When I’m writing, I obsessively listen to the same songs.
Over and over.
Four hours and hours and hours.
My most recent release, ALIEN MINDS, is no exception. Most of the time, I don’t know why I hook into a particular tune until the book’s over. Now that ALIEN MINDS has been released for more than a month, I thought it might be a good time to review the music that helped write it.
Who knows? You might find a new fav song. I’ll start with a classic band, the Stone Roses…
Love Spreads by the Stone Roses
“Let me put you in the picture, let me show you what I mean. The messiah is my sister, ain’t no king man, she’s my queen.”
In ALIEN MINDS, we have an intergalactic prince, Thorne, who thinks he’ll never be fortunate enough to find his transcendent (the girl he loves through so many parallel realties, their bond bleeds into his current universe.) This song captures the feeling he has when our guy meets a certain Meimi Archer.
Say it with me: awwwwwwwww!
Now onto a newer band, the X Ambassadors…
Renegades by X Ambassadors
“All hail the pioneers.”
Both Meimi and Thorne love to build new tech and this song celebrates makers everywhere. Go STEM!
I’ll now segue onto one of my fav bands of all time…
Zero by Imagine Dragons
“Hello, hello … let me tell you what it’s like to be a zero.”
Almost every time I write a book, I end up obsessing on a fresh Imagine Dragons song. This time, it was Zero. Thorne is the kind of guy who’s very open about his limitations … yet he never gives up. This song really captures that spirit for me.
Time for a more romantic tune…
I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons
“I will wait, I will wait for you.”
Without giving away too much, I’ll just say that this song is all about Thorne. Read the book and you’ll know what I mean!
I’ll end with a lot of hair and an 80’s classic …
Hazy Shade of Winter by The Bangles
“Look around, leaves are brown, and the sky is a hazy shade of winter.”
Much of ALIEN MINDS takes place in a future version of Boston, MA that is a hot dystopian mess. This song really captures that spirit. Plus, it’s an all-chick rock song, so YEAH.
I hope you enjoyed these tunes. I’m now back to a new book and related song list!
