The Soundtrack Of My Life

Hello, it’s me again, finally back with another post! After hearing the news this week that my favourite music mag NME will be stopping its print editions, I was reminded of one of its best segments, the Soundtrack Of My Life interviews with various stars.  As such, I was inspired to consider what tracks have been the soundtrack to my own life, with this being the result…

The first song I remember hearing:

Technically the first song I ever heard was Let’s Dance by David Bowie, as this was the track playing on the radio when I was first placed in my parents’ arms. Coincidentally I am now a big Bowie fan, although I’d be lying if I said I actually remember hearing this song as a newborn! In all honesty, the first artists I had a real affinity for as a young child were Kylie Minogue and S Club 7, although Rachel Stevens was always my favourite member because of our shared first name – I vividly remember learning all the lyrics to her solo track Some Girls, and probably still know them to this day!

The first album I bought:

I’m not entirely sure what the first album I actually bought was, but I do remember avidly listening to a CD that I had won in some sort of tween magazine that featured the likes of S Club, Ashanti, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Lucie Silvas. The Now! That’s What I Call Music compilations were another favourite of mine, and I remember putting the latest edition on my Christmas wish list each year. At that point my tastes were very much pop-orientated and so my favourite artists featured would be people like Busted, Girls Aloud, and, as I got older, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Now my tastes have matured, I cringe a little bit when I remember how much I used to enjoy this kind of sound, but it also makes me feel very nostalgic for my carefree childhood.

The first song I fell in love with:

Again, it’s hard to name just one song that fulfils this category so I’ll have to say anything on Arctic Monkeys’ Suck It and See. Prior to hearing this album my tastes in music only really extended to what was in the Top 40, but suddenly I became aware of the fantastic song writing talent of Alex Turner and it opened up a whole new genre for me. I would have been about fourteen years old that this point, and, alongside my musical preferences, my style and personality also began to change too. If I had to choose one favourite song from this album I would have to say Love is a Laserquest which is just the most beautifully written, if a little melancholy, love song.

The song that reminds me of home:
I grew up in a pretty musical household; my parents listened to a lot of different genres, giving me a good musical knowledge from a young age. Thanks to my dad, I have a ridiculously extensive knowledge of the Beach Boys and I even got the chance to see Brian Wilson lay at the Palladium a couple of years back. Since coming to uni, I’ve often found myself playing the band when I’ve felt a little homesick as they instantly remind me of my dad dancing around the living room. Likewise, hearing Elvis Costello, Bowie, Tom Robinson, Don Mclean, The Beautiful South and tons of others always transport me back home.

The song that makes me want to dance:

Wannabe by the Spice Girls has to be my response here. There’s something so nostalgic about it, and I adore it being played on club nights where you can be assured I’ll always do a rendition of the rap in the middle. So, here’s a story from A to Z…

The song I’m listening to now:

There will are certain artists that will always make it onto playlists of mine, such as Arctic Monkeys, Billy Joel, the Kinks and the Rolling Stones. Besides these, the artists that I have been loving at the moment are Peace and Mac DeMarco, having played DeMarco’s song Watching Him Fade Away in particular on repeat. Another contender for favourite of the moment is Young Love by Mystery Jets and Laura Marling, an oldie but a goodie. There’s just something about these tracks that feels very pertinent to my life right now, although in all likelihood I will be sick of hearing them shortly after one click too many of the repeat button!

I really enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane to collate this post. Let me know in the comments below what songs would be on the soundtrack to your life, as well as what you’re listening to at the moment! x