The only good thing to come out of this pandemic has been the music. At least, that’s how it’s been for me. With so many of the things we’ve grown so accustomed to suddenly taken away from us, it’s been hard to adjust and stay sane. I’m in college, and the pandemic has made every part of that immensely more difficult. Things that used to be easy became more challenging, tasks that could be done in 2 hours suddenly were taking all day, work-life balance was out the window, social interaction was practically non-existent. Even now, much of that still rings true for me, and the only thing I’ve found that can help ease the stress and curb the negative emotions that constantly rear their ugly heads as a result of everything going on is music. When I feel like I’m about to snap, the best thing I can do for myself is queue something up and drown out the world for just a song or an album’s length.
It’s fine and good to queue up the songs and artists I already know and love, and the impact that songs from my favorite bands have had on me over the past year is immeasurable, but there’s been something extra special about discovering new artists and new music throughout the past year. For just 40 minutes, an hour, an hour-and-20 if I’m lucky, life suddenly feels normal again. I feel excited for the first time in a long time. I have something to explore, a task of sorts, not that I haven’t been busy enough through all of this, but this is a task I actually look forward to completing. Part of the reason this pandemic has taken such an emotional toll on so many of us is because for the longest time, it’s felt like we were stuck; that there was no end in sight, and for those of us who’ve been masking up, socially distancing, and staying at home, our actions have felt pointless as the virus has continued to spread. After a long day of struggling through coursework or our job or just simply being alive, scrolling the internet to see the day’s latest infection and death count, and wondering when this virus will be a thing of the past and when the world will fully open up again, we’re physically and emotionally drained. Turning on a record by someone I’ve never listened to, a record I’ve never heard by an artist I have listened to, or a brand-new release from one of my all-time favorites has been the only thing that makes me feel better. Delving into something new makes it feel like things aren’t at a stand-still, but like we’re pushing through and getting closer to the end.
I’ve enjoyed the new releases from the artists I’ve loved for years. New Music Friday has been my saving grace since this time last year. With concerts and touring still virtually non-existent, it’s been so comforting to see so many of my favorites pressing on and creating through all of this. The Last Bandoleros released a live album last April recorded during one of their last shows before the pandemic hit in Texas called, funnily enough, Live From Texas. It’s a beautiful reminder of days past, when crowded, sweaty shows were possible, and it’s given me hope for the future, that we’ll get back to those kinds of shows again. I can’t help but smile every time I start that record up.
I’ve also loved getting to delve deeper into some of the artists I love that I’m not as familiar with. George Harrison has long been my favorite Beatle, I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m a huge Traveling Wilburys fan, and the Harrison-penned Beatles tunes have always been my favorites, but I’ve only within the past year really taken a deep dive into his many solo records. I knew his solo hits, but getting to discover all the deep tracks has been such a fun adventure.
Probably most impactful for me, I’ve discovered my fair share of new-to-me artists throughout the pandemic. Being able to throw some headphones on and crank up a record by a band I’ve never heard before has been the perfect medicine for just about everything that’s ailed me over the past year. I’ve spent my free time during the pandemic delving into artists of any and all genres, and I have gotten into so much music as a result. Def Leppard, Jeff Buckley, Phoebe Bridgers, Lake Street Dive, Joyous Wolf, Alex Cuba, Martin Sexton, Larkin Poe, Scissor Sisters, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg, but there’s one band I discovered during this pandemic that’s had a far more profound effect on me than any other.
I was aware of Greta Van Fleet for a solid couple of years before I decided to give them a try. I couldn’t tell you what took me so long – I guess I just wasn’t ready for them yet. I choose to believe that I discovered their talent at what was the right time for me, when I needed them most. I had just joined the BANDED team when I actively turned on my first GVF jam, “Highway Tune.” I liked it – rock has long been a passion of mine, and this track checked all of those boxes, but I still wasn’t sold.
I remember the song that did it for me, the song that caught my attention, the song that hooked and reeled me in. “Heat Above”. For whatever reason, I’ll never forget that feeling when I heard it for the first time. It took no time at all for their tunes to fall perfectly into my “Songs for a Mood Boost” playlist. Nothing gets my day started better than to blast “Heat Above” on my half hour drive to class every day. I can’t quite put into words how listening to their music feels. For me, it’s a magical experience, their music has moved me in ways that only my favorite bands of all-time have been able to do, and those who don’t feel it don’t understand. With 703K Instagram followers, I know there’s at least a handful of people out there who know what I’m talking about. Cranking up one of their records is always the perfect remedy to a rough day.
I got into these guys at the right time too, right as they were in the middle of dropping new tunes and videos from the forthcoming record. Discovering and getting into their music has been like the best of all the musical worlds: I’ve discovered something new and fallen in love with it, I’ve been able to delve deeper and listen to all their deep tracks along with their hits, and now I have something new from them to look forward to. It’s been a little bit overwhelming!
Joining the Peaceful Army has felt like joining a secret club. Practically everyone here at BANDED loves GVF, and when I told everyone I was just getting into their tunes, I was welcomed with open arms with recommendations galore. Loving their music has never felt like a competition like I’ve experienced with so many other artists I love, and with all the stress of everything that’s happened in the past year, it’s certainly been a welcome change.
For a music lover, diving into the music we love or into something new keeps us from having to think about how awful things were/have been. Our lives changed drastically in such a short period of time, but music has stayed the same. No matter how crazy things were in my life, no matter how stressed I was, no matter how much I was struggling, I could always throw on my headphones, turn something up loud, and immediately feel better.
Maybe I’m a little dramatic, but music is and has always been my favorite thing on the planet. Nothing has made me happier. My favorite memories all took place in concert venues, and the pandemic has kept me from making new ones. Maybe for me, discovering new music is the next best thing.
There’s a part of me that regrets not giving Greta Van Fleet a try when I first heard about them a few years ago. I find myself just a little bit envious of everyone online who’s shared their incredible concert experiences from before the pandemic. I wish I could be one of those people, I wish I could have been part of those crowds, but like with a few other artists now in my life, I truly believe I discovered their magic when it was meant to be. I don’t know if you believe in fate, but that’s what I’d call it. Somehow, their music was exactly what I needed, and I’m so glad to have had it to get me through these past couple months and for the months to come.
So yeah, I’m fairly new around here, but I couldn’t be more happy to join the club. I’m can’t stop dreaming about seeing these guys live, but until that happens, I’ll just turn The Battle at Garden’s Gate up maybe a bit unhealthily loud!