October didn’t feel real. It was one of those busy months where you feel like you’re quietly supressing an actual storm of stress with every breath. The end result being a quiet insanity that relentless soothing baths didn’t seem to be able to quell (thanks 4 trying though Lush, not ur fault) The real breakthrough was actually embracing that stress. I decided to just open the flood gates so to speak and dive head first. When you’re surrounded on all sides by commitments and deadlines you develop a bit of an ‘eye of the storm’ mentality, complete with eye twitch that is only 60% alarming to view from the outside. So apologies for the late one, exams left me a little depleted but I’m here and ready to rumble. In other news, I’ve decided to become a morning person this summer, no mean feat for a girl who arranges her timetable specifically to avoid 8am lectures. Will keep you posted.
As always, the music I listen to each month is such a reflection of where I’m at mentally. I listened to so much music that I just loved this month and I really think that throughout all the struggles of finishing a uni year it’s cranking some good tunes that kept me feeling human. I hope you enjoy some of these artists too.
Chris Isaac
Am I a 50 year old divorceé from California?! Be still my beating heart. The first 5 seconds of Pretty Girls Don’t Cry actually fill me with unbridled joy.
London Grammar
When free tickets call surely you answer. Low hums of ‘excuse me for a while’ followed in the hours leading up to the London Grammar concert which I was lucky enough to go to with my flatmate at the beginning of the month. I hadn’t really heard much of their music and didn’t know what to expect but suffice to say I was blown away. What ensued was a hard and fast girl crush on lead singer Hannah Reid who is both genuinely humble and a hauntingly beautiful singer. As well as a fascination with the music that this band makes. It’s not really ‘like’ anything, they don’t sound like anyone else and such is their humility that I think they’d genuinely prefer someone just plug in the AUX cord to play their songs while they sat in crowd.
Check out this cover they did of a Beyoncé song which I have listened to at least once a day this entire month. There is just something about it which is so indescribably beautiful and ethereal. They are such a joy.
Wolf Alice
Speaking of videos, at the very end of last month Wolf Alice released their new album, Visions of a Life and it’s everything I wanted it to be and heaps that I didn’t even know I needed in my life. Beautifully Unconventional is my favourite song which has a cute 50’s inspired but distinctively Wolf Alice video clip to accompany it. However, it’s the music video for Don’t Delete the Kisses that will have your heart actually weeping. It just sounds like summer and will make you want to throw out all your clothes in favour of flowy skirts and red patent leather jackets.
As one youtube commenter put so eloquently ‘this video makes me nostalgic for memories I’m not even sure are real’
Joni Mitchell
The good news is I finally figured out how to study effectively from the comfort of home and that means blasting Joni Mitchell from the speakers all day. The bad news? Oh, there is none. That’s it. Joni Mitchell or bust.
Leonard Cohen
In that same vein, I got really into Leonard Cohen last month. Nothing like a bit of Leo to really set the mood for a depressing study session. I actually hadn’t listened to You Want It Darker, the album he released right before he passed away last year and I’m truly in love. The songs are so Cohen and hit right in the ol’ heart. 10/10 recommend On the Level, it will make you feel like you have 30 more years of life experience than you actually do.
Cyber Stockholm Syndrome by Rina Sawayama is my song of the month. On first listen I thought it might not be something I’m usually into and then before long I was craving listening to it. I found Rina through an interview she did with i-D, during what can only be described as a youtube black hole binge. She’s sort of East meets West, Pop meets R&B and her style is goals af.
If you want to hear the whole playlist, check it out here. I hope everyone has had a fulfilling October! I turned 22 this month as well which is exciting but also aggressively not exciting at the same time (thnx exams lol). My lil mind has been going hard and I’ve got a notebook full of ideas (read: angst) so can’t wait to start sharing some of that this summer.
Stay excellent folks! x
liv-actually.com 