Every flavour Freshers playlists

So, you’ve just moved away to uni for the first time and everything’s a little bit weird. We’ve all been there, so here’s a selection of playlists that should help you get through your first few weeks in the bubble: give them a listen and you’ll begin to feel at home in no time.

Missing Home

Starting university is one of the most anticipated milestones in life: representing the beginning of adulthood and the abundance of opportunities which come with leaving home. The idyllic discovery of newfound freedom soon sours, though: as the dirty dishes pile up, hangovers of freshers are no longer fun, but just plain miserable, and the true colours of that slightly odd flatmate are revealed with horrifying results. At this point, most fledgling freshers begin to yearn for home, and so should turn to this playlist as one source of comfort. The first nine songs of this list should act as a sort of catharsis; most are of the acoustic persuasion and openly lament the loss of home, with a pre-Bon Iver Justin Vernon in DeYarmond Edison alongside The Head and the Heart and The Cinematic Orchestra being most blunt in how painful being away from home can be at times. However, after having a good wallow in some indie whining, the second half of this playlist offers some musical and lyrical solutions, with Doves, Frank Turner and Mountain Goats acting as sorts of personal cheerleaders who can help anybody get through the tumultuous first term of university.

Flora Havelock

Summer Discovery

Summer acts as a great time to discover new music, especially with many of us being able to explore the local music scene in other countries through travel, as well as uncovering new performers and artists at music festivals. Music, for me, is an essential part of my summer experience: it is rare that anyone will see me without headphones on. This is because music, such as that featured in this playlist, sounds even better on a day when the sun is out shining. This playlist compiles a range of exciting, innovative artists: many of whom are upcoming, and also some who have come back and made fantastic albums this summer. From bluesy, acoustic-driven gems perfect for the sunset or a day of travel, to 80s influenced summer grooves and upbeat tropical-sounding dance beats to get you to get you pumped for a night out or afternoon drinking by the pool; and to minimalist electronic, calm yet catchy enough for the early hours: this playlist acts as a reminder to your summer journeys.

Jay Chauhan

Predrinks

These songs are perfect as the background to any pre-drinking social – they’re relaxed enough to create a chilled out atmosphere, but trendy enough to set the mood for the prelude to a great night out! It’s a mixture of newer tunes and some older songs – and, come on, no one can resist a little bit of Queen B… The songs also range in tempo so you’re guaranteed to get a good mix of moods – just put it on shuffle and you should be good to go! One of the musical highlights of the playlist includes ‘Shut Up And Dance’ by Walk the Moon, which was one of the summer’s biggest hits and is guaranteed to get people movin’ and groovin’. Another notable track? Definitely ‘Girls Like Girls’, as it’s a little lesser known and is a really laid back tune coupled with Kiyoko’s sultry vocals that’ll settle in nicely with the haze of pre-drink tipsiness.

Christine Wong