a half of my life being on tour with ‘Stick Season,’ and how ‘Stick Season’ impacted my life and the lives of my family,” he said in the clip. “But it also touches on very personal things…If you’ve been listening to my music for a while, you’ll know that I talk a lot about my family and my self-image. I also try to touch on body dysmorphia and the mental health struggles that I’ve experienced, and that’s definitely very central to this documentary…not through the music. It’s the first time I’ve really talked about it in a way, so I’m obviously a little nervous about baring my soul.”It’s very vulnerable and it’s hard for me to watch, but it’s also something that I think is very important to share, so I want you all to know that I appreciate the opportunity to talk about things like this. ”
Kahan is also set to release a new album, The Great Divide, on April 24, less than two weeks after the Netflix movie’s release. The title track and “Porch Light” have already been released for DSP.
