travelin' (TX/TN)

As an avid day trip adventurer, I've made lots of mini travel playlists, but this one's kicking it up a notch. In light of my upcoming weekend jaunts to College Station, TX and Nashville, TN, I've compiled some of my ideal traveling music, perfect for both wandering and coming home, for top-of-your-lungs car concerts, or lazy layover naps. There's a little description of each half below. Enjoy, friends!

1-43: These tracks paint a getaway- starting off with the introspectiveSay Anything, the relief of home in the rearview. Quickly it transitions into a dance party and a desire to go anywhere at all; it even resonates with running away. There's excitement in crossing State Lines, the restlessness and the unmistakeable freedom. They're good for the combined leaving and returning home better than you left.

44-76: These tracks beckon the hope of somewhere new to heighten, and the pure sweetness of strange cities and hometowns. They'll be with you as you write and learn, as you drive and ride, and if you're lucky, they might even freeze time for a moment. 

* unlisted tracks (local files): 

Blank Space/Style - Louisa Wendorff & Devin Dawson

Maps - The Fray

the best of:

BACK STORY:

My senior year in high school, I visited Nashville for the first time. I went to tour Belmont, with the intent of possibly enrolling. While in Nashville, much to my surprise, the Lord clearly told me that Clemson was the school for me (a story for another time). But a big part of how he revealed that to me was my chance to attend two Tin Pan South shows, where songwriters sit in a row, singing and explaining one song they wrote at a time, going down the line, and repeating the process. Thus, the inspiration for the layout of this compilation of tracks:

This playlist was breathed into life during a time of accumulation: both of new artists/sounds and papers due. Turns out, those two make a perfect pair of puzzle pieces clicking into place. Lately I've loved listening by whole album. Overwhelming at times, but worth it to hear the collective story being told by the singer and/or songwriter. As a tribute to these records/EPs, I've chosen (in my opinion), the two best tracks from each, formatted as if they all stood in one long line, played, and repeated the pattern. Hopefully these snippets will send you chasing after the rest of the stories each record holds!

P.S. The three song coda at the end might seem a little irrelevant… and it is. I just couldn't help it!

P.P.S. also two songs were from my local files, and apparently can't be shared: Open the Gates and Daydreaming from Cody Fry's Audio:Cinema; they're worth listening!

slumber not

It's late January, and 65 degrees outside- what should be a misfit makes the dusty spring anthems feel right. As I'm buried under flimsy textbook pages and learning how to be thankful in and for the long-term, I'm encouraged to keep fighting off the slumber.

The best of Ingrid's duets for porch-sittin'; One Direction for loving what friends love. Great Peacock and Lee DeWyze for friends who know and love well; Brandi and Mat, Elenowen and Joshua for celebrating new sounds, and Blue Rose Stroll for remembrance of how good it feels to dance, among others- enjoy, friends!

new season

The name was only fitting for the occasion- this playlist arrived along with my website. They made their debut together, signifying my life entering a brand new chapter. Following Trees filled my ears as my desire to write became more of a necessity. Aperture nudged me to register for a summer photography class on a whim, and close played on repeat as I explored Easley's backroads on a late autumn day. You get the idea: these songs are important to me, and I hope that they have the chance to be important in more lives than just the one I'm living.