Autumnal Tunes
Eggy, Neil Young, Ocie Elliott, and all the fall things
The air is getting colder now
The nights are getting crisp
I first tasted the universe
On a night like this
—Josh Ritter, Homecoming
We’ve waited for the air to get colder and the nights to get crisp before running this Swap edition. It’s time for all the fall things, especially fall music - the subject of our Bonus Track and each song selection from Adam, Mat, and Kody.
So Long by Eggy feat. Veronica Stewart-Frommer (Adam)
If things were always easy
Would we ever learn?
You were begging me to stay but our bridge was badly burned
Eggy recently released their sophomore album and I have been wearing it out! This song is one I keep going back to. The singing is beautiful and the words are powerful. Fall often leads me to lean in a darker direction. This song fits right in the pocket of the vibe I am looking for this time of year. Looking forward to hopefully seeing Eggy in Louisville in November. Enjoy.
Harvest Moon by Neil Young (Mat)
In my opinion, this is the quintessential fall song. I listen to it on repeat when the leaves start changing. I’m a little late on fall jams this year. We’ve been in Orlando on vacation this week and it was still pretty balmy down there, but by the time we got back to north Alabama there was a definite chill in the air. It’s time to get the autumnal tunes spinning. Enjoy this one! And don’t sleep on the Lord Huron cover either!
Now You Don’t by Ocie Elliott (Kody)
Let Jon Middleton’s gravelly, slightly raspy voice welcome you to the fall. Ocie Elliott could work for either summer sunsets or fall fires. After seeing them live here in KC last week, to use Adam’s words, “I’ve been wearing them out,” so there is no doubt their songs will conjure up crispy leaves and sweater weather for me. This easy-listening duo will compliment nicely your serene fall Saturdays.
Bonus Track: All the Fall Things by Christian Thurman
Mom and Dad always told me “The best place to start is with the truth,” so let me start by saying this: I don’t actually like fall. I love being warm and the feeling of the sun on my skin more than most things in my life, so the fall ends up being a pretty sad time for me. The sun starts to go away sooner and sooner each day, and the cold weather creeps in alongside the changing of the leaves. Growing up in Pennsylvania meant that the summer never lasted long enough, and fall crept in much too soon for my warm loving blood. Despite any of my (or yours as well if you’re a sweet summer child like me!) complaints about the fall, there is so much to appreciate about it and the changing seasons in general. There’s something to be said about the first crisp fall morning when the summer heat no longer grips you as soon as you step out of the door. The gentle reminder that even the worst (or best!) times come to an end. The charge from the changing leaves to live in the moment and appreciate the good things before they’re gone too soon. But even when the leaves have gone and fallen on the ground, they invite us to find joy in stomping the crunchy leaves that used to be so vibrant and bright.
Even though I’ve never liked the fall that much, over the past year, my heart has started to change about the seasons in general. With the birth of my first child, new bittersweet feelings of excitement have entered into this fall. What will she think of the cold? Will she hate it like I do, or thrive in the briskness of our daily walks? Will she jump into the leaf pile with fervor, or shy away from the scratchy leaves? Will she look forward to fall every year like her mom, or dread it like her dad? The familiar constant of the fall has become so unfamiliar and new knowing that even though the season is the same, we will never be. With every new season, my baby girl will grow until she’s no longer my baby. My wife and I have been gifted the opportunity to watch our daughter grow in every season and to cherish every moment that we get. So no matter how you feel about the fall, cold weather, and crunchy leaves, I made a playlist of fall vibes to hopefully help you cherish every moment of this newly changing season.
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Christian Thurman is a proud owner of his own coffee roasting company, Light & Life Coffee Co. He lives in Louisville with his wife Amanda, and his daughter Karis. He recently saw Lil Wayne (the show was okay, he just sang one verse of like 27 songs so it felt weird) and the first song he ever loved was “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercyme.
Get crunchy with us, Swappers!!! Who’s on your fall playlist this year?
-TheMusicSwap