for when i'm on a road trip through the midwest [playlist]

[ folk rock, emo singer/songwriter. americana ]

i began this playlist 7 years ago, to fuel a daydream of my future self on some roadtrip through the midwest with someone i liked at the time. i envisioned myself in a car driving down long roads through mountains and deserts, passing outdated gas stations and kitschy motels and stopping at small american diners like something out of a tv show.

i combined my initial idea with some ventura DIY, some songs from a sunburnt trip to colorado, music i got from a john green book when i was in middle school, the song i cried to on the drive home after i finished college, songs that someone i loved put on a playlist for me, music from the city i moved to when i became an adult.

last week, i went on a short trip to sedona (not the midwest, i know). i was driving through the rock formations/mountains in a jeep with the top down (i felt infinite (i just rewatched perks of being a wallflower last night)) and it made me think of this playlist. i felt inspired to finally finish it (or make it presentable enough to share). i think it’s a perfect soundtrack for long sunny drives, road trips through stretches of deserts and mountains, and if you’re really up for it— journeys through the midwest.

so, i started this playlist on spotify in 2018, tied it up pretty with a knot, and am now presenting it to you in the year 2025. i love that i began this playlist with a certain intent and then 7 years later, something in my life happened that prompted me to finish it. this sounds so cheesy but a playlist is never just a playlist for me… every one i post has so much intent and history behind it and is usually the product of years and years of curation. and a song is never just a song. i hope you enjoy <3