I have been in lockdown for nine days now and the term ‘isolate’ never felt so lonely. As a result, I’ve been listening to a few trusty artists religiously, accompanying me to every meal, shower and pretty much each moment that I’m not staring longingly out my window, trying to get some work done.

Here’s three of my top artists that relentlessly remind me that; to hear chill is to be chill.

Phoebe Bridgers

Bridgers is a Californian indie, alt/folk artist whose music straddles despair and dark humour. Her latest album, Punisher was released in June of this year and features two of my personal favourite tracks; “Kyoto”, a punchy and perhaps the most upbeat song of the album that exploits the use of brass to their full extent, and “Halloween”, a sombre song that captures Bridgers’ dry humour and chilling voice which floats above the synths. Not just a moody, bleak record, Bridgers’ music intelligently uses an undercurrent of anxiety, encapsulating the climate in which we live, and is well worth a listen.

Give ‘Kyoto’ a listen here

Whitney

For the chilliest of the chill music, listen to Whitney to take you way back to those carefree summer days. Their latest album, Candid was released in August of this year and features a hefty load of covers, but not necessarily the tracks from artists one would expect. The title indicates that this record pushes to the forefront the songs that might have got lost in the depths of forgotten tracks by great artists such as The Roches and John Denver. Lead singer’s Julien Ehrlich’s falsetto paired with the floral instrumental arrangement make this feel good, easy indie music.

Give ‘Hammond Song’ a listen here

Khruangbin

Now time for the funk: this mysterious Texan trio draw upon groovy sounds from around the world, combining Indian folk, Jamaican dub and a South Asian sound from the 70s and 80s to, as NME puts it ‘make psychedelic music that travels between eras and continents’. Their fourth and latest album ‘Mordechai’ was released earlier this year in June and is another album packed with vibrant tracks, using the timelessness of the guitar chords to create a warm tone over catchy beats. This is a truly unique band that creates the perfect music to create that funky atmosphere or a fully-fledged party in style.

Give ‘Time (You and I)’ a listen here

 –Katie Garvin

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