Check out this year’s fall indie playlist

Check out this year's fall indie playlist

October welcomes brand-new bops from favorite artists like Hozier, The Backseat Lovers, Dayglow and more.
Published: October 10, 2022
Hozier, Alvvays, Broken Bells, Oh Wonder and many other indie artists dropped new music this fall, some teasing impending album releases.
Hozier, Alvvays, Broken Bells, Oh Wonder and many other indie artists dropped new music this fall, some teasing impending album releases.

Dayglow: Album: People in Motion

After teasing the album People in Motion with the two singles “Then It All Goes Away” and “Second Nature,” we knew Dayglow’s new album would not disappoint. The majestic, techno-pop star’s new album consists of ten tracks, all of which evoke vibrant tunes fit for a flash mob. Some of our favorites include “Radio,” and “Like She Does.” No wonder Dayglow has accumulated 7,808,738 monthly listeners since his debut album “Fuzzybrain” in 2019.

Hozier: Single: “Swan Upon Leda”

If you thought Hozier’s music couldn’t speak to your soul any more than it already does, we recommend you listen to Hozier’s new single (and social commentary) “Swan Upon Leda.” The single teases his unreleased album “Unreal Unearth” which is projected to come out this year. In an Instagram post preparing his fans for the release of the single, Hozier explained that “Swan Upon Leda” was written in solidarity with women across the globe experiencing oppression, specifically mentioning Iran. “Of all the songs coming from Unreal Unearth, I wanted to offer Swan Upon Leda at this time. I’ll be making a donation to Mayday, AidAccess and Plan C, organisations working toward ensuring women and pregnant people can gain safe access to reproductive healthcare,” the post read.

 

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The Backseat Lovers: Single: “Slowing Down”

We are so down for another year of pretending “Kilby Girl” was written about us, but if you’re looking for a new song by The Backseat Lovers to make you feel mysterious and a bit existential, “Slowing Down” is certainly for you. “Am I the only one that’s slowing down?” “Am I slowing you down?” Time and time again the alternative indie band continues to make us look inward and have an identity crisis…but that’s what great music does!

Willow: Album: Coping Mechanism

As a 20-year-old, Willow has already captivated an audience of over 18,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Her new album Coping Mechanism is riddled with angst and pairs wonderfully with a chilly walk to class. If you need a break from the ear candy that is “Wait a Minute!,” the new song “<maybe> it’s my fault” is a cathartic expression of the trials and tribulations of young romance (in case you need a reminder of what that’s like). “Coping Mechanism” showcases Willow’s youthful experimentation with her identity, which is reflected in both her lyrics and in the variety of styles and composition choices in her tracklist. If you find yourself stressed as midterms approach, “Perfectly Not Close to Me ( ft. Yves Tumor)” is the best way to get out your frustration as you scream along to “I just need to get out of my life.”

Alvvays: Album: Blue Rev

Blue Rev was five years in the making for the unique crew of Alvvays, according to Spotify. Their last album Antisocialites graced the Earth with ethereal gems like “Dreams Tonite,” so it makes sense that the world needed five years to recover and prepare for a new release. The new song “After The Earthquake” is reminiscent of a car scene in an ‘80s movie, with its nostalgic beat and classic tone. Juxtaposed with the old-timey-ness of “After The Earthquake” is the effervescent and futuristic song “Very Online Guy.” The track marks a transition from the realization that online personas are running rampant in this day and age, and provides a more knowing insight into the very online guy that we’ve all come to know.

Broken Bells: Album: Into The Blue

In the midst of the Mercury Retrograde, a new album from Broken Bells is what the doctor ordered to remedy the astrological chaos of late. The album’s title track “Into The Blue” provides a portal to another dimension, ushering in listeners with its comorbid vocal echoes and masterful strumming patterns. As the album continues, “Love On The Run” is another example of the duo’s masterful instrumental abilities. Between the colorful piano intro, the muted trumpets in the background and the transition into the soft vocals, Broken Bells will have our chakras aligned in no time, and “put our hearts back on the shelf.”

Album: Oh Wonder: 22 Make

Listening to Oh Wonder’s new album 22 Make is like taking the first sip of a seasonal ~perhaps pumpkin spice~ beverage. The sweet lyrics of songs such as “Magnificent” and “Can We Always Be Friends?” are a refreshing reminder that love is out there, folks. And just when we thought the soul-warming pieces of Oh Wonder’s latest puzzle couldn’t pull at our heartstrings anymore, “365” quite literally pulled them with its orchestral intro. It is no surprise that Oh Wonder’s latest album is bursting with love and joy, as the alt-pop duo was recently married, according to The Post Athens.

Darren Hayes: Album: Homosexual

It’s fitting with National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, Darren Hayes set the stage with his show-stopping new album Homosexual. The album cover portrays Hayes sensually sprawled over a set of bright orange stairs in a Harry Styles-esque outfit, confidently gazing out into an ambiguous wilderness decked with flowers. In the track “Homosexual (Act One),” Hayes belts

“It’s not a blessing and it’s not a curse,
A crystal technicolor neon tour de force,
It’s not a feeling a feeling you can describe,
A secret lexicon of love behind your eyes,
All my life I’ve been searching for that nectar deep in my bones.”

The excerpt from his song packs an emotional punch (as do the following tracks), describing Hayes’ final acceptance of his sexuality and pride in the beauty that is queer love.