Top 14 Tracks to Get You In the Mood For Autumn
It’s finally September! If you’re anything like me, you've reached a point where you’re fed up with the scattered heat waves and unbearably muggy, cloudy days and are looking forward to the simple joys of autumn. Don’t get me wrong, summer is lovely and I welcome it with open arms, but if you live in a densely packed city like myself, it doesn’t take long before your patience runs out. I’m manifesting cooler days wrapped up in oversized knits, watching rain outside your window and listening to calming autumn tunes whilst you chug hot chocolates back (I ruined it with that last bit, didn’t I…). Anyway, this leads me nicely into what I’m planning to discuss: my top 15 tracks to get you into that cosy autumn mood (or fall for anyone reading this ‘across the ponds’). Let’s get started…
Kiss Me – Sixpence None The Richer
To kickstart the list I’ve chosen this whimsical ballad. You may recognise this tune from a range of TV shows in the late 90s - filled with uplifting melodic vocals and sentimentality, it’s no wonder the track became the most radio-played song by 1999.
Lights Are On – Tom Rosenthal
There is something about this dreamy track that sends you into a lethargical bliss. A lullaby that begins with gentle piano chords, Tom’s slow, faraway vocals is the perfect slumber melody for those rainy autumn days.
‘Je te laisserai des mots’ and ‘To Build A Home’ – Patrick Watson
Patrick Watson is the king of evoking emotion and memory through his compositions. If you’re in the mood to get thinking and hear the sound of unparalleled sadness and happiness at the same time, then grab a cup of coffee and curl up to these beautiful Patrick Watson tracks. Je te laisserai des mots is a whispering French love song about leaving handwritten notes for a lover. To Build A Home, by The Cinematic Orchestra featuring Patrick Watson, is a moving track about building a future together with someone by making a home your own.
Autumn in New York – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong (cover)
This beautiful slow jazz classic was originally written by Vernon Duke in 1934 and has since been covered multiple times by many big names. One of the standout covers is by jazz icons Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Ella’s warm, honey vocals mixed with Louis’ raspy ones takes you back in time to 1950s New York on an autumn stroll through central park.
Simply the Best – Billiane (cover)
Billiane’s cover of this song, originally by Tina Turner, has an unmistakably autumnal feel; this track is like a cup of tea on a cold day, with a crackling fire and blankets. Close your eyes and imagine listening to this in a quiet field with leaves falling around you, and I promise you’ll feel at peace.
You, Dear – Eloise
Drenched in soul interspersed with hints of jazz, Eloise’s debut track sets the scene in Paris and for me, creates an envisioning of walking through the city streets on a lazy autumn afternoon. Having grown up in Normandy, you’ll notice in some of her other tracks that Eloise occasionally reminisces about her first language by singing at the piano in French.
Autumn Leaves – Eva Cassidy
Eva’s rendition of Autumn Leaves, originally written by Jacques Prevert, Joseph Kosma and Johnny Mercer, is one of unmatched beauty. Having changed the song to an incredibly difficult key, Eva will blow you away with effortless chord transitions on the guitar accompanied by her polished vocals. The lyrics are heavy with remnants of autumn; “the falling leaves drift past my window, the falling leaves of red and gold” – the perfect backing track on a crisp autumn day.
Doomsday – Lizzy McAlpine
Filled with flawless vocals, eerie chord progressions and a ghostly orchestral backing, this track is the perfect haunting accompaniment for Halloween that you never knew you needed. The brooding indie-pop masterpiece tells the story of an aching heartbreak that will no doubt have you reaching for the tissues.
Halloween – Novo Amor
We can’t get closer to autumn than a song literally named after the best holiday celebration of the season. But if autumn and Halloween have never exactly been your cup of tea, then this track will certainly make you feel better about it: Novo Amor sings about hard times he’s faced through the month of October, using these experiences to draw inspiration for the track.
Coffee – Beabadoobee
This acoustic ballad is an easy listen for autumn. Beabadoobee sings about the interaction of mental health with relationships, and the importance of looking after loved ones through tough times. She describes it as a cheesy love song she wrote for a partner, taking inspiration from his big green eyes and building the song around this line.
Skinny Love – Bon Iver
Indie-folk band, whose frontman is singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, brought this haunting track to the world back in 2008. Justin’s bewitching steel guitar hook and ghostly falsetto will send chills up your spine, with lyrics hinting at an impending doom in the song’s storyline. This ethereal track is perfect for the run up to the eve of Halloween. Take a minute to check out Birdy’s beautiful cover with her heavenly vocals.
Phoebe Bridgers – Halloween
This profound song by the icon that is Phoebe Bridgers is a masterpiece of the ages. It is intimate, chilling and heartbreaking all at once. Weak howling sounds occur in the background to create the perfect eerie accompaniment for a track that touches on the theme of Halloween.
We Fell in Love in October – Girl in Red
Starting out when she was 19 years old, Girl in Red is a singer-songwriter from Norway whose debut single is the endearing queer-natured track, We Fell in Love in October. The lyrics paint a story of a love that blossomed in the autumn and how the artist now associates this season with nothing short of romance.
Holofernes – Grouper
It’s impossible for me not to include a calming instrumental piece in this list of autumn tracks; I’ve gone with the delicately beautiful Holofernes, a short track by Grouper which involves gentle piano playing of a soft lullaby. Hailing from North California, musician Liz Harris is the talent behind Grouper.
We absolutely love this list of cosy and at times, melancholic tracks that will help settle you in to the Autumn period. Which are your favourites? Do you have any suggestions for tunes we might have missed? Let us know on social media by getting in touch @auxdotapp on all channels.