For many seasonal hobbyists like Georgie, the last week of November marks the end of Gilmore Girls reruns, the conclusion of Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold andthe swapping of sheer tights with a pair that’s actually going to keep you warm. It’s nearly time to break out your favourite Christmas movie (I dare not be more specific for fear of offending Home Alone and Elf fans) and start practicing your Mariah Carey impersonation. But before you finish that pumpkin spice latte and stash your ankle boots for another nine months, here are a few music recommendations for you to ride out the autumnal wave on:
Artwork by Kate Granholm (IG: @Katesartthings).
girl in red:
Starting off with one of the reigning queens of the autumn-aesthete, you can’t go wrong with adding a few of girl in red’s songs to your music rotation this week. ‘October Passed Me By’ and ‘we fell in love in october’ are perhaps a little on the nose, but they are perfect for getting nostalgic about all you’ve got up to this fall! They can also be followed up by anything on her 2021 album, if i could make it go quiet. Personal favourites of mine will always be ‘Rue’, ’I’ll Call You Mine’ and ‘.’. And yes, the full stop there is a song title, not a typo. Need I say more?
Taylor Swift:
If girl in red is the queen of autumn, then Taylor Swift is its Goddess, bar none. I really have no idea where to begin with this one. evermore is everything that’s good about this time of year (the first song on the album alone is called ‘willow’, which is basically autumn’s signature tree!), plus the title track is sung with one of this list’s autumnal princes. AND ‘cowboy like me’ has the autumnal ‘slow-dance in the firelight’ factor! Everything gets turned on its head, however, when you start considering Red (Taylor’s Version). The amount of times I still see “autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place” decorating people’s instagram feeds from September through to November says it all. Taylor owns this season, and I really hope she has no plans to give it back… like… ever.
Hozier:
If you had told me ten years ago that the same guy who sings ‘Take Me To Church’ would also become a member of the autumn-artists squad, I would have choked on my chai latte. But you can’t fight destiny, and in that vein, Hozier has made this list. ‘Cherry Wine’ is a classic for tried and true fall veterans, as are ‘Would That I’ and ‘In A Week’, the latter featuring the inimitable Karen Cowley. This song really makes me think of a cabin in the woods (specifically, the one where Tay-Tay shot ‘Cardigan’) with a log fire and thick carpets and slow-dancing in cosy socks (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, autumn novices!)
Bon Iver:
Bon Iver’s ‘Roslyn’ is the single best thing to come out of the Twilight Saga movies, and I won’t be convinced otherwise. It also makes for a fabulous introduction to Iver’s repertoire if you’re currently reading this and still trying to work out how to pronounce his last name. Once you’ve had a listen or seven to this haunting track of Iver’s, you’ll be ready to broaden your horizons further with ‘Blood Bank’, ‘Towers’, and ‘For Emma’, to name just a few. All are perfect for playing in the background whilst having an instagram-worthy self-care evening filled with scented candles and chai.
First Aid Kit:
My own love for autumn began with the iconic singing-duo that is First Aid Kit. They’ve just released a new album, Palomino, so it’s the perfect time to cultivate a new musical relationship with them! ’Emmylou’ and ‘Wolf’ are classics, and demand to be listened to on repeat as November comes to a close. Their album Stay Gold also has the autumn-aesthetic going for it (though transplanted into the desert), with my personal favourite being ‘Waitress Song’; it really does make me want to move to a small town and pretend my name is Stacey (listen to it and you will understand the reference).