Whether it is indie, R&B, country, pop or folk, all genres of music share a common thread: the ability to connect communities and provide comfort. This is especially true during the fall season; as the weather gets colder and days get shorter, people often gravitate toward songs and albums that evoke a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality.

To senior Elena Faz Garza, fall is a reminder of “family and friends and seeing everyone again as [they] come back from the summer.” The idea of fall as a familial and comforting season comes through in the music that appears in “Criminal Minds,” one of her favorite shows to watch during the fall. “I think [“Criminal Minds”] uses a lot of The Killers and early 2000s music, which reminds me of my dad and his favorite music,” said Faz Garza. She also listens to folkloric Mexican music, including artists like Peso Pluma, with her mom.

When asked what music she has listened to this season, Faz Garza mentioned Zach Bryan, an American country singer who has amassed over 27 million monthly listeners on Spotify. In particular, she found his song “Something in the Orange” captivating for its “folky” sound. Taking 17th place on Spotify’s “top 50 most played tracks right now,” this song holds a spot in the hearts of many October music listeners. 

In addition, Faz Garza brought up Taylor Swift’s “Folklore,” “Evermore” and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” as albums that encapsulate the fall spirit with their stripped-back, folk-pop sounds and intricate storytelling. 

Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” has over 660 million streams. Its MTV Video of the Year and Grammy award-winning music video and descriptive lyrics capture that nostalgic fall feel. The music video takes place in a forest, using the image of “autumn leaves falling down” to represent the positive ways in which their relationship was like “pieces into place” and also the melancholy associated with leaves falling. Other details like the infamous red scarf add to the aesthetic and poetic effect of the song and short film. Swift’s vulnerable lyrics encompass a remembrance of the past and the impact it had on her as she remembers her past relationship “all too well.”

Overall, Faz Garza described her fall music taste as “peaceful” and she recognized that it mostly includes songs she has held close for a while: “I will listen to pretty much the same music every fall and begin to recognize and identify it as my fall music.” 

Similarly, senior Carissa Qin stated that autumn music is “reminiscent,” but it also “makes you want to think about what is to come.”

Her association with fall as a nostalgic season stems from some of her favorite fall movies and TV shows. One memorable score for Qin is from the early 2000s television series “Gilmore Girls,” featuring Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham. Its theme song, “Where You Lead I Will Follow” by Carole King, presents a vivid image of the small Connecticut town during fall. 

Qin’s top picks for this fall season include artists Childish Gambino, The Kooks and the indie-alternative band Boyscott. Specifically, she enjoys Boyscott’s songs “Sleepwalk,” “After Dark” and “Nova Scotia 500.” She said that they are “cool,” but “listening to them somehow brings in warmth.” They also “have a great rhythm and a really good guitar part,” Qin says. The acoustic feel of fall translates through Boyscott’s warm guitar instrumentals, entertaining use of synths and layered vocals, upbeat drums and simplistic but inquisitive lyrics. 

Senior Paige Brown also gravitates toward “more calm” music during this time of year. “I kind of tend to associate sadness with fall music. Not in a bad and outright way, but more in a general sound through the instrumentals and beats that are a lot less loud and overwhelming than the music I listen to in the summer,” said Brown.

Three artists she resonates with are Noah Kahan, Lana Del Rey and Zach Bryan for the “peace” their music emanates. “View Between Villages” by Kahan is one of her favorites.

The song begins with Kahan’s vocals, accompanied only by a faint guitar. The song builds and the lyrics of the closing line, “I’m back between villages and everything’s still” reflect on the happiness and relief Kahan feels when he is finally back in his hometown, allowing himself to be truly content and at peace. Kahan’s music serves as an example of the way  nostalgia, a yearning for home and being surrounded by family and friends often remain at the core of the art that is reflective of fall.

From childhood film scores to current albums, fall music serves as a link between past memories and future plans. It can encapsulate some of the most vivid moments that people have and elicit emotions like peace and nostalgia.