No matter your musical taste, these songs are sure to enhance your next apple-picking trip or pumpkin patch outing
By: Caelan Monkman
The air is cooler, the leaves are changing colour and the melodies are flowing! To help get you into the fall music mood, here are eight must-listen songs by Canadian artists to add to your playlist this month.
So whether you’re out on a fall hike watching the leaves change colours or curled up inside with a book and a pumpkin spice latte, these songs will perfectly accompany your autumnal activities.
These songs and many others can be found on CanCulture’s Sounds of Fall Playlist, available now on Spotify and Apple Music.
Neil Young – Harvest Moon
No fall playlist would be complete without Harvest Moon by Canadian music legend Neil Young. As the title track off his 19th studio album (which turns 30 next month), the song has become one of Young’s most famous, being named the “30th-greatest Neil Young song of all time” in 2021 by Rolling Stone. Between Young’s vocals, the background vocals provided by Linda Ronstadt and the gentle picking of a steel guitar, the song creates an otherworldly atmosphere perfect for listening late on a fall evening.
The Weather Station – Loyalty
“There’s a loneliness, I don’t lose sight of it
Like a high distant satellite
One side in shadow, one in light
But I didn’t mind to be alone that night in a city I’d never seen”
With lyrics equally haunting and therapeutic, The Weather Station’s 2015 track captures the mysterious feelings of late fall evenings. Following in the footsteps of other Canadian folk singers like Joni Mitchell and Sarah Harmer, the title track of The Weather Station’s third album is melodically straightforward and lyrically complex. Produced by fellow Canadian musicians Afie Jurvanen (Bahamas) and Robbie Lackritz (who had worked with the likes of Feist and Jason Collett), the track has a distinct indie-folk feel and features some of the lead singer Tamara Lindeman’s most compelling lyrics. Loyalty is an easy and calming listen and provides lots of lyrical content to sink your teeth into.
Richard Inman – Redemption
A master of storytelling in his folk-country songs, Indigenous singer-songwriter Richard Inman perfectly encapsulates the feeling of driving down a prairie road in the middle of fall. His strong baritone voice singing against the backdrop of a twangy guitar and background vocals feels both fresh and road-weary, both brand new and nostalgia-inducing.
Mappe Of – Ladybird
Fans of indie pop icons like Bon Iver or Fleet Foxes will likely love Whitby, Ontario’s Mappe Of, the stage name of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tom Meikle. Meikle’s music elegantly dances between minimalism and intricately layered arrangements of acoustic and electronic instrumentation. Miekle’s gorgeous falsetto vocals float over the top of it all, resulting in an ethereal arrangement that’s an absolute delight to listen to.
Kanen – Tes veines en canot
Karen Pinette-Fontaine, who goes by the stage name Kanen, is an Innu singer-songwriter from Uashat mak Mani-Utenam on Quebec’s North Shore. Her introspective indie-folk songs consist of her gorgeous vocals, ukulele, guitar, double bass and percussion, all converging and resulting in music as soft as a cool autumn breeze. Singing songs both in French and Innu-aimun, Kanen is a must-listen for anyone interested in Canada’s francophone and Indigenous music scenes.
Srul Irving Glick – Piano Concerto II: Calm, Peacefully, con rubato
For fans of instrumental and classical music, the second movement of Srul Irving Glick’s Concerto for Piano and String Orchestra wonderfully accompanies the feeling of a crisp autumn afternoon. The prolific Toronto composer created both religious and secular music, with much of his work reflecting musical elements of his Jewish heritage. According to an article by the Ottawa Citizen, this particular recording was performed by composer and pianist Ralph Gothóni and the Finlandia Sinfonietta in the Governor General’s residence in 1992.
Andy Shauf – Early to the Party
The second track off Andy Shauf’s 2016 concept album about a house party features tons of ‘60s musical influences. The Saskatchewan native received lots of praise for the album, as well as multiple Juno Award nominations and a Polaris Prize shortlisting. As the title of the song suggests, the track is about the discomfort of being the first to arrive at a party and the experience of waiting for others to show up.
Though Shauf has explained many of the album’s songs contain autobiographical elements, they also explore many universal themes and experiences. The perfect song to put on next time you’re the first to arrive at that Thanksgiving gathering or Halloween party!
So there you have it: the perfect songs to freshen up your fall playlists! Be sure to check out our full playlist the next time you’re looking for the perfect Canadian soundtrack for your autumnal adventures.