Introduction by Anna Trevathan, Managing Editor
Although Autumn brings the promise of fall right around the corner, I find it hard to get into the spirit when the weather here is not exactly matching the mood. However, a crispy fall song with some crunchy leaves under my feet always helps me get there. A cozy fall playlist can become the backdrop for late-night study sessions, early-morning drives, and mid-day trips to coffee shops.
To celebrate the beginning of the fall season, the Imaginary Gardens team has compiled some fall favorites. These are songs that feel like the season itself: comforting, inviting, and rich. Our aim is to give readers the musical equivalent of your favorite sweater on that first cold Autumn morning. Each of these songs carries a story with them, so our writers will be sharing why their track feels like fall to them.
So get yourself a blanket, get cozy, and press play on some of our fall favorites.
In an effort to get these good vibes going, here is mine:
Anna Trevathan- Managing Editor
“Do I Wanna Know? – BBC Live Lounge” by Hozier
This song, specifically the Youtube video of Hozier singing live, has been a long-time fall listen. Autumn is a time of introspection for me, with more days spent inside than out. I find myself thinking about old friendships, relationships, and family members, with certain people lingering on my mind more than usual. There is this line in the track that speaks so perfectly to this: “there’s this tune I found that makes me think of you somehow.” Hozier’s smoky cover of this Arctic Monkeys track leans so well into that achy feeling that makes fall so bittersweet.
Amelia Williams- Special Contributor
“you said..” – inuday
To be completely honest, I struggled finding songs from my playlists that fit the fall theme, but I think I managed to succeed, even if not all of them are super chill. I recently discovered inuday maybe a week ago when I was doomscrolling on Instagram and got a couple ads promoting his songs. To me, “you said..” reminds me of late November after Thanksgiving, as that’s when I feel like fall is at its most melancholy. inuday’s songs really bring home “fall turning into winter” vibes for me with his instrumentals and hard hitting lyrics, and “you said..” is absolutely no exception.
James Cochran- Photo Editor
“Handy Man” by James Taylor
Fall and 70s singer-songwriters go perfectly together, and James Taylor’s discography is my go to for my music this season. The calm instrumental with Taylor’s iconic voice and the harmonies in his cover of Jimmy Jones’ “Handy Man” really emphasizes the calming and relaxing vibe of fall. It reminds me of the leaves just gently falling. While I usually like to blast bands like Primus and Linkin Park at ear bleeding levels, there’s just something really special about changing it up and putting on some calmer, acoustic guitar driven music during this season.
Draven Copeland – Editor-in-Chief
“Nettles” by Ethel Cain
Ever since we published Scarlett Hall’s review/analysis of Ethel Cain’s experimental album Perverts last semester, I’ve been hooked on Cain’s music like nothing else… so, obviously, I had to add a song from her most recent album to the playlist! Cain’s music generally has such a nostalgic yet melancholy vibe, and I feel like “Nettles” especially fits the Southern fall season as we settle back into classes and watch the leaves drift throughout the streets. It’s long (8 minutes), but definitely worth the whole listen, and a great background for studying or writing!
