Winter 2024 was chaos in all forms of the word but I’ve finally gotten to the understanding that a new chapter has started and it’s potentially the most exciting one yet. With Spring breaking loose, it’s time to share some of the songs on my playlist and thoughts on new releases from the season. Stick around for the full playlist.

Fall 2024 was a blur but it was the Winter that gave me the clarity of what was all going on. But not without some fresh chaos. January 2025 was probably the worst January I’d had in years, not necessarily personally — just the in the sphere of life outside of my inner world. LA was on fire and lots of working people lost their homes, we had to return to having a menace in office, and then one of my favorite bands, COIN, broke up. It was BAD. Personally, I didn’t feel too bad though. I had a lot of exciting things going on personally like embracing my word of the year “discipline” and some really exciting developments in my career. But it felt like a miracle that I made it through January even with that. I will credit that to Bad Suns releasing a new song at the end of the month because that was my sign that brighter days were coming regardless.

With all the chaos of January hanging over me, I felt caught off guard by my birthday in February. And yes, I ended up delaying my music project because 1) I underestimated the mixing process 2) I was exhausted just trying to stay alive and 3) my paid work was making a really exciting transition — one I’d been dreaming of for years – and I was admittedly distracted by that. I still have yet to release it…but maybe in May. You (and apparently Jack Miller of Never Ending Fall) can hold me to that.

That said though, February was the month everything started to change for the good. My birthday happened yes, but the startup I’ve been secretly working on since July 2024 launched. I’m beyond happy to mention that I was part of the team that launched Kobalt Music Publishing’s new venture, KOSIGN. It was literally a dream come true to work with them. On top of that, I started digging my heels into a new job with a music management and creative marketing agency called Peanut Butter Friends. And I got first access to some really amazing tracks that the artists I work for. I’m most definitely sharing the songs that got stuck in my head in this time.

Suddenly, it felt like this new life I started to live started to integrate with the good ways I’ve lived in previously. By that I mean I got back to my crying at concerts lol. Seeing Hippo Campus really gave me the space to realize that the era of the past 3 years had really come to an end. It was bittersweet, but I also got a reminder that it was always meant to be a stepping stone anyway. It was wild to realize it, but it got me to the stage of acceptance of a lot that I was struggling to let go of. Then I saw mxmtoon and realized that I had really grown so much in the past 3 years and there was so much more to grow into. Before I knew it, I was dancing my socks off at Bad Suns and FINNEAS in Denver fully aware that a new era was being birthed. I’m ending Winter realizing that I’ve really been becoming the professional fangirl I was meant to be. Leave it to the boys of Never Ending Fall to make me realize I’m becoming a woman in music that really can make a difference. And that’s what I’ve always wanted to be. Heck, I’ve been it longer than I previously thought…and I’m only getting more resources to really make something special happen. TBD on what that’ll look like. But that’s what I have to look forward to growing into, is it not, God?

But yeah, Spring 2025 I’m so excited for you. Especially since last Spring was really the devastating crash out…but at least it made way for this new chapter. Anyway, here’s the soundtrack of Winter 2024 in all its gorgeousness.

Highlights

The Hit by Orla Gartland

“It’s like you get the punch and I feel the hit…”

This song really hit me in a wintry feeling. Winter started off really stressful for me. I needed to start working a second part time job but I was in a financial holding pattern until I would start getting paid for this second job. I started understanding my mom’s perpetual stress about finances. And for some reason this song really captured that sentiment. I felt myself really identifying with my mom on the financial stress. We made it through eventually but it was both hard but strangely comforting to feel this deeper understanding about her.

Something In The Air by Lauren Mayberry

“But there it goes that funny feeling, reeling me back in, can’t tell if it’s a blessing or a sin…”

I have loved Chvrches for a long time and when I saw that lead singer Lauren Mayberry was putting out music, I knew I’d love it. I look up to her artistry so much for the way she explores angst with her sweet voice. This song captured the changes as Winter was really settling in during December. Things were changing and as much as I wanted to focus on the good things coming, I was aware that things were about to get really weird on a macro level. This song really was a premonition.

The Call Is Coming From Inside The House by James Droll

“I think I finally figured it out, the call is coming from inside the house…”

Ahhh the first of many new artists I get to put you on to!!! James Droll is one of the artists we consult on at Peanut Butter Friends and I am obsessed with his songwriting. Also his online content is so cool. I don’t have anything to do with it but he’s wonderful from all accounts I’ve heard. This song about family stress got me so in the feels as I started acquainting myself with the artists that Peanut Butter Friends works with. ESPECIALLY around the holidays. You gotta listen to him if you like an indie singer-songwriter pop/rock vibe.

Alexus by fkblnde and Arlo

“Swore you’d never fall again but now she’s in my bed…”

Carly (aka fkblnde) is one of my new friends and I love her so fucking much. We met through a Women in Music networking night in September and I thought she was just the sweetest person. We’ve hung out a few times (including spending Thanksgiving at my place and being in town for my birthday!) and I honestly feel like she just gets me. She’s originally from Toronto but has been looking for a way to be based in LA. She’s such a talented producer and singer and I’m not just saying it because she’s my friend – you need to listen to her music because it is a vibe and a half. I spent a good amount of time this Winter just vibing to this song. Her newest song “Soap” is also on this playlist because I love it too. Keep an eye for her because I just knowww she’s got more bangers to come.

Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant

“Oh no there ain’t no rest for the wicked until we close our eyes for good…”

This song was stuck in my head for the beginning of January…and I should’ve seen it as a premonition for the way that month would go. I was supposed to start January by seeing Glass Animals (my beloved), Cage the Elephant, St. Vincent, and others at a music festival in LA. But that got cancelled with LA literally being on fire. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen in my hometown. Among the devastation we had to “welcome back” one of my least favorite people (an understatement) to the U.S.’s highest position of power. I truly felt like there was no rest for the wicked. But at least Dave from Glass Animals told me to stay safe with the fires.

Bling (Confessions of a King) by The Killers

“We’re gonna make it out of the fire…”

Listening to this song the first weekend after the fires started raging had me crying. I was driving down to the OC to see friends for a bit of respite from being locked in my room with no air purifier. I had been trying to keep busy with work so I didn’t really have any time to properly grieve for the first few days of the fires. But as I drove down that Saturday morning, I felt the sadness break loose. And I knew I had to let the grief flow. It was cathartic and I felt grateful that I had learned how to grieve in the recent seasons. This song felt like a beacon of resilience in a really devastating time. Listening to Sam’s Town always gives me comfort in angsty times. I almost cranked out my albums of all time post on that album then but I decided to save that for another time.

If I Ever Feel Better by Phoenix

“I feel the chaos around me, a thing I don’t try to deny. I’d better learn to accept that there are things in my life that I can’t control…”

This song really felt right in January, especially after the fires had started raging. I’m pretty sure I heard this song randomly in public and it hit just right. It was one of those divine intervention moments for me where I could feel the Holy Spirit give me the words to explain how I was feeling. This song made me realize how much I needed to release my need to control things. And it’s a kind of chill vibe sonically. It makes it easy to listen to the wisdom in it.

Jesse Plays Bass by KOLEY

“She opens up with her best songs ’cause nobody’s leaving ’til Jesse plays bass…”

Paige (aka KOLEY) is one of my old coworkers from Output and she has such a great ear for pop music. So I was absolutely unsurprised that I would love her first single. It rocks and it feels like it transports you into the moment at the show where you’re definitely developing a crush on a musician. It’s so good.

Talk About It by Post Sex Nachos and The Greeting Committee

“You’re enough, I’m enough, let’s talk about it…”

I found this song because I wanted to see if I really did want to see COIN in concert (before they broke up) and The Greeting Committee was supposed to open for them. I had heard of Post Sex Nachos from someone in the Never Ending Fall Discord community but I mistakenly confused them with the comedy group Ninja Sex Party (my first ex loved them so I was never interested in giving them a chance lol). So imagine my surprise when I realized that was not the same band and this song was a fucking BOP lol. I grooved to this song often in my car. It’s a simple little song but it’s a just a perfect groove to my ears. My pals in Spectre Jones are opening for Post Sex Nachos on their next tour and who knows, maybe I’ll find a new music crush with them. Stay tuned on that I guess!

Communicating by Bad Suns

“Do you want me to stay? You got a really funny way of communicating…”

THE ONLY GOOD THING THAT HAPPENED IN JANUARY 2025 IS THAT BAD SUNS RELEASED A NEW SONG. YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT. No but seriously. My favorite band releasing a new song at the end of the shittiest month ever made making through worth it. Not the first time I had a shitty January kinda redeemed by Bad Suns, lest we forget them releasing Apocalypse Whenever in 2022. Anyway, the story of the night I first heard this song is actually kinda funny. I was volunteering at this event called LA Gives Back to fundraise for fire relief. It was a night full of LA dance parties at The Bellwether and I was there capturing social media content. Right when the song was live on Spotify, I went to the bathroom, put in my headphones, and shook some serious ass in the bathroom stall by myself lol. It’s such a bop that in typical Bad Suns fashion I cannot get sick of.

Between Me and You by Brandon Flowers

“And there’s a power in letting go…but I’m doing my best not to let it get between me and you…”

I listened to this song on a walk at the beginning of February and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt myself being so honest with myself about the growing pains from the past year and I felt so held by God in it. It gave me the space to let go of the attachment I had towards the self from the past 3 years. That version of me was so special, but I had grown a little too attached to her. That version of me was a step closer to the authentic self I longed to be and I had to reckon that being her wasn’t gonna be helpful in this next chapter. Yes, she laid a lot of groundwork, but it was time to move on. God was calling me to something new and this song was the tender reminder to loosen my grip.

Time Machine by Don’t Panic

“”Cause if I had a time machine, I’d go back to change everything…”

The biggest shoutout to the folks in Don’t Panic. I have the pleasure of scheming up social media stuff for this band through Peanut Butter Friends and they have gifted me with a new appreciation for prog rock and prog metal. They’re also funny as fuck, so it is a joy to be working with them. I love the lead singer Dylan’s voice, especially here. It feels like such a gorgeous contrast from the heavier elements of their music so it feels accessible to me. You gotta give them a listen.

LAYLA IN THE ROCKET by MICHELLE

“Everything is falling to the wayside now. Dancing through the fire if the flames allow, nothing left to bellow about. Tough luck, I won the lotto, goodbye is bitter to swallow. Star map, the path that I follow. One way ticket to the planet Apollo…”

This song is really how I can best describe the energy around my 29th year of life on earth. Everything has really been falling apart in the last year but I’ve been finding a lot of joy in really being able to do things I’ve always wanted to do. This is really the first time no one’s telling me what to do and while it is scary, it’s exciting to hear my voice grow into its authority. This song so tenderly captures that “we’re blasting off” feeling that I’ve been in.

Chasing Low Vibrations by Foster the People

“In this world I love, it just takes time…”

I didn’t think I’d love this Foster the People song as much as I have. But this dreamy song has definitely been defining this new era I’m in. It’s hazy but it’s a necessary reminder to slow down and take stock of the fact that building new things takes time. Getting used to a new way of living takes time. And it’s so much more freeing to build your own instead of contorting yourself to fit where you might not actually fit.

Bad Dream Baby by Hippo Campus

“I’m a bad dream baby and I’ll never go away…”

This song makes me feel like a menace. I was listening to it nonstop to prep to see Hippo Campus. Joke was on me because they didn’t play it at my show lol. Nonetheless, it’s a stream of consciousness bop about your dog dying. The lyrics are just so bouncy and honestly got so stuck in my head that I would be just singing them any second I could. Also I’ve been meaning to learn to play that guitar riff.

The Lie by Sid Simons

“And every word out your mouth was a lie and every lie you look me right in the eye…”

Sid Simons is another Peanut Butter Friends artist find that I have been super excited to share. We helped support the release of his EP The Last American Valentine and I got to hear this song before it was released, which was the coolest thing ever. This song immediately reminded me of The Rolling Stones in a way that my teenage classic rock fan self totally geeked over. This EP really converted me into a new fan and got me listening to his album Beneath the Brightest Smiles. A big recommend if you’re looking for a bit of classic rock with a modern twist.

Ragdoll by Dora Jar

“Hips on a lady, hips on a rockstar. If I wanna go, I go hard. If I wanna go, I go far…”

This song is so addicting. I remember seeing Dora Jar open for The 1975 and seeing so much promise in her artistry. The guitar in this song is INSANE and it stops me in my tracks every time I listen to this song. Like legit, that’s a picking pattern I need to aspire to learn. Dora’s a very quirky artist and her lyrics sometimes hit like Samia’s where I don’t know exactly what she’s talking about but once I hear her explain what she’s talking about, I’m in awe as a poet. This song is just so good sonically that I don’t really care what she’s saying. Which doesn’t really happen often for me.

LDR by AYMI and Miho Kim

“I’ll find my way back to you, there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do…”

Ahhh more friends releasing music! I met Michelle (aka AYMI) in the most random way last fall lol. She was working at a photobooth in Koreatown and we got to talking about music. She mentioned she was an artist and I mentioned that I was working on my first music project. Since then, we’ve now become fast friends and are even brainstorming some music industry shenanigans together. I remember her telling me that she was working towards this release and I was excited to finally listen to her music. This song is a perfect little R&B pop moment that definitely gives me 2000s pop in the best way.

Compromise by ROLE MODEL

“After all the tears you’ve cried, don’t you compromise…”

The ROLE MODEL propaganda worked on me, what can I say? lol. I was getting so many TikToks of Tucker that the curiosity got to me and I needed to give his project a full listen, even if I knew country-twinged things aren’t usually my thing. But this song really felt like a needed encouragement as I was really coming to a place of acceptance about the things I’d been grieving for the past year.

It Was Not a Beautiful Night by Sabrina Song

“And all that I know now is my love for you is violent…”

I met Sabrina through a research call a few months ago and I don’t know why I waited so long to listen to her music. It is SO good. This song is legit the kind of song that I listen to and wish that I wrote. I’m honestly continually in awe of this song. The way it explodes sonically feels so beautiful and cathartic and I just need it to be in a movie. I highly recommend listening to her full album because I just have a feeling that her music is gonna blow up.

are you there? by Coastal Club

“Are you there love? I wanna know where do you go in the dark…”

I don’t even remember how I found this song, but it has been an earworm for me on every level. It has this vibe that immediately reminds me of wandering/driving around on cold winter nights when the sun sets way too early. The lyrics speak such a tenderness that really kept me in touch with myself throughout the season. And the cadence of the melody just snakes in my mind in such a sweet way. It fills my indie pop rock heart.

That’s Life by Luna Li

“So I’m letting go just to be the one I want to be…”

I saw Luna Li open for mxmtoon and I was just in awe of her the entire time. She played multiple instruments expertly. And her songs were just so lush, gorgeous, and dreamy. This one really got me good because of what she was explaining it was about on stage. It gave me the same comfort as a lullaby does for a child. She was explaining that she needed space to ask herself if the thing she was stressing out over would matter in a year or two. And of course, it made me think about the same for me. The things I was worrying about last year or even two years ago are so different from now. And this song gave me a good reminder that seasons really do always change.

Chaos by LATASHÁ

“Missy my demeanor…”

LATASHÁ is one of the main clients at Peanut Butter Friends and it has been the coolest thing to get to know her artistry and be strategizing for her. She is so thoughtful and so visionary and literally everyday I’m excited to support what art she’s making. “Chaos” is a BANGER and it makes me feel like the baddest bitch when I turn it on. It’s the type of song that begs you to strut down the street to. I need the girls, the gays, and the theys to love this song as much as I do and I will not rest until everyone does. She’s got so many more bangers coming, so you BETTER hop on early. Especially if you’re a Missy Elliot fan.

2001 by FINNEAS

“Honey what you running from? Where the hell you headed to?…”

FINNEAS’s new album stayed on repeat this season, especially as I prepped to see him and Bad Suns in Denver. I really felt this song on a molecular level. The restlessness of being in LA really hit me and honestly these days it feels like it gets louder. I ask myself constantly what I’m running from and the best answer I can muster up is that I may have “spent too much time alone”. This absolutely groovy song helped keep me in check about it all.

People by half•alive

“They’re just people, driving on the highway next to people, living out their lives with other people…”

This song has been making my heart explode lately. So much so that it motivated me to get tickets to see half•alive in May. I need to cry to this song live surrounded by strangers. This song has made me cry multiple times thinking about how to navigate relating to people these days. In a world that just feels bent on focusing on the things that divide us, I feel like there’s nothing more beautiful than laying down my defenses and being able to see the dignity in as many people as I can. I love people watching wherever I go and it feels a little contradictory to my often extroverted nature but I can’t help it, I’m always fascinated by how beautiful and funny it is to be a person. And this song is the perfect reminder that we may have more in common than we think.

Killah by Lady Gaga and Gesaffelstein

“I’m a killah and boy, you’re gonna die tonight…”

MAYHEM is my new favorite Lady Gaga album. It is just BANGER after BANGER. I have not been this obsessed with a Lady Gaga project since The Fame…legit I’m not kidding. This album has so many influences to it from R&B to heavy metal to disco – it’s all over the place but in the most cohesive way. I am obsessed with all of it, but the second I heard “Killah” I got chills. It’s the most insane, heavy metal/DNB-esque song and it makes me feel like committing crimes lol. Just listen to the entire album, I’m obsessed.

Lights Down Low by The Thing With Feathers

“Well I’m on my way but I’m running late, gonna risk my life on the interstate…”

The Thing With Feathers is opening for Never Ending Fall and The Hails on their current tour and I can confirm they fucking rock. They’re based in Nashville and this has been their first nationwide tour, so we love to hear and support it. Their energy onstage is just so electric, you gotta vibe with it. And of course we love indie rock songs that make me feel like the hottest girl alive. Y’all know that’s my literal soundtrack when I’m on a life high. Also I took the cutest picture with David the lead singer and sorry I’m fangirling just a little about it. But yeah, stay tuned for more from them because their sound is what you want to rage/dance to at a show.

BUTTERFLY by MARINA

“To become a butterfly, parts of me had to die. Spread my wings in the golden light and I fly…”

I am entering this Spring in the most Spring way I could. I feel like a fucking butterfly y’all. MARINA really hit the nail on the head with the feeling I’m in here. Also not lost on me that my Saturn return is hitting at the exact degree so of course this feels personal lol. I’m gonna be starting full-time with Peanut Butter Friends next month and it officially feels like I’m blooming again. I have a lot of new things to learn but it’s all aligned with my calling to support artists making art. And I couldn’t be happier about it. It is bittersweet to have to have said goodbye to the last era of me but it almost feels worth it to have gone through the pain of the last year. I feel like there’s so much to look forward to and I can’t wait for it.

Albums/EPs you gotta listen to: SOS Deluxe: LANA by SZA, Vicious Creature by Lauren Mayberry, Aftercare Deluxe by Nessa Barrett, Hurry Up Tomorrow by The Weeknd, Saint Motel and the Symphony in the Sky by Saint Motel, Kansas Anymore Deluxe by ROLE MODEL, Short N’ Sweet Deluxe by Sabrina Carpenter, You Could Stay in One Spot and I’d Love You The Same by Sabrina Song, The Last American Valentine by Sid Simons, MAYHEM by Lady Gaga

Winter, you gave me the much needed perspective that I’ve grown so much in the past year, as painful as it was. I feel like I’m stepping into this Spring blossoming just like all the flowers right now. So many dreams have come true in the recent future and there’s so many new dreams springing up. I refuse to let the world get me down. Joy is a radical act in a darkened world and I will be taking part in it often. And I hope you’re all able to find a slice of joy in the next season. Until next time.