by Nicole Entin

Music can be the soundtrack to our lives, making the monotony of the daily grind just a bit more cinematic. In long days of self-isolation, a carefully curated playlist can bring just the right amount of all around feels to help you get through it all. Since the world went sideways this March, I’ve found that music has become an integral part of my day. Quiet jazz in the background of a study session, Studio Ghibli soundtracks as I draw the blinds in the morning, and upbeat indie tracks as I close my eyes and pretend I’m dancing on a warm beach somewhere in the Carribean. For this installment of the Embracing Solitude, Self-Reflection, and Creativity in St Andrews article series, I asked students to share and write about their Solitude Soundtracks, Spotify playlists that are perfect for anything from a slow cup of tea, a solo dance party, or a morning walk down our Three Streets.

bookstore on a rainy day – Nicole S. Entin

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6tlR8R5ZzFfh8yZWSoItpT?si=1y51MUqwSZS6uoryZ8yHZw

Proudly subtitled “the best vibes,” this playlist is my most recent, curated especially for those nostalgic rainy days in St Andrews, where all you want to do is stare out the window like a Romantic heroine, holding a cup of Earl Grey, and watch the clouds shift over the horizon. The majority of the tracks are soft jazz ballads by staples of the genre – Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson, John Coltrane – and a few hidden gems. Peppered in for variety are classical piano pieces by French Impressionist and Avant Garde composers, and moody indie tracks from Billie Marten, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Charlie Burg. The overall effect is to transport you to a warm, cozy bookstore (perhaps one not unlike the legendary Topping & Co.) in the middle of a light shower of rain, where you browse the wall-to-wall bookshelves, and choose a novel to flip through on a comfortable divan, as you are soothed by the sound of soft chords on the keys and the guitar.

songs to stand in the kitchen holding a knife to – Erin Gandia

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7cakehsWvkcr5nzeIbxXKt?si=DtB3oFbJRzCreJc2zwSWKw

The playlist was created for a dark, intense, slightly manic mood that one may experience while standing at 3am in their kitchen, holding a knife. The concept emerged from the increasing trend that can be found on the aesthetic side of Twitter, where users create over elaborately titled playlists that are made to capture hyper-specific moods. Frankly you can take the playlist anywhere with you, but personally I like to put it on while I cook.

The World is Burning – Gabrielle Hill-Smith

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6oLmcZVZzP4vfL5vLEbXUw?si=pjdbC7sMSNaYfSR4D4gakA

We all know the world is ending, but some days it just feels like the world is more apocalyptic than usual. This playlist is designed to vibe to those days, whether that’s because the world is literally on fire, or because politics, famine, war and injustice are really making you want to scream. Some of these songs are written as political rebellions such as ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries, ‘Nina Cried Power’ by Hozier and Mavis Staples, and ‘Good Grief by Bastille’, but most of them are just end of the world vibes like ‘Exit Music (For A Film)’ by Radiohead. I actually made this playlist the day I had to evacuate from my house during the Australian bushfires, and I started the playlist with the (close to the bone) ‘Things We Lost in the Fire’ by Bastille. But it's not all depressing, it's much more about dancing during the apocalypse, hence I included ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ by Tiffany, as all of you The Umbrella Academy fans will know, it truly is a banger for dancing during the apocalypse. So on a cloudy day when you just read something really depressing about the world on Twitter put your headphones on, turn this playlist up loud and go stand on the beach with the wind in your hair and pretend you are the last person on earth.

yearning – Julia Swerdlow

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3xrkx4jl5yF3ZjxMaeo39H?si=vxFiz94qSYeJqN1T3qm3iQ
I started this playlist right before Covid began, I remember being on the train in London when a song called ‘Vois Sur Ton Chemin’ from the film ‘Les Choristes’ came up on my Spotify recommended. We had to learn that song in chorale in primary school and this massive wave of nostalgia just slapped me in the face when I heard it. Most of this playlist is songs that make you feel like you’re in Medieval Europe running through a field. There’s a little sprinkling of Simon and Garfunkel in there, but also a song from Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls IV. Somehow it all works well together though.