Road trips. They can be the stuff of nightmares: flat tires, irritable car-mates, and constant bathroom breaks. But road trips can be great, they can be filled with laughter, guilty pleasure gas station snacks and winding conversations that last for hours — and it all has to do with music.
A great road trip playlist is crucial to the whole “journey not the destination” logic behind days-long trips across country or a necessary drive to school. Many types of playlists exist, you can go the nostalgia route with lots of 90s rock tunes and hip hop from the 2000’s that transport you back to middle school dances, you can go the existential route, where soft ballads and broody grunge dudes lull you into a philosophical state that helps the dull hours in the car pass by.
The following playlist is a bit different, songs that make you want to do that arm wave thing out of the window and imagine you're in an indie film from five years ago. I hope you enjoy and I hope you listen:
“Bob Marley", Grizfolk
“Young Dumb & Broke", Khalid
“Sedona", Houndmouth
“leaves", Miguel
“Reverend", Kings of Leon
“So Young" , Portugal. The Man
“County Line", Susto
“Mixtape 2003", The Academic
“Springsteen", Eric Church
“Carolina", Harry Styles
“Alaska", Maggie Rogers
“Raising Hands Raising Hell Raise ‘em High", The Wind and The Wave
“Redbone", Childish Gambino
“Rollercoaster", Bleachers
“Cold Little Heart - Radio Edit", Michael Kiwanuka
“The Less I Know The Better", Tame Impala
“American Girl", Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
“Left Hand Free", alt-J
“Drifting In and Out", Porcelain Raft
“Supercut", Lorde
“Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)", Arcade Fire