Have you ever wished you had a playlist full of songs perfectly curated for an oddly specific feeling, or a super niche scenario that feels almost unreal? You might even just want songs similar to a popular one you’ve heard before. Well, you’ve come to the right place!
This week’s playlist is called “Stomach up in Lover’s Lake,” a collection of songs that remind you of a time when you wanted and needed and missed someone or something desperately. That feeling filled you up so much that you thought you’d float. These songs are a mix of country and folk-like acoustics with an indie-pop twist to them.
- “like real people do” by hozier
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This is track 10 on Hozier’s 2014 self-titled album. Much like the album itself, this song feels melancholic and lovely. The acoustics give it a folk-like tone and the backing vocals over the melody transport you to a forest, where you walk barefoot through tall trees. When Hozier wrote “Why were you digging? What did you bury before those hands pulled me from the earth?”, it’s almost as if he meant it literally.
- “Maine” by Noah Kahan
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Better known now for his recent viral song “Stick Season,” Noah Kahan has captured a lot of attention. “Maine” is a hidden gem from his 2020 EP Cape Elizabeth. This song feels like a “main character” moment, where you hike a secret trail in Maine and look back to your lover tracking behind. You give them a soft smile and look back up to the mountain ahead. It’s the cheesiest picture, but trust me, this would be the song in your headphones while you do it. It doesn’t get more “main character” than “If only baby, there were cameras in the traffic lights, they’d make me a star.”
- “Love Like Ghosts” by Lord Huron
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Lord Huron is a notorious indie-folk legend and this song only further supports this claim. If you can imagine spinning around in your living room with a flowy dress and your hair flying everywhere, you can see the image this song gives you. “Yes, I know that love is like ghosts/Oh, and what ain’t living can never really die” is a powerful way to explain how a soul connection made with an intense love can never truly break, even when the physical connection is over. This is the first track on his 2015 album, Strange Trails.
- “Mary Jane” by Peter Sun
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“Mary Jane” is by far the “yellowest” song to ever exist (sunflower yellow, to be exact, or maybe just a tad paler). Peter Sun released “Mary Jane” this summer and it got a lot of love after going viral on TikTok. The background piano and Sun’s vocal harmonies throughout make you want to smile. It’s a frolic-in-the-park, giggling-in-the-back-of-class-with-your-best-friend, a bear hug and a kiss-on-the-forehead song. Serotonin all around.
- “August (Acoustic)” by flipturn
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Flipturn’s 2019 acoustic version of their single “August” has an instrumental blend that makes it softer than the original but still carries the same feeling. The violins in the background are heavenly. This song feels like sitting on a truck tail bed where you’re parked at a dock, just watching the water. The strained vocals bring back memories of a time you didn’t even know existed and it makes you miss something you didn’t know you lost.
- “BRIGHTSIDE” by The Lumineers
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This lead track named after the 2022 album is a bit more angsty, with heavy drums and an electric guitar presence. However, it’s essential to the setlist. If there was an alternate song to be played in The Perks of Being a Wallflower during the tunnel scene when Charlie watches Sam on the truck bed, it would be this song. It’s an iconic movie scene and an iconic song.
- “Liquid Love” by Billie Marten
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Billie Marten brings some indie pop into the setlist with the fourth track on her 2021 album Flora Fauna. The soft instrumental complements Marten’s soft voice perfectly. The idea of feeling so much you think you’ll float is heavy here. “I am free pourin’, no destination/Liquid love under my skin” sounds like inner bliss and is so calming.
- “Elvis Song” by Maisie Peters
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This song is a bit out of the folk/indie realm and is a full pop song on Peters’ 2021 album You Signed Up For This. Although it breaches the genre, it fits the vibe. It’s upbeat, dramatic and sounds like the scene in the movies where the main character is having a night out with their friends but everything reminds them of an ex-lover. Even though it sounds a bit chaotic, it feels like sitting on the curb at 2 a.m., just staring into the street with a million thoughts in your brain.
- “Lonely for You” by Georgia Greene
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Georgia Greene’s voice is captivating, and this 2018 single might be one of her most breathtaking songs. The song is full of yearning for someone or something you lost. “If your lips moved like they used to, we could be us again” represents that in a line. Greene’s vocals on this track make you feel like you’re a balloon, being blown up just to lose your air again. Full disclosure — this song will rip your heart out of your chest in the best way.
- “Apple” by Julia Michaels
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This final song on the playlist from Julia Michaels’ 2019 EP “Inner Monologue Part 1” slows everything back down. Michaels paints a perfect picture in the song itself — being in your lover’s apartment in the morning, having breakfast and reminiscing on the night before. It’s a sweet love song although it is a bit sensual. “Apple” feels like soft kisses and passionfruit juice.
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