1. "No Wonder I Died" - IMAKEMADBEATS + Aaron James
First up, I have to shout out Stuntarious Vol. V, which just dropped last week! The whole UNAPOLOGETIC. team is incredibly proud of this project, and we're enthralled that it's finally released. I recorded the guitar and vocals to this song way back around 2018 probably, so it feels nostalgic to hear it again...but what IMAKEMADBEATS added to it on the production side makes it magical, and now it's available for all to enjoy!
2. "Relationships" - Haim
I'm very late to the game on Haim, I had heard of them before but only just dove into them sonically with their newest single "Relationships" which kept being shoved down my throat by tiktok for some reason. Either way, I really enjoyed this song and it made me dive into their most recent album "Women in Music Pt. III" which is also a lovely album. If you're new to Haim though, this would be a decent place to start!
3. "Ghosts" - Laura Marling
I LOVE Laura Marling. I became aware of her sometime over COVID and just dug through her whole discography and just loved everything. Her most recent album has a had a few songs on repeat for me but I only just discovered this song "Ghosts" was by her recently. I've heard this song before but never put together that Laura did it for some reason. Anyway, hearing this much younger version of her voice on this song made me aware of her growth and maturity as an artist, and it's inspired me to find a similar growth in myself.
4. "Should Have Known Better" - Sufjan Stevens
Another oldie but a goodie, I still haven't really found my way through all of Sufjan's songs but the more I get a chance to explore the more of myself I find in his music. There's a purity and honesty in his music that really reaches me, a genuiness and, well, a style that the more and more I listen to, the more I realize how many other acoustic artists have tried to emulate him. He definitely has his own language which even though at times I don't feel like it always resonates with me, I undoubtedly have immense respect for someone who is confident in sharing their own unique way of communication. Recently discovered this song and I love it...can't wait to dig into more Sufjan soon.
5. "Moondog" - Leif Vollebekk
It's possible I put this song on a past edition of this article series but I went awhile without it coming on in my car despite always playing my "Liked Songs" playlist on Spotify...and it recently came on again during a late night trip back from St. Louis after a show I played. It was sometime after midnight and I found this song call to me again like it did the first time I heard it. Leif is definiltey tapped into something a bit deeper with his music and I crave to reach those depths one day. Love this song and all of the energy it conjures.