The 'Liric' Playlist: Music I Listened to While Writing "One Summer in Okanagan"

Music has always played a strong part in who I am. It has helped enhance my empathic abilities, allowed me to experience my emotions in a more personal way, strengthened my memories, and given me the opportunity to escape, visualize, and explore my imagination.

Growing up, I used to dance after school and I found lessons to be very therapeutic for my personal growth. I remember transforming into a character and letting my body express an emotion during lessons and performances. I would lose myself in a world where it was just me and my own mind at peace. At first, I thought it was dance that was my passion. I still love to dance, don't get me wrong. However, it took me a while to realize what I really loved was feeling the music I was listening to and connecting with it. Dance was just a way to outwardly express what I was feeling. Music allowed me to cry when I sometimes kept my emotions bottled up. I sometimes felt like no one understood what I was going through, especially in some of my darkest times, but something about the lyrics to a song or the way the accompaniment would play would speak to me and remind me I wasn't. Someone else could relate and it helped me overcome the pain.

So it seemed very fitting to find myself creating a playlist when I started writing my novel. After all, music was, and still is, my main outlet for connection and healing, two subjects that this novel deals with. Often, I would envision each scene playing out like it was in a movie and I would become lost in that world. All the songs, whether directly inspired by those imagined scenes or allowing me to tap into an emotion or feeling, played a vital role in the process of my writing. It was nice to know later I was not alone in using music to inspire my writing, as I learned there are many authors who do the same thing.

Today, for the first time, I will be sharing my Liric Playlist. (Side note: I'm pretty excited to be following the trend of combining couples' names together, because combining Lina and Eric almost forms the word 'lyric,' which is a musical term. I didn't plan that, it just kind of happened. It brought a smile to my face.) There are only a couple of songs missing on this list, which were used to write the emotionally tough scenes. Maybe eventually I will include them, but for now, enjoy listening and exploring the songs that inspired my writing. The ones marked with astericks were my personal favourites during the early stages of writing.

The Liric Playlist

Unforgettable - Nat King Cole* (Lina flashback)

We're Here for a Good Time - Trooper* (Lina flashback)

Scared - The Tragically Hip

Gotta Have You - The Weepies

Shake It - Metro Station*

Don't Stop Believing - Journey*

Shallows - Daughter

Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers & Coldplay*

Night's on Fire - David Nail*

H.O.L.Y. - Florida Georgia Line

Alive (Acoustic Version) - Edwin

Have a Little Faith in Me - John Hiatt*

I Love this Life - LOCASH*

Someone to You - BANNERS

Jealous (I Ain't With It) - Chromeo

Ride - SoMo

Pony - Ginuwine

High Hopes - Kodaline*

Both Sides Now (Remastered) - Joni Mitchell

Rescue - Lauren Daigle

Elsewhere - Sarah McLachlan*

Sound of Melodies - Leeland

Meant to Be - Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line*

My heart, forever, always,

RL Morrisseau