If you like the new folklore album, here's what you should listen to next.

Me and Taylor Swift have kind of an interesting history. I didn’t really learn about her until 2008-2009, when I moved up to a college town and made friends with some girls who introduced me to the mainstream country scene. One of them burned me copies of her music (thanks, Cait!) and while I liked some of the songs, 19 year old me felt a little too old for the big hits like ‘Love Story’ and ‘You Belong With Me.’ I was also deep into the rich indie music scene on campus, seeing bands like Bright Eyes, First Aid Kit, The Hold Steady, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Drive By Truckers and Iron and Wine at the college venue for free (RIP CDU.) Honestly there were just so many great lesser-known artists that I could see live that I dove head-first into that world and didn’t look back. Even then I could see that Swift was a talented songwriter (Tim McGraw, the Best Day and Fearless are some of my favorite songs from that era) but it was definitely more of a side interest/guilty pleasure.

Fast forward to medical school, when I hit a pretty rough patch between struggling with coursework and a floundering long-distance relationship. As if on cue, Swift dropped Red and between the title track and ‘All Too Well’ I had found the soundtrack to the very rocky 2012 I had been having. I spent a lot of time driving winding backroads and singing along off-key to some of the best break up music I had heard since discovering Rumours after getting dumped in high school. It easily remains one of my favorite albums of all time and sealed me as a TS fan for the foreseeable future. Songs like Holy Ground, Treacherous, and State of Grace to this day are among my absolute favorites. I've since loved everything she's put out, with an admitted emotional bias/attachment (and dragged my husband along into the fandom; he excels at singing along the wrong lyrics, relishing in the very wrong 'boys only want love if it's Georgia' since he knows it makes me cringe and laugh at the same time. He's going to be a great Dad, haha.)

 So when she rocked up with folklore last week, between my love for pretty much anything she does at this point and long-time passion for artists like Bon Iver and the National, I felt like this was the Taylor Swift album that was made for me. After a few listens I can say folklore has stolen the crown from Red for me as her best work yet. I tear up every time I hear the lines to epiphany, and my tears ricochet and peace really hit me on a personal level. I’m so stoked she did something different for this album and after a few listens, really found myself going back to some of those independent artists I loved back in college. After reading this round table talk at Atwood Magazine, I realized a big part of why I loved the sound is that it brought me back to a sound I really loved back then, but had drifted away from in recent years.

 One of the writers made a folklore-inspired folk playlist on Spotify, and while I love and agree with 99% of his choices, I wanted to add some of the artists and bands I loved in my college days. So in full disclosure, this is a total copycat idea 😊 I’ve highlighted a couple of the artists below. Most are more true folk than Swift’s album is (I feel like calling her album folk is a bit of a misnomer), but some (like the Sundays, Bob Dylan, Arcade Fire, and Maggie Rogers) I included because I can hear elements of their sound in folklore. I linked the playlist below... Feel free to have a look if you’re a music nerd like me, or just enjoy the spotify playlist. :)

Bob Dylan- I think in an interview somewhere Jack Antonoff or another collaborator mentioned that Betty had been inspired by Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan/Bruce Springsteen style, but I can’t find the quote now. As a huge Dylan fan, my best guesses were Don’tthink twice, it’s alright or Tangled Up in Blue. Any other ideas?

Jason Isbell- another of my absolute favorite songwriters, Isbell really knows how to make you feel some kind of way with his narrative style. I’d highly recommend his albums Southeastern, Here We Rest and The Nashville Sound (latter two are with his band the 400 unit as well.)

The Postal Service- Give Up was one of the first pop albums I ever purchased (ok confession time: typed this out and then realized Celine Dion came first- I got her greatest hits in 5^th grade because that’s what my friends were listening to. Still love her. No regrets.) It’s definitely more upbeat that folklore, but melancholy songs like The District Sleeps Alone Tonight and This Place is a Prison make for equally good quarantine listening.

Phoebe Bridgers- I have to admit I just this week got around to downloading Punisher. But Stranger in the Alps is a great album, and Motion Sickness made me cry the first 20 times I listened. Honestly, I would love to see her and Taylor collaborate on something. I think it could be really great, if either of them are reading this…(note: they are most definitely not reading this.)

 Bright Eyes- Conor Oberst was the original emo musician prodigy, starting to play professionally when he was only 13 or 14 years old. I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning was the sound of my high school years, and Cassadaga deserves so much more attention than it got (Four Winds is one of my favorite songs of all time.) When it comes to songwriting he’s right up there with Swift for me.  Also I have to thank him for introducing me to First Aid Kit, who I was lucky enough to meet when they opened for one of his shows in Tallahassee :)

Neil Young- forever a favorite of mine, and someone I have always admired for speaking his mind and writing politically-minded protest songs (see Southern Man and Ohio.) I love his heavier stuff too, but songs like Old Man, This Old Guitar, Heart of Gold, and Unknown Legend will always be among his best work in my opinion.

Maggie Rogers- this girl’s EP is unlike anything I have ever heard before, in the best way possible. The mix ofelectronics and nature yields such a unique and beautiful sound, it almost feels transcendental, and it’s a sound that is definitely all her own, which is such a rarity in the pop world these days.

Band of Horses- most of their music is decidedly more rock than anything Swift has done, but Infinite Arms was one of those albums that changed my life and that I’ll always anchor to a certain memory, one of with my family through rural Ireland playing these songs on repeat. Easily one of my favorite albums of all time.

Fleetwood Mac- considering they are one of my favorite bands of all time, it was surprisingly easy to pick ‘Storms’ for this playlist. I have a lot of love for both Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie; their words (and Lindsay’s) brought me through my first break up back in high school (as stated above, Rumours changed my life,) at the age when you feel those kinds of emotions at 10 times the magnitude compared to when you’re older.

Iron & Wine and Calexico- the In the Reins EP is one of my favorite albums of all time and I’ll forever be grateful that these two artists have continued their working relationship over 10 years later with a new full-length album. Be careful though- 16, Maybe Less will tear you apart.

Look for the Helpers.

Well I’ve been home a week today, and besides sleeping very well at night, I’m feeling sort of useless. As of right now I’m not needed back until next week, and until our new data collection system is up and running, there won’t be much I can do remotely to help my colleagues overseas. While I’m insanely thankful to be home, with my husband, who still has his job and brings me oat milk lattes every morning (the real MVP,) as someone with an medical degree I’m feeling pretty restless right now, wanting to help out but not sure where to go from here.

So I decided to come up with a short list of ways to help from home during this pandemic. I’m sure this list isn’t exhaustive, and it certainly isn’t much of a contribution compared to those on the frontlines of this crisis (not just nurses and doctors, but those keeping the grocery stores stocked, delivering much-needed supplies, running tests, organizing response logistics…the list goes on…) I’m pretty sure its better than binge-watching the rest of Mad Men on Netflix.

Stay home. This cannot be emphasized enough. And I think most people get it. We’re starting to sound like broken records at this point. But to the Evangeline Lilys of the world, who think this is some thinly veiled mechanism to slowly redact our freedoms…just stop. If you care more about your freedom than the life of your immuno-compromised friend, your elderly parent, the physicians, nurses and other health workers who risk their lives for us every day…. Then I don’t think there’s anything anyone can say to make you listen. But if those people matter even one iota to you, please stay home.

 Donate your masks and protective equipment. Hospitals in New York, Boston, and pretty much anywhere with a lot of Covid-19 cases are running critically low on masks and other personal protective equipment. Currently at my job we are being rationed one mask per shift, and other hospitals only have enough for one mask per week per health worker. Please help us help you, and donate any unused masks or protective equipment you may have to the nearest hospital.

Donate to support others in need. Global crises always have a way of disproportionately harming society’s most vulnerable groups. School closures and job disruptions have left even more people than usual going hungry both in the United States and Globally. Food banks can help safely deliver needed supplies to those who are most in need (check out feedingamerica.org to see how you can help,) and WHO provides much-needed supplies and support to Covid-19 responses in low-income countries. Check out the Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund for more details.

Shop small. It’s probably no surprise to anyone that small businesses are suffering. If your budget allows, ordering a gift card, or having food delivered from your favorite local restaurant, can help keep places going while their business has otherwise screeched to a halt. Don’t forget to tip well; those in the service industry have just lost the majority of their income (maybe a sign that the tipping culture in the U.S. is an epic fail, and we need to pay everyone a fair wage? What a novel idea…) If you know any artists, makers or musicians, consider ordering from their online shop if they have one, or venmoing a few bucks in exchange for a virtual serenade (I did this with @Castroviolin who plays beautifully in both famous halls and the NYC subway and it was lovely.)

Show your kind side. It sounds dumb but I really do believe our attitudes and behavior can impact others in small and meaningful ways. Thank the grocery store workers who are showing up to make sure you can buy food and toilet paper for the week. Facetime with a friend you haven’t seen in a while, and check up on family members who may live alone and feel especially isolated and vulnerable right now. If you’re able, Venmo a few dollars to friends or family in the healthcare workforce to get themselves a coffee or a snack during this stressful time. And make sure you’re being kind to yourself- eat well, drink plenty of water, exercise indoors if you can, and allow yourself the space to process this crazy new world we live in however helps you best. Just be sure to reach out to loved ones or a trusted mental health provider if you feel like its getting to be too much.

Thoughts? Any other ideas about how to help during these strange times? Let me know!

Stay safe and healthy,