Hi, I’m Lainey! I write, design, and photograph for On the Record. I’m always listening to music, but whenever someone asks me to describe my taste in music, I never really know what to say. I like the chill Indie tunes but I’m also a sucker for whatever new pop songs are out. If you asked me to pick my all-time favorite bands, I would probably say One Direction and The Lumineers –– that should tell you a LOT about my music taste. Anyways, here’s six sorta old and sorta new songs I really enjoy! 

“New Light” by John Mayer

I think I would do just about anything to see John Mayer in concert. While some of his songs are really upbeat and others are more mellow, every single one puts me in a good mood and makes me feel at peace. “New Light,” released in 2018, is one of Mayer’s more “vibe-y” songs and makes me just wanna get up and dance whenever I hear it. I stumbled across this video showing how Mayer produced “New Light” and it gives even more of an insight to his creative genius that I admire.

“Flowers In Your Hair” by The Lumineers

This song makes me HAPPY –– plain and simple. On March 10, I saw The Lumineers at the KFC Yum Center with my dad. When they played this song, I sang every word and clapped along with thousands of other people. It’s a little under two minutes long which makes me never want it to end. The Lumineers live sound just as they do on the radio or on Spotify, and seeing them jump around the stage and play their instruments while singing filled me with joy. They don’t need autotune or a backtrack to sing along to; they are truly musicians who bring songs to life on stage. 

“A Toast and a Spirit” by Vacation Manor

Vacation Manor is an indie-rock/pop band based out of Nashville, TN. About two years ago, I made a playlist of all my favorite chill songs and Spotify added this one to the mix. I had never even heard of the band, but I immediately loved this song. The guitar throughout the background really carries the song and makes it catchy. I also love two of their other songs, “Careless” and “Fading,” which sound similar. 

“Golden” by Harry Styles

I’ve been obsessed with Harry Styles ever since I saw him in One Direction’s music video of “What Makes You Beautiful” (cue the extreme fangirling). To fill you in, that video was released in 2011. One Direction took a “temporary break” in 2016, but each of the members pursued solo careers and the band was unofficially but officially over. Styles released an album in 2017 preceded by the release of his single “Sign of the Times.” In 2019, he released his second album “Fine Line.” While I love all of the 12 songs on the album for different reasons, “Golden” is easily my favorite. The song itself feels really upbeat, but when you actually pay attention to the lyrics it is almost sad and nostalgic.

“High Horse” by Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves is a country and pop singer/songwriter from Golden, TX. I’m not really familiar with any of her songs except this one, which popped up for me on Spotify’s “Pumped Pop” playlist. Released in 2018, “High Horse” is an anthem for someone who knows a person who just needs to get down off their high horse (hence the song title). It’s upbeat and, if I’m being honest, a little empowering. It’s one of those songs that I listen to when I put my sunroof down on my car and just drive around. 

“Up All Night” by Khalid

Khalid has been one of my favorite artists since middle school –– there’s not a single song of his that I don’t like. Similar to John Mayer, his songs have a way of making me feel relaxed because they echo “good vibes” all around. “Up All Night” is one of his newer tracks, released in 2019, and adds to the long list of the reasons I love his music. The smoothness and soulfullness of his voice mixed with the electronic beat in the background is –– pun definitely intended –– music to my ears.