Instead of my Room—a playlist breakdown
Instead of my Room
a playlist that takes you from sunset to sunrise
This month, I created a playlist for our Wind-Up staff and fellow SJHS listeners. Each song was added with intention, and I decided I’d follow the playlist with an article walking you through it. I like to create playlists that set the listener into one specific scene. Similar to my writing, I love challenging myself by including hidden threads that weave the playlist together, and finding specifically connotated songs that can be easily connected to an aspect of the scene. In this playlist—Instead of my Room—I set you on the beach with friends, around a bonfire. As the playlist progresses, night falls, the stars come out, and you are left with one special person. The playlist ends as the sun rises and you are by yourself, content.
photos by Lily Conybeare
Beginning with “Instead of my Room” by Charlie Burg, which also happens to be the playlist’s title, you should feel upbeat and carefree. “Weather is Warm,” “Sunbleached Girl,” and “Stand Tall” all have beachy feels, in which I hoped to establish the setting. “The Kids Don’t Want to Come Home” brings in the aspect of socializing.
After the mood change in “Ipanema” by Still Woozy, which signifies the descent of the sun below the horizon, “Low” by Surfaces begins with a quiet water lapping on shore. Both reestablish the scene and also describe the new time—night—“Low” changes the playlist from upbeat to relaxed. Continuing in this mellow mood is “Devil Eyes” and “Sleeping Lessons,” where I hope to keep the aspect of company, as these songs aren’t empty or lonely. “Window” by Kid Bloom is when the crowd begins to disperse in the darkness, and a little more interaction happens through goodbyes before the playlist resigns to a more understated feel.
“Hidden in the Sand” represents the dynamic between you and the person you are left with, whoever you imagine that to be. Through the ukulele, you feel both playful and quiet, and as the song fills out around 0:43, it’s clear that the quiet of the night doesn’t mean emptiness. The following songs, through “Wendy” by Richie Wood, are supposed to just set you in the night scene with this person you are comfortable with: alone, outside, yet very safe. It’s as though you are in a bubble with this person—your own little world cloaked in darkness.
The sun begins to peak its head when “Big Sis” comes on, and your person leaves. “Big Sis” and “Powerlines” remind you of how tired you are now that they have left, yet the songs’ repetitive nature connects the repetition of another day. “Warm Glow” by Hippo Campus leaves your heart content with the closure of the night as you watch the sunrise. The playlist ends with the solemn trumpets of “You” by Manwolves, as you trudge into another day, tired yet satisfied with the progression of the night.
I hope you feel the story I’ve created for you. I encourage you to challenge your music creativity and try to make a scene of your own.