Most of my evenings involve some variation of the following: a good book, my comfy bed, a candle, and some mellow music.
It’s the only way I know how to recover from 14+ hours of parenting and trying to be a decent human. 🙂
When we moved into our home, sound systems were immediately on my husband’s mind. My mind… not so much. He bought a couple of great speakers, one of which lives in our bedroom. I’m surprised at how much I enjoy having some rich, quiet, relaxing music as the background for our evenings.
If you could use a soundtrack for your own self-care, I thought I’d pass on ten of my favorite artists. I’m drawn to music with any of the following: a stellar male voice, male/female duets, acoustic guitar, and a hint of folk.
These ten artists fall into the category of easy listening, so I think they’ll make the perfect background music for the nights when you’re putting yourself back together after a long day.
A Self-Care Playlist: Mellow Music for Your Mellow Soul
1. Alexi Murdoch
2. Benjamin Francis Leftwich
3. Bon Iver
4. The Wind & the Waves
5. Jose Gonzalez
6. Iron & Wine
7. Vance Joy
8. The Paper Kites
9. The Lumineers
10. The Head and the Heart
I’d love to generate some more ideas! What are YOUR favorite listens after a long day?
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Love your list, those are definitely some of my faves. More would be…
Gregory Alan Isakov
Bears Den
Joshua Radin
Josh Garrels
M. Ward
Lord Huron
I could go on and on and on…
The XX are great as well- so is M83. ?
I can’t even believe I forgot to mention…Joe Purdy and Brandi Carlile!!
Thank you, Kari! I recognize some and can tell I like your style! 🙂 I will seriously look up every one of these. Thanks again!
So great… I have made myself a playlist! I listen to podcasts so much that I sometimes forget how much a love mellow music. I want to give you something in return – its not mellow, but it you can’t help but want to happy dance to it. Don’t judge it by its title: Hoes in Mexico by The Royal Streets. I just checked and its not on spotify, but it comes up on youtube if you google it.
You should checkout Storyhill. Great duo.
Just turned them on! Thanks so much, Brittany!
Love Jose Gonzalez and the head and the heart! Paper kites are a fav too.
New fan from your post on becoming minimalist!
Always on the prowl for good acoustic folk music as I’m a huge fan if it.
Ha! You named it for me! THANK YOU! That shows how little I really know about music, the fact that I didn’t know the genre name. 🙂 🙂 Now I do, so thank you!
And thanks so much for coming over from Becoming Minimalist. I’m so happy to have you, Joanna!
Wailin Jennys is my go to. Folk, acoustic strings, and amazing harmonies. Enjoying your articles emensely.
I also have a list of acoustic songs to mellow out to Erica, which include a third of your top 10.
Angus & Julia Stone’s, “Big Jet Plane” and “Paper Aeroplane” are two of my favourites, “Landslide” (originally Fleetwood Mac) and “Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness” are two songs by The Smashing Pumpkins I also enjoy along with The Lumineers, Bon Iver and many others.
I second Angus and Julia Stone 🙂
With two votes for them, I am officially on it. Thanks for the recommendation!
You would LOVE Penny and Sparrow 🙂
Ooh, I love the enthusiasm! Will definitely check them out. Thanks, Molly!
I am a fan of instrumental guitar. Chet Atkins is typical of my taste, but I had the privilege of meeting and getting to know a lovely musician named Larry Mitchell. He does a lot of rock-type stuff, but his acoustic slower album “Escape: Acoustic Passages” is my go-to for a morning drinking coffee on the patio. My iPhone alarm in the mornings is a lovely piece from that album called “River Run Deep”. Worth a listen ?.
Thanks so much for the recommendations, Pam! Isn’t instrumental guitar the best? I will definitely look these up!
I would also suggest Cherry Wine and Like Real People Do by Hozier, Boats & Birds by Gregory & the Hawk, Delicate by Damien Rice, Half Acre by Hem, I’m on Fire by Town Mountain, January Wedding by the Avett Brothers, Oceans by Seafret, No Other Love by Chuck Prophet, Stubborn Love by the Lumineers, Sun by Sleeping at Last, and 1957 by Milo Greene.
I love The Yearbook Collection album by Sleeping at Last (great band someone else also mentioned) and also any Tom Odell album. Huge fan of the Wind and the Wave so happy to see it included in your list. Thanks for leading me to some new music! Excited to check it out.
Ooh, thank you! It’s been a little while since someone added some names to this list, and I was needing some new ones to try, so your comment was perfectly timed! Off to check those out!!
Lone Bellow
Johnnyswim
Thanks, Sharla! I will look these up!
I really enjoy The Wind and The Wave. I hear this song for the first time and I love it. Thank you for this awesome list. 🙂
Have a nice day
Lucie http://www.inbluebox.com
Love all of those! Very acoustic folk. I blog about self care + love music and always want to incorporate music in my blog. I really love this idea!! You’ve got a new fan.
The new one for me on your list is the Wind and the Wave so I will definitely check them out 🙂 A few more of my favorites…
Junip (side project of Jose Gonzalez)
Gregory Alan Isakov
The Oh Hellos
Rogue Valley
James Vincent McMorrow
Williams Fitzsimmons
Fleet Foxes
City and Colour
The Native SiblingThe Tallest Man on Earth
The Middle East
Great Lake Swimmers (I like their older stuff)
The National Parks
Roo Panes
Matthew and the Atlas
Hope you enjoy!
I am suuuper late saying thank you, Laura, but as I’m finally plugging some of these artists into Pandora, I couldn’t help but say thank you! I like your taste. 🙂 🙂
Thank you for these suggestions/playlist 🙂 Some very great music in that list and in the comments! One I must add though (that I didn’t see anyone mention)is Ben Howard. You simply MUST check him out 🙂
Live long and prosper ❤
Please make a playlist on Spotify and share it with us! Great picks!
Genius, Lisa! I’ll let you guys know on Facebook if I make one, and I’ll update the post. Might take me a little while to work up the energy to figure out Spotify. 😉 😉
Peter Mulvey!
Looking him up now, Melissa! Thanks for the rec!
Just discovered your blog and have enjoyed poking around. I love all the music recommendations. Jenn Grant makes beautiful music under her own name and also as part of Aqua Alta.
Beautiful tunes, thanks Erica!! Adding ‘Milk Carton Kids’ to the list 🙂
Trying Milk Carton Kids out right now, Charlotte! Thank you!
Joseph!!
Amos Lee
David Gray
Ben Howard
James vincent mcmorrow
I always love to have new artists to try! Thanks, Laura!
I love your blog! The theme, the pictures, and this article, it gives a relaxing feeling. It’s my first time listening to those kind of music and I personally love The paper kites and the wind and the waves. Thank you for sharing this article. I love listening to music, specially christian music. Now, I think I’ll be a fan of mellow music because of your post. Do you have a playlist for the paper kites and the wind and the waves?
This was awesome, I love Iron and Wine! Thanks for sharing this. Some of these I have never heard of and some I forgot about. <3 Love your blog, it's amazing!